The Complete Book of 1960s Broadway Musicals

June 15, 2014

The goal of this very large book is to "capture basic information and provide a reference source for readers," and Dietz (emeritus, English, history of modern drama, Western Carolina Univ.; Off-Broadway Musicals, 1910-2007) certainly succeeds. Revivals of older shows and new-to-the-1960s musicals are subdivided by season and then by opening night. The problem with this formula is that the reader is forced to page through the season to find a certain show. An alphabetical list would make it much easier to locate a specific production; as it is, the reader must flip to the back of the volume to the chronology and then return to the particular season. Each entry also features book and music information, directors, costumers, choreographers, set designers, cast members, brief plot descriptions, critical review information, and Tony Awards the show was nominated for and the awards it won. The appendixes are high quality, offering information on published scripts, a discography, theaters, and a thorough bibliography. VERDICT Despite some shortcomings this is a useful resource for theater buffs and general readers.--Beth Bland, Milwaukee

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2014
This hefty volume examines all 271 musicals that opened on Broadway from 1960 through 1969, from the familiar (Camelot, Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, and Hello, Dolly!) to the obscure (Holly Golightly and 1491). As author Dietz notes in the introduction to this book, the 1960s saw the last hurrah of the traditional book musical. In this decade, there were 98 new musicals (with original music) produced on Broadway. (Compare this to the years 2000 to 2009, which saw 38 new musicals and 42 revivals.) This reference covers those musicals, as well as a number of musical revues, imports from London's West End, revivals, and pre-Broadway closings.The technical details for each production include opening and closing dates; number of performances; names of the writers, composers, directors, and casts; and a brief description. This is followed by a full listing of the musical numbers and a narrative (ranging one to three pages) about the show. The narrative portions of the entries consist of facts and figures, quotes, and interesting detailsand Dietz does a wonderful job of remaining objective, not allowing personal bias or preference to show. There are 12 appendixes, including an alphabetical listing of shows, a chronology by season, a chronology by classification (i.e., Revues and Institutional Revivals ), and a list of shows by Broadway theater.There are a number of books about Broadway musicals, but this oneset to be the first in a new series examining musicals by decadestands out as a rich and readable resource. General theater enthusiasts will enjoy perusing this book, and students or researchers in the field will find this to be a great starting point. Recommended for medium and large public-library reference collections as well as academic libraries supporting performing-arts programs.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)