This book is the answer to the question ‚What is musical?‘, covering all aspects of the most recent genre of music theatre and describing, in an international context and for the first time in this great detail, the development, the heyday, the huge business, the flops and the chances of the musical. From The Black Crook and the Ziegfeld Follies via George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Kurt Weill, Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim to The Producers, from the American Operetta to the Concept Musical, this handbook offers an insight into the different types and forms.Apart from synopses, the entries contain references to the first nights, ensemble, voice categories, orchestration, as well as detailed commentaries in addition to numerous illustrations, references to further readings and multimedia. A must-have for all musical lovers! – The future standard work on this topic – With detailed information on more than 250 musicals – Including the 2007 premieres of ‚Wicked‘ and ‚Ich war noch niemals in New York‘