As the subtitle states, this is a practical guide to staffing and staging' 140 works of the American musical theatre that are presently available for both professional and nonprofessional presentation ... written with clarity for easy comprehension, each entry provides: name of shows, authors, composers, lyricists; original source; information on original production, cast roster; and in-depth synopsis; musical numbers by type and voice; notes on previous productions; a listing of songs of special interest; and production instrumentation. This content alone earns this volume a prominent position in the libraries of theatre workers, historians and organizations with concern for musical theatre. Very worthwhile appendixes include: song charts by form, voice, tempo, and type/emphasis; chronology (1915 to present) and listing of long runs; bibliography; sources for scripts, scores, and licenses; index of songs and production source; and an index of leading professional musical theatre workers and their specialities ... This volume is both broadening and professionally focused. As such it is an essential resource for secondary school, college, university, and public libraries