A one-stop, up-to-date source for information on the history of the American musical theatre, Stage It with Music packs an astonishing quantity and variety of facts as well as insights and anecdotes into a convenient dictionary format. Coverage extends from the genre’s nineteenth century beginnings to the present day, from The Black Crook (1866) to Jelly’s Last Jam (1992). Included are entries on over 300 individual shows, musical series, performers, composers, lyricists, librettists, directors, designers, music directors, orchestrators, choreographers, producers, producing companies and other theatrical institutions, and on other subjects and genres relating to musical theatre. Among the latter are entries on British Imports, Dance in Musicals, Flop Musicals, Locations of Musicals, Operetta, Pastiche Musicals, and Tony Awards.

As fascinating as its subject, Stage It with Music will serve the researcher seeking a specific fact, but he or she may find it hard to stop there. Extensive cross-referencing will lead to masses of related material, and most researchers will not be able to resist browsing well beyond the original quest. Thoroughly indexed, the volume also includes a chronology of the musicals covered as separate entries and a bibliography of general works on musical theatre.