The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals

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 dates
• Plot summary
• Cast members
• Number of performances
• Names of all important personnel including writers, composers, directors, choreographers, producers, and musical directors
• Musical numbers and the names of performers who introduced the songs
• Production data, including information about tryouts
• Source material
• Critical commentary
• Tony awards and nominations
• Details about London and other foreign productions
  Besides 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.

Autorentext
Dan Dietz taught English and the history of modern drama at Western Carolina University, and later served with the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Education Department. He is the author of Off-Broadway Musicals, 1910-2007:Casts, Credits, Songs, Critical Reception and Performance Data of More Than 1,800 Shows (2010) and The Complete Book of 1960s Broadway Musicals (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014).

Inhalt

Introduction
1950s Broadway Musicals:
1949-1950 Season
1950-1951 Season
1951-1952 Season
1952-1953 Season
1953-1954 Season
1954-1955 Season
1955-1956 Season
1956-1957 Season
1957-1958 Season
1958-1959 Season
1959 Season

Appendices:
A. Alphabetical List of Musicals
B. Chronology (by Classification)
C. Chronology (by Season)
D. Discography
E. Filmography
F. Gilbert and Sullivan Productions
G. New York City Center Light Opera Company Productions
H. New York City Opera Company Productions
I. Other Productions
J. Published Scripts
K. Theatres
Bibliography