Final answer:
The musical theater duo Richard and Oscar were known as Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, famous for creating groundbreaking musicals like Oklahoma! that changed the landscape of musical theatre with innovative storytelling and integration of dance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Richard and Oscar, referred to in the question, are the famed musical theater duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.
They composed a string of popular musicals including the groundbreaking Oklahoma!, which seamlessly integrated drama, music, and dance to tell a compelling story and is recognized as one of the most important musicals in musical theatre history. Their work set a new standard for musical theatre.
Their first collaboration, Oklahoma!, took audiences by storm with its original use of a psychological dream ballet choreographed by Agnes de Mille and its compelling narrative, despite initial industry skepticism due to it being their first joint project and its perceived lack of commercial appeal.