University of Hartford Libraries

Music Theatre Subject Guide


Auditioning

Books

Acting the Song: Performance Skills for the Musical Theatre
By Tracey Moore and Allison Bergman. Allen Library Stacks [MT956 M66 2016]

The Complete Professional Audition: A Commonsense Guide to Auditioning for Musicals and Plays
By Darren Cohen and Michael Perilstein. Mortensen Library [PN2080 .C644 2005]
Includes advice on choosing the right songs, how to prepare for the audition, what to do when you are at the audition, how to work with an accompanist, and more.

The New Broadway Song Companion: An Annotated Guide to Musical Theatre Literature by Voice Type and Song Style
By David P. DeVenney. Allen Library Reference [REF ML128 M78 D48]
The book has an alphabetical list of musicals, each with a list of songs/that includes the voice range, number of singers, and song style (e.g., up tempo, ballad). It also has indexes that list songs for solo voices (by voice type), duets, trios, quartets and small ensembles, choruses and company numbers, and composers and lyricists.


Scores

In addition to the below anthologies, please look in the Finding Music section of this guide for ideas on how to find further music.

Broadway Musicals Show by Show
By Stanley Green. Allen Library Reserves [PERM RES M1507 B76 v.1-7]
This anthology includes hundreds of well-known songs from significant musicals, organized in chronological order.

The Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology
A large collection of popular musical theatre songs, organized by voice.


Websites

Back Stage: The Actor's Resource
[http://www.backstage.com/bso/index.jsp]
In addition to news and reviews, this site includes searchable casting opportunities, although a fee is required to see complete details.

Stage Agent
[http://www.stageagent.com/]
This site offers national coverage for show synopses and castings, current production listings, audition and callback announcements, classified ads, a PartFinder, monologue suggestions, and more.


Finding Music

Catalog Searching Guide

Music Theatre Catalog Searching Guide (PDF)
[http://library.hartford.edu/allenlibrary/finding_music_theatre.pdf]
Guide to finding music theatre resources in the Allen Library, including vocal scores, librettos, recordings, and videos.


Audio/Visual

When searching the library catalog, these are the call numbers you should be looking for when searching for musicals on CD, LP, DVD, or VHS.

Sound Recordings - MD1508 & MR1505 (Allen Library)
Most CDs (MD) and LPs (MR) of musicals can be found in these call numbers. Current MD1505 call numbers will soon be moved to MD1508.

Videos of Movie Productions - MO1527 & MV1527 (Allen Library)
DVDs (MO) and VHS tapes (MV) of movie productions of musicals.

Videos of Stage Productions - MO1500 & MV1500 (Allen Library)
DVDs (MO) and VHS tapes (MV) of stage productions of musicals.


Books

The American Musical Theatre Song Encyclopedia
By Thomas Hischak. Allen Library Reference [REF ML102 M88 H58]
A encyclopedia of individual musical theatre songs, indicating what show the song is from and providing a brief description of the song.

American Song: the Complete Companion to Tin Pan Alley Song
By Ken Bloom. Allen Library Reference [REF ML128 S6 B56 1996-2001 v.3-4]
A list of songs that came out of Tin Pan Alley, organized chronologically by composer.

American Song: the Complete Musical Theatre Companion
By Ken Bloom. Allen Library Reference [REF ML128 S6 B56 1996 v.1-2]
An index to over 4,800 American musicals, including brief information about each musical, including a list of songs. The song index in volume 2 allows you to determine what musical a song is from.


Browse Shelves

You might be able to find useful resources just by looking on our shelves in the following areas.

Librettos - ML48, ML49, ML50 (Allen Library)
Librettos of musicals and operas. ML48 includes collections that contain works by multiple librettists. ML49 includes collections that contain works by a single librettist. ML50 includes librettos of individual works.

Song Indexes - [REF] ML128 S6 (Allen Library)
Books that will help identify songs, determine what musicals they are from, indicate what anthology they may be in, and more.

Vocal Scores - M1508 (Allen Library)
Most printed music of musicals can be found here. These are voice/piano reductions of the musicals, some containing all songs, others containing just selections.


Subject Terms

Include these subjects as a Subject search in the library catalog in order to retrieve more focused results. They can be used by themselves or in conjunction with other terms.

Librettos
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/librettos?fq=collection:BOOK]
Use in a book search to retrieve just librettos. Look for call numbers ML48, ML49, and ML50. Combine with Musicals to omit opera librettos.

Musical films
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:(musical%20films)]
Limit by book to find books about musical films, and DVD/VHS to find musical films on video.

Musicals
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:musicals]
Limit by books to find books about musicals, scores to find printed music of musicals, CD/LP to find sound recordings of musicals, and DVD/VHS to find videos of musicals.

Operas
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:operas]
Use to find scores/recordings of operettas.


Websites

Cohan: George M. Cohan Collection, Museum of the City of New York
[https://collections.mcny.org/Explore/Featured/George%20M.%20Cohan%20Collection/]
Digital images of over 70 of Cohan's plays, musicals, and sketches.

Sheet Music Collections
[https://library.duke.edu/music/resources/online-scores-sheet-music]
Site lists institutions that have sheet music collections. Some may be searched online by author, title, subject, keyword, nationality, etc.

Sheet Music Search
[http://library.hartford.edu/allenlibrary/sheetmusic.asp]
Use this page to locate sheet music of individual songs found in the Allen Library small seminar room. This is a small collection not found in the Library Catalog.

Show Music on Record
[http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/showmusic/showmusic-home.html]
An index of commercially released show music recordings from the 19th century to today.


Producing a Show

Books

Little Musicals for Little Theatres
By Denny Martin Flinn. Allen Library [MT955 F57 L57]
Subtitled A Reference Guide to the Musicals that Don't Need Chandeliers or Helicopters to Succeed, this book lists musicals, themed revues, and composer/lyricist revues that can be produced in a small theatre. It includes general information about each work, including the difficulties and advantages of staging that musical.

Musicals! A Complete Selection Guide for Local Productions
By Richard Chigley Lynch. Allen Library Reference [REF ML19 L9 1994]
A guide to musicals that are available to be produced. In addition to brief descriptions of the msuicals, it also indicates the number of people needed for the cast and the licensing agent who can be contacted in order to receive permission to perform the musical.

Staging the Musical
By David Grote. Allen Library Stacks [MT955 G77 1986]
Discusses nearly all elements of producing a musical, including show selection, budget, casting, rehearsals, technical problems, and more. Although this book is a little old, the information is still highly relevant.


Subject Terms

Include these subjects as a Subject search in the library catalog in order to retrieve more focused results. They can be used by themselves or in conjunction with other terms.

Costume
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:Costume]
Use for books on costuming. Combine with Theater to retrieve some specific books on costumes in theater.

Musicals production and direction
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:(musicals%20production%20direction)]
Use to find books on the production of musicals, including selecting, staging, writing, etc.

Theaters
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:theaters]
Use to find books about theaters (the physical place, not the art form).


Websites

Music Theatre International
[http://www.mtishows.com/]
Website of a major licensing company which provides information and links to many theatrical resources: licensing and production information, study guides, scores, musicals database, etc.

Musicals 101
[http://www.musicals101.com/index.html]
It might not look great, but this website is a treasure trove of valuable information, presented by an expert in the field. It includes writings on the history of music theatre, a list of rights holders to over 500 shows, information and reviews on current and past shows, and more.


Researching Shows

Books

Broadway Musicals Show by Show
By Stanley Green. Allen Library Reserves [PERM RES M1507 B76 v.1-7]
By including vocal scores of prominent songs and brief descriptions of the musicals, both organized chronologically, this anthology gives a good overview of the history of musical theatre, with the focus on performance.

A Chronology of American Musical Theater
By Richard Norton. Allen Library Reference [REF ML1711 N88 C v.1-3]
A comprehensive listing of musical theater productions that took place in New York City between 1750 and 2001, listed in chronological order. Includes cast and song listings.

The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre, 3 vols.
By Kurt Gänzl. Allen Library Reference [REF ML102 M88 G36 E]
The most extensive encyclopedia on music theatre. Inludes entires on individual shows as well as short biographies of composers, librettists, performers, and other people involved with music theatre.

Musical Theater Synopses: An Index
By Jeanette Marie Drone. Allen Library Reference [REF ML128 O61 D Suppl.]
This book does not include actual synopses, but rather points you towards other resources that have synopses for over 14,000 shows, including musicals, operas, and other stage productions.

The Musical: A Research and Information Guide
By William A. Everett. Allen Library Reference [REF ML128 M78 E93]
Research guide that directs you to high quality resources on a wide range of musical theatre topics, including specific musicals, composers, librettists, and performers.

Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway's Major Composers
By Steven Suskin. Allen Library Reference [REF ML128 S6 S86]
Lists show data, including a brief description, for the complete stage productions of 36 major musical theatre composers. Good for getting a broad overview of the works of a particular composer.


Browse Shelves

You might be able to find useful resources just by looking on our shelves in the following areas.

History of Musicals - ML1711 (Allen Library)
Books on the history of American musical theatre.


Databases

Academic Search Premier
[http://libill.hartford.edu:2048/login?URL=http://search.epnet.com/login.asp?authtype=ip,uid&profile=EHOST&defaultdb=aph]
This general database has thousands of citations and full-text articles on music theatre, mostly from magazines, but also from some magazines and academic journals.

Film & Television Literature Index
[http://libill.hartford.edu:2048/login?URL=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=EHOST&defaultdb=fah]
A good resource for finding citations to articles on movie musicals. A subject search for "musical theater" or "musicals" is a good way to see what types of articles you will find in this database.

Literature Resource Center
[http://libill.hartford.edu:2048/login?URL=http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/a23uh?db=LitRC]
Biographies, bibliographies and critical analysis for a number of lyricists. Made available by iCONN.org, the Connecticut Digital Library. Selected full text available.

Music Index Online
[http://libill.hartford.edu:2048/login?URL=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=EHOST&defaultdb=mah]
Years Covered: 1973-Present
A good source for finding citations for a mix of scholarly articles and magazine articles on music theatre. A subject search for "musical theater" or "music theater" is a good way to see what types of articles you will find in this database.

Music Periodicials Database (formerly International Index to Music Periodicals; IIMP)
[http://libill.hartford.edu:2048/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/iimpft?accountid=11308]
Includes citations and full text for thousands of articles relevant to music theatre, including reviews, news items, biographical profiles, research articles, interviews, obituaries, and more.

RILM
[http://libill.hartford.edu:2048/login?URL=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=EHOST&defaultdb=rih]
Years Covered: 1967-Present
A good source for finding citations for scholarly articles and books on music theatre. A subject search for "musical theater" and popular is a good way to see what types or articles you will find in this database.


Subject Terms

Include these subjects as a Subject search in the library catalog in order to retrieve more focused results. They can be used by themselves or in conjunction with other terms.

Minstrel shows
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:minstrel+shows]
Use for books on the history of minstrel shows and sound recordings of minstrel music.

Musical films
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:(musical%20films)]
Limit by book to find books about musical films, and DVD/VHS to find musical films on video.

Musicals history and criticism
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:musical+history+and+criticism]
Use to find books about the history of music theater.

Operetta
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:operetta]
For books about operettas, not scores/recordings of operettas. For those, use the subject Operas.

Theater
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:theater]
Use to find books about the art of theater.

Theaters
[https://hartford.bibliovation.com/app/search/subject:theaters]
Use to find books about theaters (the physical place, not the art form).


Websites

American Variety Stage
[http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/vshtml/vshome.html]
Available from the Library of Congress, this site provides audio and video of vaudeville and other popular entertainment from 1870-1920, as well as samples of playbills, programs, and playscripts from that time.

Internet Broadway Database
[http://www.ibdb.com/]
This site provides information about past and current Broadway shows, including cast listings for multiple productions of the same show. Based primarily on theater programs as well as media reports and interviews.

Internet Off-Broadway Database (Lortel Archives)
[http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/]
This site provides information about past and current off-Broadway shows (played in Manhattan for at least a week in a theatre with a seating capacity of 100-499).

Musicals 101
[http://www.musicals101.com/index.html]
It might not look great, but this website is a treasure trove of valuable information, presented by an expert in the field. It includes writings on the history of music theatre, a list of rights holders to over 500 shows, information and reviews on current and past shows, and more.

Musicals.net
[http://musicals.net/]
Includes songlist, lyrics, synopses, and discussions on dozens of musicals as well as current news.


Reviews

Databases

Historical New York Times
[http://libill.hartford.edu:2048/login?URL=https://search.proquest.com/hnpnewyorktimes/news/fromDatabasesLayer?accountid=11308]
Covering the years 1851-2007, this is a very helpful resource for finding reviews of past music theatre productions, written at the time of the production.


Websites

Musicals 101
[http://www.musicals101.com/index.html]
It might not look great, but this website is a treasure trove of valuable information, presented by an expert in the field. It includes writings on the history of music theatre, a list of rights holders to over 500 shows, information and reviews on current and past shows, and more.

New York Times Theater Reviews
[http://theater.nytimes.com/venues/broadway.html]
Read New York Times reviews of current shows on and off Broadway.


Theatre News

Periodicals

Back Stage
[http://libill.hartford.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&bquery=(back+AND+stage)&type=44&site=pfi-live]
An acting trade magazine that can provide a historical snapshot of what was happening in the industry in past years, including news and reviews. See link above for newer issues, or the Back Stage website, which includes casting calls (for a fee).


Variety
Online | Print:


Websites

ArtsJournal
[http://www.artsjournal.com/]
Up-to-date news on the performing arts, combining articles from a number of prominent newspapers, magazines, and other publications.

Broadway.com (formerly Broadway Theater Online)
[http://www.broadway.com/]
Lists current productions on and off Broadway as well as a history of Broadway.

Musicals.net
[http://musicals.net/]
Includes songlist, lyrics, synopses, and discussions on dozens of musicals as well as current news.


The web version of this document can be found online at
http://library.hartford.edu/guides/guideprint.asp?subject=Music Theatre