The Complete Book of 1980s Broadway Musicals

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<span><span>For Broadway audiences of the 1980s, the decade was perhaps most notable for the so-called British invasion. While concept musicals such as</span><span>Nine</span><span>and Stephen Sondheim's</span><span>Sunday in the Park with George</span><span>continued to be produced, several London hits came to New York. In addition to shows like</span><span>Chess, Me and My Girl,</span><span>and</span><span> Les Miserables</span><span>,</span><span></span><span>the decades most successful composer</span><span></span><span>Andrew Lloyd Webber</span><span></span><span>was also well represented by</span><span>Cats</span><span>,</span><span>The Phantom of the Opera</span><span>,</span><span>Song& Dance,</span><span>and</span><span> Starlight Express</span><span>. There were also many revivals (such as</span><span>Show Boat</span><span>and</span><span>Gypsy</span><span>), surprise hits (</span><span>The Pirates of Penzance</span><span>), huge hits (</span><span>42nd Street</span><span>), and notorious flops (</span><span>Into the Light</span><span>,</span><span> Carrie</span><span>, and</span><span>Annie 2</span><span>:</span><span> Miss Hannigan's Revenge</span><span>).</span></span><br><br><span><span>In</span><span>The Complete Book of 1980s Broadway Musicals</span><span>, Dan Dietz examines in detail every musical that opened on Broadway during the 1980s. In addition to including every hit and flop that debuted during the decade, this book highlights revivals and personal-appearance revues with such performers as Sid Caesar, Barry Manilow, Jackie Mason, and Shirley MacLaine.<br><br>Each entry includes the following information</span></span><br><br><ol start="1"><li><span>Opening and closing dates</span></li><li><span>Plot summaries</span></li><li><span>Cast members</span></li><li><span>Number of performances</span></li><li><span>Names of all important personnel including writers, composers, directors, choreographers, producers, and musical directors</span></li><li><span>Musical numbers and the names of performers who introduced the songs</span></li><li><span>Production data, including information about tryouts</span></li><li><span>Source material</span></li><li><span>Critical commentary</span></li><li><span>Tony awards and nominations</span></li><li><span>Details about London and other foreign productions</span></li></ol><span><span><br>Besides separate entries for each production, the book offers numerous appendixes, including a discography, filmography, and published scripts, as well as lists of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, black-themed shows, and Jewish-themed productions.<br><br>A treasure trove of information,</span><span>The Complete Book of 1980s Broadway Musicals</span><span> provides readers with a comprehensive view of each show. This significant resource will be of use to scholars, historians, and casual fans of one of the greatest decades in musical theatre history.</span></span>

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<span><span>Dan Dietz</span><span>is a former professor of composition, world literature, and modern drama at Western Carolina University. He is the author of</span><span>Off Broadway Musicals, 1910-2007</span><span>(2010),</span><span>The Complete Book of 1960s Broadway Musicals</span><span>(R&amp;L, 2014),</span><span>The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals</span><span>(R&amp;L, 2014),</span><span>The Complete Book of 1940s Broadway Musicals</span><span>(R&amp;L, 2015), and</span><span>The Complete Book of 1970s Broadway Musicals</span><span>(R&amp;L, September 2015).</span></span>

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