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Background: The lights of Times Square, New York, were dimmed Sept 1 in honour and fond remembrance of Oscar Hammerstein II, famed lyricist of such endearing musicals as 'South Pacific', 'Oklahoma', and most recently, 'The Sound of Music', now being performed by Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, only a few yards from Times Square on 46th Street.

The owners of all the Broadway theatres cooperated in this signal gesture to a man whose song "Old Man River", is still being sung throughout the world.

Times Square was crowded as the hour of 9.00 came, and a rocket was fired. Taps were played and people stood in silence. A second rocket was fired and the lights came on; a gracious tribute from the scene of so many of his triumphs to the man whom death took too soon.