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Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre — Print

"A greatly expanded and updated edition of a classic work that reflects the many changes in musical theatre that have occurred in the past decade...
A highly recommended resource for teachers, students and play directors. An excellent choice for high school, college, and public library reference collections."
-- Catholic Library World (March - May 2002)

"The entries are essays of varying lengths on stage works, composers, lyricists, stage personalities, choreographers, designers, and producers, from the beginning of operetta to the present. Author, composer, and performer work lists, plot summaries, and production histories are included. About five hundred new articles have been added...More than four thousand articles from the first edition have been revised to include recent activites of performers covered in the first edition, many new recordings, and birth and death date corrections and additions...The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre is quite unlike other recent works...Libraries owning the first edition should not hesitate to purchase this updated edition. Highly recommended for all libraries with music or theater collections. Other academic and public libraries may also wish to consider adding this title."
-- Reference and User Services Quarterly (Spring 2002)

"Five-hundred revised and updated entries with color photos augment this 1994 Dartmouth Medal honorable mention reference work that spans the songs and shows of musical theatre from the dawn of operetta to the present in the United States and abroad."
-- Music Educators Journal (March 2002)

"This hefty set contains alphabetically arranged entries for a great number of individuals and shows related in some way to musical theater. Entries for people include their life dates, place of birth and death (if the latter is applicable), a short summary of their importance to the world of musical theater, and a stage- and production-related biography. Creators and producers (e.g., Stephen Sondheim, Cameron Mackintosh) also have a chronology of productions. Entries for shows contain their type (e.g., musical, operetta), creators, original theater, date of opening, plot summary, and pertinent details about the show, especially as they pertain to non-American productions. Information is as up-to-date as possible. There are a good number of pictures, including some very nice color plates in the center of each volume. This set has no real competition."
-- ARBA (2002)

"This set presents as interesting collection of information about people and productions of the 19th and 20th centureies... The writin style is personal, as is the choice of entries, but the information presents musical theater over two centuries and includes details not found in most comparable references. Recommended for most collections."
-- Choice (December 2001)

"...Casual readers, scholars, and lovers of musical theater should consider themselves lucky to have this informative and engaging set."
-- Library Journal (September 2001)

"There simply is no other reference work that focuses on worldwide musical theatre history, as this one does. First published in 1994, the updated edition has about 500 new A-Z entries, with many of the other 4,000 revised to include further information and corrections...An occasional disappointment in not finding an entry is far outweighed by the sheer amount of information Gänzl has unearthed about the musicals, their creators and performers from around the world. The scope of this work may preclude the possibility of ever being all encompassing, but Gänzl certainly attempts that. His encyclopedia is unsurpassed for convenient research, and is a must for libraries."
-- Show Music (Fall 2001)