Musicals & Musical Theater: A Guide to Research and Resources: Librettos

The Broadway musical is one of America's great indigenous popular forms, a glorious hybrid that emerged "out of our speech, our tempo, our moral attitudes, our way of moving" (as Leonard Bernstein put it). Now, in this first volume of a landmark two-volume collection, The Library of America presents eight enduring masterpieces charting the Broadway musical's narrative tradition from the groundbreaking Show Boat (1927) through the start of the genre's Golden Age in 1949.

Includes the librettos of The Wiz, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar, Your Own Thing, Hair, Tommy, and Promenade.

Includes the librettos of Of Thee I Sing, Porgy and Bess, One Touch of Venus, Brigadoon, Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story, Gypsy, Fiddler on the Roof, 1776, and Company.

Includes the librettos of Leave It to Me!, Lady in the Dark, Lost in the Stars, Wonderful Town, Fiorello!, Camelot, Man of La Mancha,Cabaret, Applause, and A Little Night Music.

Includes the librettos of Floyd Collins, Rent, Parade, and The Wild Party.

Along with the lyrics for all of his musicals from 1954 to 1981, Sondheim gives readers a rare personal look into his life as well as his remarkable productions.

Music by Richard Rodgers; lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein.
Without the music.
Contents: Oklahoma! -- Carousel -- Allegro -- South Pacific -- The King and I -- Me and Juliet.