Editing Richard Rodgers (section)

===Relationship with performers===
[[File:Rodgers and Hammerstein and Berlin and Tamiris NYWTS.jpg|right|thumb|[[Richard Rodgers]], [[Irving Berlin]], [[Oscar Hammerstein II]], and [[Helen Tamiris]] watching hopefuls who are being auditioned on stage of the St. James Theatre.]]
[[Rosemary Clooney]] recorded a version of "[[Falling in Love with Love]]" by Rodgers, using a swing style. After the recording session Richard Rodgers told her pointedly that it should be sung as a waltz.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Fine Romance|last=Lehman |first=David |year=2009|publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8052-4250-8|page=140,249 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-nYWq-8qjHMC&q=A+Fine+Romance}}</ref> After [[Doris Day]] recorded "[[I Have Dreamed (song)|I Have Dreamed]]" in 1961, he wrote to her and her arranger, Jim Harbert, that theirs was the most beautiful rendition of his song he had ever heard.

After [[Peggy Lee]] recorded her version of "[[Lover (Rodgers and Hart song)|Lover]]", a Rodgers song, with a dramatically different arrangement from that originally conceived by him, Rodgers said, "I don't know why Peggy picked on me, she could have fucked up [[Silent Night]]".<ref>Lehman, p. 140.</ref> [[Mary Martin]] said that Richard Rodgers composed songs for her for ''South Pacific'', knowing she had a small vocal range, and the songs generally made her look her best. She also said that Rodgers and Hammerstein listened to all her suggestions and she worked extremely well with them.<ref>Lehman, p. 142–43.</ref> Both Rodgers and Hammerstein wanted Doris Day for the lead in the film version of ''South Pacific'' and she reportedly wanted the part. They discussed it with her, but after her manager/husband [[Martin Melcher]] would not budge on his demand for a high salary for her, the role went to [[Mitzi Gaynor]].