From the silver screen to the Great White Way, small community theatres to television sets, the musical has long held a special place in America's heart and history. Now, in The Oxford Companion to the American Musical, readers who flocked to the movies to see An American in Paris or Chicago, lined up for tickets to West Side Story or Rent, or crowded around their TVs to watch Cinderella or High School Musical can finally turn to a single book for details about them all. For the first time, this popular subject has an engaging and authoritative book as thrilling as the performances themselves.

With more than two thousand entries, this illustrated guide offers a wealth of information on musicals, performers, composers, lyricists, producers, choreographers, and much more. Biographical entries range from early stars Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Mary Martin, and Mae West to contemporary show-stoppers Nathan Lane, Savion Glover, and Kristin Chenoweth, while composers Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, and Andrew Lloyd Webber all have articles, and the choreography of Bob Fosse, Tommy Tune, and Debbie Allen receives due examination. The plays and films covered range from modern hits like Mamma Mia! and Moulin Rouge! to timeless classics such as Yankee Doodle Dandy and Show Boat. Also, numerous musicals written specifically for television appear throughout, and many entries follow a work-Babes in Toyland for example-as it moves across genres, from stage, to film, to television. The Companion also includes cross references, a comprehensive listing of recommended recordings and further reading, a useful chronology of all the musicals described in the book, plus a complete index of Tony Award and Academy Award winners.

Whether you are curious about Singin' in the Rain or Spamalot, or simply adore The Wizard of Oz or Grease, this well-researched and entertaining resource is the first place to turn for reliable information on virtually every aspect of the American musical.

"Kudos to Thomas Hischak for The Oxford Companion to the American Musical. Resources such as these are extremely important, not only as historic and academic records, but for future generations of artists who need to understand the legacy they have inherited."--Carol Channing

"Everything you ever wanted to know about the American musical--at your fingertips. What could be better, or more useful?"--Marvin Hamlisch

"Enjoy as I did this wonderful book as you discover the place of the musical in history and its gift for the future."--Jonathan Pryce

"This is an impressive single-volume resource targeting this beloved American form....While some of the facts can be found in other sources, such as, for example, John Kenrick's Musical Theatre: A History, this title is considerably more comprehensive....Recommended for all music aficionados, students, public, and academic libraries."--Library Journal

"This volume is an essential reference work on the shelves of all performing arts collections, large public libraries, academic libraries, and the personal libraries of individuals committed to the American musical."--American Reference Books Annual Online

"A magnificent new book about the American musical."--Playbill

"Kudos to Thomas Hischak for The Oxford Companion to the American Musical. Resources such as these are extremely important, not only as historic and academic records, but for future generations of artists who need to understand the legacy they have inherited."--Carol Channing

"Everything you ever wanted to know about the American musical--at your fingertips. What could be better, or more useful?"--Marvin Hamlisch

"Enjoy as I did this wonderful book as you discover the place of the musical in history and its gift for the future."--Jonathan Pryce

"I can't imagine a more comprehensive and useful book for anyone who works in musicals or who simply loves them. It's a great research tool, but also a book to read for the sheer pleasure of finding out anything and everything there is to know on the subject. I'll be referring to it constantly." -Lynn Ahrens

"How wonderful it is to have the entire history of the American musical theater, both on stage and on film, now available in one handy volume. Amazingly comprehensive and thoroughly researched, The Oxford Companion to the American Musical is a must for any theater professional or any theater fan." - Stephen Flaherty

"Join us, leave your fields to flower and journey through this explosive, informative book that is keeping our legacy of the arts alive." - Ben Vereen

Thomas S. Hischak is Professor of Theatre at the State University of New York College at Cortland. He is the author of sixteen books on theatre, film, and popular music, including The Oxford Companion to American Theatre; the textbook Theatre As Human Action; and the award-winning American Musical Theatre Song Encyclopedia. He is also the author of twenty published plays.