Musical Theatre

Print version of the Music Index, covering 1949-1969. Includes citations for reviews and articles in Variety, Billboard and the New Yorker. Note: for some of these publications, Western Libraries only has microfilm for this time period.

This is an an assemblage of first-night reviews from a variety of theatre critics, including Brooks Atkinson and Walter Kerr, on shows such as Brigadoon, Peter Pan and West Side Story. Over 300 musicals are described, and credits are provided for each. Each show's initial critical reception is gauged, and the financial profits or losses calculated.

A compilation of excerpts from reviews of over two hundred productions, including Annie, Barnum, Cabaret, Evita, Godspell, A little night music, Pippin, Sugar babies, and Zorba.

"...covers all 312 musicals that opened on Broadway during this decade. ... Dietz places each musical in its historical context, including the women’s suffrage movement and the decade’s defining historical event, World War I."

"...examines in detail every book musical that opened on Broadway during the years 1920-1929. The book discusses the era’s major successes as well as its forgotten failures."

"...examines in detail every musical that opened on Broadway from 1930 through 1939. This book discusses the era's major successes, notorious failures, and musicals that closed during their pre-Broadway tryouts."

"...examines every musical and revue that opened on Broadway during the 1940s. In addition to providing details on every hit and flop, this book includes revivals and one-man and one-woman shows."

"...examines in detail every musical and revue which opened on Broadway during the 1950s. In addition to providing details on every hit and flop that debuted during the decade, this book includes revivals, and one-man and one-woman shows."

"...examines in specific detail every Broadway musical which opened during the seminal decade of the 1960s, a decade which encompassed traditional musicals... as well as iconoclastic ones.... Besides technical information, the book includes extensive commentary for all 268 musicals which opened during the decade."

"...examines in detail every musical that opened on Broadway during the 1970s. In addition to including every hit and flop that debuted during the decade, this book highlights revivals and personal-appearance revues with such performers as Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Bette Midler, and Gilda Radner."

"...examines in detail every musical that opened on Broadway during the 1980s. In addition to including every hit and flop that debuted during the decade, this book highlights revivals and personal-appearance revues with such performers as Sid Caesar, Barry Manilow, Jackie Mason, and Shirley MacLaine."

"...discusses the era's major hits..., notorious flops..., controversial shows..., and musicals that closed during their pre-Broadway tryouts.... In addition to including every hit and flop that debuted during the decade, this book highlights revivals and personal-appearance revues with such performers as Sandra Bernhard, Michael Feinstein, Patti LuPone, Liza Minnelli, and Mandy Patinkin."

"...examines in detail every musical that opened on Broadway from 2000 through the end of 2009. This book discusses the era's major successes, notorious failures, and musicals that closed during their pre-Broadway tryouts. In addition to including every hit and flop that debuted during the decade, this book highlights revivals and personal-appearance revues with such performers as Patti LuPone, Chita Rivera, and Martin Short."

This volume contains detailed information about every musical that opened on Broadway from 2010 through the end of 2019. This book discusses the decade's major successes, notorious failures, and musicals that closed during their pre-Broadway tryouts. In addition to including every hit and flop that debuted during the decade, this book highlights revivals and personal-appearance revues.