This comprehensive reference book provides succinct information on almost thirteen hundred musical stage works written and produced from the 1870s to the 1990s involving contributions by black librettists, lyricists, composers, musicians, producers, or performers or containing thematic materials relevant to the black experience. Organized alphabetically, they include tent and outdoor shows, vaudeville, operas and operettas, comedies, farces, spectacles, revues, cabaret and nightclub shows, children's musicals, skits, one-act musicals, one-person shows, and even a musical without songs. In...

A reflection and symbol of the turbulent 1960s and the culture and lifestyles of the Hippies, "Hair" made history as the first rock musical on Broadway and one of the most successful musicals. The sixties left an indelible imprint upon the American psyche, and Hair, in the words of critic Clive Barnes, summed it up better than any other piece of American theatre. Aside from bringing experimental techniques and rock music to Broadway, "Hair," in author Barbara Horn's view, represented a major step in the evolution of the concept musical from the book musical and was the first concept...

The first encyclopedia of theatre songs from Broadway shows ranging from "The Black Crook" (1866) to the 1994 Tony Award-winning "Passion," this handy guide features over 1,800 songs from over 500 musicals. It gives such information as the songs' authors, original performers, and dates and history of recordings. Each song is described and briefly analyzed, explaining how the song fit in the original production and what is notable about its music, lyrics, and presentation. Thoroughly indexed by song title, show, authors, and performers. Of interest to scholars, students, and fans alike....

This book tells the full story of the making of the show, from the first rough ideas through the tryouts, fine tuning, and eventual triumph - all from an eyewitness...

Winner of three Tony Awards, including Best Book, Urinetown is a tale of greed, corruption, love, and revolution in a time when water is worth its weight in gold.

The American musical has achieved and maintained relevance to more people in America than any other performance-based art. This thoughtful history of the genre, intended for readers of all stripes, offers probing discussions of how American musicals, especially through their musical numbers, advance themes related to American national identity.

Written by a musicologist and supported by a wealth of illustrative audio examples (on the book's website), the book examines key historical antecedents to the musical, including the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, nineteenth and early...