LibGuides: Music Theatre: Research

There are many more valuable resources than what's on this page. If you can't find material for your topic, ask a librarian for help!

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General Resources

Journal Article Databases

Library databases provide citations for articles, book chapters, and more. Most articles/chapters focus on a narrow and specific topic, so they are great for deeper research. To get started:

Choose a database.
Search for keywords such as genres, topics, names of people, etc.
Limit your results by date, language, and more with the the left-hand menu on the results page.

Need more help?

See our Article help page for step-by-step instructions and videos to help you search databases and find full-text articles. And you can always ask a librarian for individual help.

Databases

Film & Television Literature Index This link opens in a new window
Great 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.
Music Index Online This link opens in a new window
A good source for finding citations for a mix of scholarly articles and magazine articles on music theatre.
Music Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
Includes citations and full text for thousands of articles, including reviews, news, biographical profiles, research articles, interviews, obituaries, and more.
RILM This link opens in a new window
A good source for finding citations for scholarly articles and books on music theatre.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from almost 100 scholarly music, dance, and theatre journals, plus other subjects. Excludes recent years.
Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Article citations from all disciplines, including music, dance, and theatre.

Books in the Library (selections)

The Oxford Handbook of the American Musical by Raymond Knapp, Mitchell Morris, Stacy Wolf (Editors)
Call Number: ML1711 O935 [Allen shelves]
Publication Date: 2011
Essays on the most important and compelling issues in the growing, interdisciplinary field of musical-theater and film-musical studies.
The Musical As Drama by Scott McMillin
Call Number: ML2054 M35 M87 [Allen shelves]
Publication Date: 2006
Explores the musical as a different form of theater, requiring the suspension of the plot for song. Studies of the principles and conventions behind musical shows from Kern to Sondheim.
Musical Theatre by John Kenrick
Call Number: ML2054 K45 2017 [Allen shelves]
A core text and an insightful and accessible celebration of twenty-five centuries of great theatrical entertainment.
Reframing the Musical by Sarah Whitfield (Editor)
Call Number: ML3918 M85 R447 2019 [Allen shelves]
Questions ideas about what the musical is about and who it for, retelling the story of the musical and prioritizing previously neglected voices to reshape our understanding of the form.
The Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical by Jessica Sternfeld, Elizabeth L. Wollman (Editors)
Publication Date: 2020
E-book.
44 essays examine the contemporary musical as an ever-shifting product of an ever-changing culture.

Find more music theatre books

Search the catalog by subject...

Musical films
Musicals, Musical theater, and Music-halls (books and DVDs)
Operetta
Theater

Or browse the shelves by call number:

Call number	Topic
ML 1711	History of musicals
ML1900	History of operetta
PN1995.9	Movie musicals

Reference

Reference resources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, and more.
They often provide a short overview of a topic, then point to more resources you can use for further research.

Websites

Internet Broadway Database
Information about past and current Broadway shows, people, organizations, theaters, and more.
Lortel Archives (Internet Off-Broadway Database)
Catalog of shows produced off-Broadway (at a Manhattan theatre with a seating capacity of 100-499 and intended to run performances of more than one week).

Books

Broadway Musicals: Show by Show, 9th ed. by Stanley Green
Publication Date: 2019
E-book.
Statistics and inside information, plus critical reception, cast lists, commentary, and numerous indexes.
A Chronology of American Musical Theater by Richard C. Norton
Call Number: ML1711 N88 C v.1-3 [Allen reference]
Publication Date: 2002
Information on cast and crew, songs, set designers, composers, lyricists, and more for over 3,000 musicals, operettas, and revues from the 1860s to 1997.
Encyclopedia of Musical Theater by Kurt Gänzl
Call Number: ML102 M88 G36E 2001 v.1-3 [Allen reference]
Information on people, songs, and shows from the dawn of operetta in the 18th century to the present.
The Musical: A Research and Information Guide by William Everett
Call Number: ML128 M78 E93 2011 [Allen reference]
More than 1,400 annotated entries related to the genre. Includes lists of reference works, books, articles, anthologies, multimedia, and electronic resources.
Show Tunes by Steven Suskin
Call Number: ML128 S6 S86 [Allen reference]
Publication Date: 2000
Fully chronicles over 900 shows and almost 8,000 show tunes, both well-known and previously lost works, from some of the most influential names of American musical theatre.

Suggest a Resource

Know of a resource you think should be added to this guide? Let us know!

Want to suggest we purchase something new? Contact Tracey Rudnick (rudnick@hartford.edu).

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