The movie musical is often regarded as a classic Hollywood genre whose heyday was long in the past. In reality, however, musicals remain a vital part of both Hollywood and world cinema, and the genre continues to evolve in fascinating ways.

Spotlighting iconic musicals like Singin’ in the Rain and La La Land alongside smaller films like La Bamba, Once, and Dancer in the Dark, this book demonstrates the flexibility and durability of the genre, as it takes steps to preserve its relevance for new generations and new cultures. Putting Asian and European movie musicals in conversation with their Hollywood counterparts, it examines how the genre references its own history while mediating between a nostalgic impulse and an embrace of new technologies. It also challenges stereotypes of the musical as merely a form of escapism by examining how many of these films engage with social issues and foreground the experiences of women, immigrants and people of color.

This broad-ranging study of the genre helps to explain why the movie musical still gets audiences across the world tapping their feet and singing along.