This new edition of Swain's classic award-winning text reveals how a musical drama achieves plot movement, character development and conflict through strategic placement of music in twenty impressive productions. Included is the latest research and viewpoints of contemporary critics, highlighting the various styles of important composers including Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Jerry Bock, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. This new edition also includes a previously unpublished essay onLes Misérables. An expanded epilogue offers insight into the phenomena behindMiss Saigon andPhantom of the Opera, "megamusicals" which seemingly popularized the Broadway tradition. For people interested in Broadway musicals, theater, popular music, American music, opera and/or twentieth-century music.

To see a Broadway musical is to experience how a drama, using melody, harmony, and rhythm, evokes the emotion needed to perpetuate a story line. Without music, many of these plays would not succeed, failing to convey the intended message. This new edition of Swain's classic text, winner of the 1991 ASCAP Deems Taylor Award, reveals how a musical drama achieves plot movement, character development and conflict through strategic placement of song and music in 20 musical plays. Unlike critical literature that has simply explored theatrical style and production histories, this survey focuses mainly on the power of music. Illustrated with more than 150 musical excerpts and essays, Swain includes the latest research and viewpoints of contemporary critics, offering insight into dramatic expression and how renowned composers including Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Jerry Bock, Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber influenced the Broadway musical.

This provides insights into the many impressive musicals to hit the stage between the years of 1927 and 1987, illuminating how specific revisions to productions such asShowboat andOklahoma! forever changed their popularity. Learn how music is used as a symbol for psychological or emotional action from Shakespearean drama's such asKiss Me, Kate andWest Side Story, to more current dramas includingGodspellA Chorus Line, andJesus Christ Superstar.

Replete with a never seen before essay onLes Misérables, this edition also includes an expanded epilogue highlighting the phenomena behindMiss Saigon andPhantom of the Opera, "megamusicals" that changed the direction of the Broadway tradition.

For professors of dramatic arts and people interested in Broadway musicals, theater, popular music and opera.

Chapter 1 Preface to the First Edition
Chapter 2 Preface to the Second Edition
Chapter 3 1 Introduction
Chapter 4 2 First Maturity
Chapter 5 3 America's Folk Opera
Chapter 6 4 Second Maturity
Chapter 7 5 Morality Play as Musical
Chapter 8 6 Shakespeare as Musical
Chapter 9 7 The Pure Love Story
Chapter 10 8 Myth as Musical
Chapter 11 9 Tragedy as Musical
Chapter 12 10 The Ethnic Musical
Chapter 13 11 Religious Experience as Musical
Chapter 14 12 History as Musical
Chapter 15 13 Frame Story as Musical
Chapter 16 14 Thriller as Musical
Chapter 17 15 Epic as Musical
Chapter 18 16 Epilogue
Chapter 19 Endnotes
Chapter 20 Index
Chapter 21 About the Author