American musical theatre: A chronicle /
Gerald Bordman.
- New York : Oxford University Press, 1978.
- VIII, 749 p. 24 cm.
1. Origins to 1866 -- 2. Act one: early successes -- Scene one: Opera Bouffe and native elements, 1866-1878 -- Scene two: H.M.S. Pinafore and the great transformation, 1878-1892 -- 3. Intermission: further British influences and new stirrings, 1892-1902 -- 4. Act two: the emergence of American talent, 1902-1907 -- 5. Intermission: Viennese operetta and the American retreat, 1907-1914 -- 6. Act three: the birth of the modern musical, 1914-1921 -- 7. Intermission: the Cinderella era, 1921-1924 -- 8. Act four: the golden age of the American musical, 1924-1937 -- Scene one: songwriters' shows as pure entertainment, 1924-1929 -- Scene two: depression and "talkies": Broadway's answer, 1929-1937 -- 9. Intermission: Broadway's response to the swing era -- 10. Act five: the American musical as a conscious art form -- Scene one: Americana amid a new seriousness, 1942-1951 -- Scene two: increasing problems: lowering standards, 1951-1965.
Covers every musical that has appeared on Broadway, including importations and revivals, plus major musicals produced for other large U.S. cities. Includes synopsis of plot, biographies of actors, songwriters, librettists, and producers, and some examples of lyrics and dialogue.