From A . . . My Name Is Alice to The Zulu and the Zayde, this second edition of a title first published in 1984 contains information about 500 musicals (100 of which are new to this edition) available for production by community theaters and schools. Listed alphabetically by title, each entry includes date of original production, playwright, composer, lyricist, plot summary, licensing agent and music publisher, recordings and librettos available (for in-depth research by the user), and cast (number of males, females, children, chorus or not). New to this edition are names of either the original or revival cast, roles played, and songs each role sings. Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning plays are noted. Appendixes of licensing agents and of publishers provide address and telephone and fax numbers. Indexes are by composer, lyricist, and librettist and by song title.
The plot summaries are the most useful and interesting aspect of the book. Each is approximately 100-200 words and describes the setting and plot. Many include notes about the level of performance difficulty or set or makeup challenges ("all Earthlings have blue skin" in Via Galactica; "the cast is on roller skates . . . the set is high tech, costumes are robotic" in Starlight Express). Others refer to reviews of the original production, its simplicity or elaborateness, style of dance and music (tap, ballet, rock, operatic), and type of audience (adult, children, mature). What is not included that would be helpful to the intended user, especially for the lesser-known titles, is singing range for each part.
This second edition will be useful in high school and college theater departments or community theater offices looking for alternatives to yet another staging of Oklahoma! or Brigadoon.
Available On:
Publisher: Amer Library Assn
Released: 1994
by Josh Sharpe – March 13, 2026
Tony Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated performer Lena Hall has released her new album Lullabies for the End of the World, marking her debut original solo project.
by Josh Sharpe – March 09, 2026
Following performances in London and New York, award-winning singer and performer Henry Patterson has set the release of his debut studio album, Broadway Maybe.
by A.A. Cristi – March 09, 2026
TRW has secured worldwide performance rights for NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE: The '70s Beehive Musical, expanding on the success of BEEHIVE: The 60s Musical.
by A.A. Cristi – March 06, 2026
Theatrical icon Charles Busch and cabaret artist Travis Moser have released their new album 'MIXTAPE', recorded live at The Laurie Beechman Theatre and now available on all music platforms.
by Josh Sharpe – March 06, 2026
Theater artist Charles Busch and cabaret artist Travis Moser have teamed up to release their new album, 'Mixtape,' based on the live show of the same name, recorded at NYC's Laurie Beechman Theatre.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – March 06, 2026
Singer-songwriter Jessie Altman has released her new EP Sleepwalking today, marking the first full project under her newly embraced artist name.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – March 06, 2026
Concord Theatricals Recordings has released Georgia Stitt's Bell Tower, an album featuring twenty-six theatrical art songs performed by Broadway stars and recording artists.
by Team BWW – March 05, 2026
Voting is now open for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Stage Recording Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in theatrical and performance-based recordings released during the 2025 calendar year.
by Josh Sharpe – March 04, 2026
West End performer Killian Donnelly (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables) is featured on a new space-opera concept album from musical collective LIM.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – March 02, 2026
Center Stage Records will release If the Stars Were Mine, the debut album from Claybourne Elder – best known for starring in HBO's “The Gilded Age” and Broadway's Company – in digital and streaming formats.
by Josh Sharpe – February 27, 2026
Tony Award-nominated composer has released The Symphonic Suites, an album comprised of new symphonic interpretations of four of his celebrated musical theatre scores, including Dracula, Jekyll & Hyde, Einstein: A Matter of Time, and Artus Excalibur (aka XCalibur).
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 27, 2026
Ghostlight Records has released Next to Normal: Original London Cast Recording as a special 2-CD set.
by A.A. Cristi – February 26, 2026
Beat by Beat Press has released three new youth musicals—OLYMPUS: THE GREEK ROCK MUSICAL, NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN, and STAR POWER—for global licensing.
by Team BWW – February 23, 2026
This is the final chance to submi nominations for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Stage Recording Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in theatrical and performance-based recordings released during the 2025 calendar year.
by Josh Sharpe – February 20, 2026
The offical motion picture soundtrack has been released for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, the new cinematic experience from filmmaker Baz Luhrmann.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 20, 2026
Joy Machine Records has released All the World's a Stage: Original Cast Recording – the new musical with book, music and lyrics by Adam Gwon.
by Nicole Rosky – February 20, 2026
The Wingstastic Book Fair brings theatre lovers an extraordinary opportunity to own rare and signed Broadway treasures while supporting a vital nonprofit mission: preserving theatre history.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 20, 2026
Joy Machine Records has released All the World’s a Stage: Original Cast Recording – the new musical with book, music and lyrics by Adam Gwon.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 20, 2026
Center Stage Records has released the world premiere recording of THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT, based on the acclaimed novel.
by Nicole Rosky – February 25, 2026
Broadway's Andrew Keenan-Bolger is making a showstopping YA debut with Limelight (now available where books are sold), a poignant coming-of-age novel about identity, first love, and the power of the arts to help young people feel seen.
by Nicole Rosky – February 20, 2026
Broadway's Andrew Keenan-Bolger is making a showstopping YA debut with Limelight, a poignant coming-of-age novel about identity, first love, and the power of the arts to help young people feel seen.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 19, 2026
Adam Gwon’s new musical All the World’s a Stage will be released as an original cast album.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 19, 2026
The Al Hirschfeld Foundation will present a new collection titled Hirschfeld's Icons: A Poster Book featuring iconic figures like Elvis and Madonna.
by Josh Sharpe – February 18, 2026
Tony Award winner and international musical theater performer Alfie Boe has set the release of his first-ever album of predominantly original material, Face Myself, arriving on April 10.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 17, 2026
The Grand Teton Music Festival will release of Mahler: Symphony No.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 17, 2026
The concept album for the new musical in development, Signs of Life, will be released on all streaming platforms.
by Josh Sharpe – February 17, 2026
The Housemaid, the hit thriller film starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, will arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K UHD Combo Pack on March 17 from Lionsgate.
by Josh Sharpe – February 16, 2026
Atlanta-based composer and music producer Eugene IV is releasing an album featuring music from and inspired by the Theatrical Outfit world premiere of the musical Young John Lewis.
by Josh Sharpe – February 12, 2026
Claybourne Elder will release a studio recording of his popular one-man show, If the Stars Were Mine on April 3 from Center Stage Records.
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