Musicals in Focus is your essential guide to this exciting and popular genre. It investigates what is meant by 'a musical', looks at how they are constructed, their most common features and why they have become such a well-loved form of entertainment.

Key features:

NEW second edition
Fully-revised
Full-colour images throughout
New entries on the latest musicals
Brand new index and glossary.

Details
This book explores precursors to the musical, from The Beggar's Opera, through operetta to works such as No, No, Nanette. It then takes you through the development of the genre, looking at changes in style during its 80-year history, and shows why a series of significant works have become so influential.

This book offers a series of case studies, with examples drawn from the more popular and familiar works, including Show Boat, Anything Goes, Porgy and Bess, Oklahoma!, West Side Story, Cabaret and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Written to be of value during all Music and Performing Arts courses that include the study of musicals - as well as to the general reader - Musicals in Focus is an ideal introduction for those who want to learn more about musical theatre.