Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals (eBook)

This book examines in specific detail every Broadway musical which opened during the 1950s, perhaps the greatest decade for musicals—including South Pacific, The King and I, My Fair Lady, Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, and The Sound of Music.Besides technical information—such as cast and credits, plot, critical reviews, London productions, recordings, published scripts, and film versions—the book provides extensive commentary for nearly 200 musicals which opened during the decade. The book includes all New York City Center and Music Theatre of Lincoln Center revivals; New York City Opera revivals of Broadway musicals; productions of all pre-Broadway closings (musicals which closed either during New York previews or during pre-Broadway tryouts); concert productions (usually of one-man or one-woman shows); and all imports which opened during the decade.

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The Broadway musical came of age in the 1950s, a period in which some of the greatest productions made their debuts. Shows produced on Broadway during this decade include such classics as Damn Yankees, Fiorello!, Guys and Dolls, The King and I, Kismet, The Most Happy Fella, My Fair Lady, The Pajama Game, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, and West Side Story. Among the performers who made their marks were Julie Andrews, Bob Fosse, Carol Lawrence, and Gwen Verdon, while other talents who contributed to shows include Leonard Bernstein, Oscar Hammerstein II, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Cole Porter, Jerome Robbins, Richard Rodgers, and Stephen Sondheim. In The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals, Dan Dietz 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. Each entry contains the following information:Opening and closing datesPlot summaryCast membersNumber of performancesNames of all important personnel including writers, composers, directors, choreographers, producers, and musical directorsMusical numbers and the names of performers who introduced the songsProduction data, including information about tryoutsSource materialCritical commentary Tony awards and nominations Details about London and other foreign productionsBesides separate entries for each production, the book offers numerous appendices, such as a discography, film and television versions, published scripts, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and lists of productions by the New York City Center Light Opera Company, and the New York City Opera Company. A treasure trove of information, The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals provides readers with a complete view of each show. This significant resource will be of use to scholars, historians, and casual fans of one of the greatest decades in musical theatre history.