A Chronology of American Musical Theater »

With an introductory chapter discussing the very earliest productions—The Beggar's Opera (1750), The Archers (1796), Tom and Jerry (1823), and The Bohemian Girl (1844)—A Chronology of American Musical Theater offers in-depth coverage of Broadway musicals from 1850-2001. The book's entries span more than 5,000 shows, including not only "book musicals" but also revivals, revues, burlesques, operettas, farce comedies, comic operas, ice skating shows, rock operas, and other musical spectacles that appeared on Broadway stages.
Drawing on primary documents—playbills, newspaper reviews, advertisements, and articles—Richard C. Norton has assembled a wealth of information in an easy-to-use format. All productions appear in chronological order by season in the first two volumes and are indexed alphabetically in volume three, allowing readers to quickly locate shows by either date or title, with variant titles also included. Entries contain the full cast, including chorus and dance ensemble (when known), composers, lyricists, book writers, choreographers, set designers, costumers, lighting designers, directors, and producers, followed by details of acts and scenes, and a comprehensive list of songs, sketches, dances, and specialties. The opening paragraph of each entry also contains information which does not appear in programs, such as opening and closing dates, change of venue, return engagements, and number of performances. In addition to the title index, complete song and principal performer indexes are also included, as well as a selected index of personal names of creators and secondary performers. No other resource—print or electronic—offers as many musicals as the Chronology of American Musical Theater.
For anyone wishing to trace the history of a Broadway musical, or to research any aspect of this vital popular art, this three-volume set is the best, and in many instances, the only place to start.

Library Journal

Theatrical producer and theater historian Norton offers a "comprehensive picture of the popular American Musical Theatre as presented on first-class stages in New York City, from 1850 to the present [2000-01 season], seen through the details of its theatre programs." The work is intended as a companion to Gerald Bordman's American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle, which provides descriptive narrative about the productions. Norton's work supplies only the production details-e.g., cast, crew, songs by act and scene, and lyricists-but with 3000 entries covers a far greater number of shows. An extensive preface clearly explains how each facet of a show is handled in the entries, and both shows and songs are cross-referenced to original and later productions. Three indexes cover show titles (including variants), approximately 100,000 people, and almost 50,000 songs. Broad criteria were used for selecting the entries, which led to the inclusion of every form of musical show, whether performed in English or in a foreign language, in a major Manhattan venue, taking into account "a number of insignificant" shows omitted by Bordman. Norton does acknowledge the limitations of selecting only major productions presented in Manhattan and hence excluding Off-Broadway, Brooklyn, etc., which means that The Fantastics, the longest-running musical in American history, does not appear here. Also omitted are the revivals of Broadway musicals presented by the Encores Series at New York City Center. However, Norton's meticulously researched information can't be found anywhere else in a publication of this size and scope. Highly recommended for all theater collections.-Laura A. Ewald, Murray State Univ., KY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.