The New American Musical: An Anthology from the End of the 20th Century – by Wiley Hausam

During the 1990's, a new generation of composers, lyricists and librettists emerged radically changing the face of American musical theatre. With Broadway becoming mostly a museum for revivals and Disney blockbusters, these new artists have fashioned a more highly personal and challenging form of musical theatre less interested in pure entertainment and the creation of diversions. Their work bears the influence of composers like Stephen Sondheim, Kurt Weill, Mark Blitzstein and Leonard Bernstein and their music and lyrics demand a greater commitment from the listener. The work is often dark and the stories they illuminate cut to the heart of post-modern America.

This anthology collects for the first time the groundbreaking work of these innovative new artists: including Rent by Jonathan Larson; Floyd Collins by Tina Landau and Adam Guettel; The Wild Party by John Michael LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe; Parade by Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown.

Released: 2003