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A chronology of American musical theater

The first reference of its kind, this three-volume work presents basic production data on more than 3000 musicals from the 1860s through 1997. Organized first by year and then by season, the entries contain every piece of information from the "playbills" or opening night programs of Broadway and off-Broadway musicals, operettas, revues, and other works-from cast and crew to songs, set designers, composers, lyricists, and more. The volumes include detailed indexes.

The New York Times book of Broadway : on the aisle for the unforgettable plays of the last century

From the New York Times, a compilation of the most unforgettable Broadway and off-Broadway moments of the last hundred years. Readers can experience the night a star was born, a director's brilliant debut, a play that broke new ground, a musical that redefined the genre, and even a terrible play that ran for years. This entertaining, essential volume for anyone who loves Broadway includes a full introduction by Ben Brantley, his selection of 25 of the best Broadway plays, and his choice of 100 other unforgettable plays of the 20th century - right up through plays currently running on Broadway. The best 25 are accompanied by art, pull-out stats, and quotes from leading critics. Each of the best 100 includes the full, original New York times review by critics of the day, such as Frank Rich, Brooks Atkinson, Walter Kerr and others. Cast boxes, lavish photos and statistics about the productions complete this authoritative volume about timeless Broadway theatre.

The first Oscar Hammerstein and New York's golden age of theater and music

Oscar Hammerstein I came to New York in the 1860s, a Prussian runaway with a $1.50 his pocket, and found work at a cigar factory. A decade later he was publishing the nation's leading tobacco trade journal and eventually held dozens of patents for cigar-rolling machinery of his own design. He made a fortune and turned his efforts to theater. He built eight of them, including four in Longacre Square--later Times Square--which became a flourishing theater district. Not interested in merely owning theaters, he was a passionate impresario, intimately involved in producing and promoting shows, scouting and booking talent, writing music and librettos and overseeing costumes and stagecraft. Throughout the Gay Nineties and early 20th century, the greatest performers in the world, from opera prima donnas to top vaudeville acts, were billed at his houses. This biography--from an unpublished manuscript by the son of one of Hammerstein's stage managers--recounts the spirited heyday of Hammerstein's daring and masterful productions, his often tempestuous relationships with associates, and the birth of Broadway.

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