I’ve been a fan of movie musicals since I was a kid and wore out VHS tapes and DVDs alike studying the movements, swagger, and voices of folks like Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, and Gene Kelly. They will always be there, immortalized on the screen, but Broadway is different. Sometimes there’s a performance from the Tony awards or an old variety show that captures a fraction of what the show looked and sounded like; sometimes there’s just a cast album, a frayed copy of a playbill, and some old reviews from the New York newspapers and you have to piece it together in your head. The absolute angst of coming across the briefest mention of a two-week long special presentation of a musical and having to get by with just the New York Public Library images (bless!), a summary of the story, and a cast list. Luckily for me and all of my fellow armchair researchers out there, we have books! The titles on the list below aren’t comprehensive by any stretch, but they highlight some forgotten and interesting viewpoints and aspects of Broadway history. Side note: Stokes has been a moment for me, and if you would like to enter the chaos that is my pandemic brain, please check out this research compilation. Advanced internet research skills for the win! Looking for more Broadway reading? Check out our post 6 Book Recommendations for Broadway Lovers Missing the Theater to get reading recommendations based on your musical theater tastes.
