He carefully selected Tony Award-winning stars who have spent the majority of their careers in theater, leaving asidethose who have moved on or occasionally drop back in. The women he interviewed spent endless hours with him, discussing their careers, offering insights into the iconic shows, changes on Broadway over the last century, and the art (and thrill) of taking the stage night after night. Chita Riveradescribes the experience of starring in musicals in each of the last seven decades; Audra McDonald gives her thoughts on the work that went into the five Tony Awards she won before turning forty-one; and Carol Channing reflects on how she has revisited the same starring role generation aftergeneration, and its effects on her career. Here too is Sutton Foster, who contemplates her breakout success in an age when stars working predominately in theater are increasingly rare. Each of these conversations is guided by Shapiro's expert knowledge of these women's careers, Broadway lore, andthe details of famous (and infamous) musicals. He also includes dozens of photographs of these players in their best-known roles.This fascinating collection reveals the artistic genius and human experience of the women who have made Broadway musicals more popular than ever -- a must for anyone who loves the theater.

    Now in a landmark two-volume collection, The Library of America presents sixteen enduring masterpieces charting the Broadway musical’s narrative tradition from the groundbreaking Show Boat (1927) through the genre’s Golden Age to its response to the turbulent 1960s with the Tony Award–winning shows Cabaret and 1776. Based on new research, this historic collection presents the complete libretto of each musical in its Broadway opening night version, making these beloved stories available as never before. Irving Berlin and Moss Hart’s As Thousands Cheer is published here for the first time. Show Boat and Pal Joey are presented in newly restored versions. Seven other shows, including South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, and My Fair Lady, return to print for the first time in decades.   Each of these classic musicals has evolved over time, receiving many important revivals and new productions.  This Library of America boxed set offers readers unprecedented insight into this living history with a selection of hard-to-find or previously unpublished supplementary items, including lyrics of songs dropped out-of-town or added in later revivals. Lavishly illustrated­­ with 64 pages of photographs and other images drawn from the original productions, the set also contains biographical sketches of the book writers and lyricists; cast lists and other information about the shows’ Broadway openings; and detailed accounts of the path each show took on the road to Broadway. As a special feature, the box includes 16 full-color postcards reproducing the original show posters.AMERICAN MUSICALS contains:   Show Boat Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II · Music by Jerome Kern  As Thousands Cheer Lyrics and music by Irving Berlin · Sketches by Moss Hart  Pal Joey Book by John O’Hara · Music by Richard Rodgers ·  Lyrics by Lorenz Hart  Oklahoma! Music by Richard Rodgers · Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II  On the Town Book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green · Music by Leonard Bernstein  Finian’s Rainbow Music by Burton Lane  ·  Lyrics by E. Y. Harburg · Book by Fred Saidy and E. Y. Harburg  Kiss Me, Kate Music and lyrics by Cole Porter · Book by Sam[uel] and Bella Spewack  South Pacific Music by Richard Rodgers ·  Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II  Guys and Dolls Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser · Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows  The Pajama Game Book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell · Music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross  My Fair Lady Adaptation and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner · Music by Frederick Loewe  Gypsy Book by Arthur Laurents · Music by Jule Styne Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim    A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Book by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove · Lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim  Fiddler on the Roof Book by Joseph Stein · Music by Jerry Bock · Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick  Cabaret Book by Joe Masteroff · Music by John Kander · Lyrics by Fred Ebb  1776 Music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards ·  Book by Peter Stone

    It was Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, which very quickly became the belle of the ball of the Broadway season, winning cheers for its fresh take on a timeless classic. Douglas Carter Beane created a new, Tony-nominated book that was hailed for complementing the inspirational themes of Rodgers and Hammerstein with a 21st-century sensibility, giving the musical new characters, surprising plot twists, and revelatory moments that harkened back to the Charles Perrault version of the fairy tale. The score was cheered as well: the familiar songs from the television versions - "In My Own Little Corner " "Impossible " "A Lovely Night " "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful " and so on - along with undiscovered gems from the "trunk." Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella was hailed by the Associated Press as a "charming, witty and relevant take on the classic story" and cheered by New York magazine as a "wised-up, wit-spackled CINDERELLA... As solidly entertaining as they come!"

    The 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical! Our vocal selections folio includes: Better with a Man * Foolish to Think * I Don't Know What I'd Do Without You * I Don't Understand the Poor * I've Decided to Marry You * Inside Out * Lady Hyacinth Abroad * Poison in My Pocket * Poor Monty * Sibella * Stop! Wait! What?! * That Horrible Woman * Why Are All the D'ysquiths Dying?

    Please buy this amaaaaahzing book so he'll stop e-mailing me." -Nathan Lane A compilation of Seth's hilarious, Broadway-centric "Onstage and Backstage" columns for Playbill.com, chronicling Seth Rudetsky's unique life on and around the Great White Way. Seth's Broadway Diary is full of his personal Broadway experiences, such as going to the final performance and party for Rent, watching in terror as Jeff Bowen was dragged off the stage during [title of show] and the night he saw Spring Awakening and helped Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele break (-ish) the law. Plus, inside scoop on what it’s like performing with tons of fantastic stars like Rosie Perez, Andrea McArdle, Betty Buckley, Bernadette Peters and more.