LibGuides: Drama: Musicals

Research Tips

Prefer theatre-specific resources on general resources such as general encyclopedias and databases.
Find your search terms (e.g. "Cats musical" and not just "cats") to create a more effective search.
When googling, select official and authoritative websites.
If using Wikipedia, check footnotes and external resources for more authoritative resources.
Ask the librarian for research help.

Recommended Websites

IBDB: Internet Broadway Database
The official database for Broadway theatre information provides records of productions from the beginnings of New York theatre until today.
Playbill Vault
Free searchable database of Playbill programs, 1942-present.
Musicals of Stage and Screen
Library of Congress's guide includes digitized musical theater collection material.
Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Provides information about Canadian actors, playwrights, directors, producers, designers, theatre organizations and institutions, composers and plays.
West Side Story: Birth of a Classic
Library of Congress's digital exhibition celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of this landmark musical.

E-resources

Biography in Context
Find information about the life and career of musicians, singers, and composers.

Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop by Frank W. Hoffmann
Call Number: eBook

ISBN: 9780816069804

Publication Date: 2006

Includes biographical entries for artists in the Broadway musicals industry, such as Baker LaVern, Ruth Brown, and Lena Horn.

TPL E-resources

The following databases are available with a Toronto Public Library card. All TanenbaumCHAT students are eligible for a TPL card, for more information go here.

Ebooks

Where is Broadway? by Douglas Yacka
Call Number: eBook

ISBN: 9781524786526

Publication Date: 2019

The authors cover the development of the first theaters and the birth of the American musical, as well as the shows and stars that have become Broadway legends.
Listening for America by Rob Kapilow
Call Number: eBook

ISBN: 9781631490309

Publication Date: 2019

The author brings American classics to life through the songs and stories of eight of the twentieth century's most treasured American composers—Kern, Porter, Gershwin, Arlen, Berlin, Rodgers, Bernstein, and Sondheim.

Databases

Theatre in Context
Search "The Oxford Companion to the American Theatre" to access an extensive theatre encyclopedia, or search for any other term.
National Theatre Collection
Access to high-definition streaming video of U.K.'s National Theatre productions.
Theatre in Video
Performances of major plays from world theatre from the 1950's to the present.

General Resources

Academic Search Complete
New multidisciplinary database with full-text content for more than 4,650 publications in the arts, social sciences, humanities and sciences.
eBook Academic Collection
Access to more than 141,000 e-books in a broad range of academic subjects, including political science, social science, technology, art, philosophy, education, and business.