The Cambridge Companion to the Musical (Cambridge Companions to Music) - Softcover

The expanded and updated third edition of this acclaimed Companion provides an accessible, broadly based survey of one of the liveliest and most popular forms of musical performance. It ranges from the American musical of the nineteenth century to the most recent productions on Broadway, in London's West End, and many other venues, and includes key information on singers, audiences, critical reception, and traditions. Contributors approach the subject from a wide variety of perspectives, including historical concerns, artistic aspects, important trends, attention to various genres, the importance of stars, the influence of race, the various disciplines of theatrical production, the musical in varied media, and changes in technology. Chapters related to the contemporary musical have been updated, and two new chapters cover the television musical and the British musical since 1970. Carefully organised and highly readable, it will be welcomed by enthusiasts, students, and scholars alike.

William A. Everett is Curators' Distinguished Professor of Musicology at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Conservatory of Music and Dance. He teaches courses in American musical theatre, nineteenth-century music, and medieval music. His books include Sigmund Romberg (2007), Rudolf Friml (2008), and Music for the People: A History of the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra, 1933–82 (2016). With Paul R. Laird, he is the co-author of the Historical Dictionary of the Broadway Musical (2008, 2nd edition 2015), and was co-commissioning editor for musical theatre for The Grove Dictionary of American Music, 2nd edition (2013).

Paul R. Laird is Professor at the University of Kansas School of Music. He has published widely on musical theatre and presented papers in the US, Canada, and the UK. His books include Wicked: A Musical Biography (2011), The Musical Theatre of Stephen Schwartz (2014), Leonard Bernstein: A Guide to Research (2002, 2nd edition, with Hsun Lin, 2015), and Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms (2010).