Finally in paperback, this info-and photo-packed celebration of Broadway has been thoroughly updated to include new shows, new features, and new comments from Broadway's celebrated leading ladies.

The rich history of Broadway—from the beloved classics of each decade to the most popular recent hits—are showcased here in colorful chapters that include authoritative commentary, features on the creators and performers, and more. The list of the 101 best has been reevaluated by the authors for this edition, and new shows include Avenue Q, The Drowsy Chaperone, Grease, Grey Gardens, Sunday in the Park with George, and Wicked.

"I was happy to leaf through this very weighty tome (with some of the finest color photos I've ever seen in such an archival volume on nearly every page) and match my own favorites against those of the authors....by the time you make it through the catalogue...you will have hummed at least a hundred tunes and been reminded of what a dazzling achievement this theatrical form has been. And for holiday shoppers in search of the perfect gift for musical mavens, here's the grail."
—Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

This lush and relatively inexpensive coffeetable book is one that fans of musicals will actually read and talk about...These are not the same old glossies we've seen a thousand times, but fresh and rare photographs, many from private collections, that capture the essence of the show's greatness. Then there's the presentation: lively, opinionated, sometimes deliciously gossipy writing...This book is a must for fans of musical theater."
—Hartford Courant

"Your Broadway book is a marvel. Handsome, incisive, affectionate—and so useful."
—Harold Prince, producer and director

"If you want to be on the inside—I mean the real meat and gravy of how musical gets 'on'—this is for you. I don't recall Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik being in the room when we were writing, auditioning, and even throwing up on opening nights, but when I read this, I felt they must have been there. It's an honor to be a part of it."
—Charles Strouse, composer of Annie and Bye Bye Birdie

"I nearly missed deadline for this column, thanks to Broadway Musicals...It's one of those great browser books that can eat up an hour before you realize it. For any theater fan or musical buff it is a perfect abridged education."
—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"It takes Broadway veterans like Bloom and Vlastnik to create a book that captures the color and excitement of the musical theater so perfectly. The eye-popping photos and chatty, conversational style of writing make this an essential book for both the novice and veteran appreciators of our greatest American art form."
—Michael Feinstein, musician, performer, and musical theatre historian

"This massive, lavishly printed tome is almost a coffee-table unto itself. A must-have for the Broadway fanatic."
—Time Out New York

Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik are the co-authors of Sitcoms and Bloom is the author of The American Songbook (both BD&L). He lives in New York City.

Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Distributor: Workman Publishing Company
Publication Date: 05-01-2008
Pages: 336
Measurements: 10.0in X 8.5in X 1.0in X 2.94lb