The Golden Age of American Musical Theatre 1943-1965

In 1943, the production of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's Oklahoma! heralded a new era for musical theatre by integrating songs with story in a manner that defied conventions of the genre. Other great musicals followed, including such classics as On the Town, Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls; My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and The Sound of Music. In the Golden Age of American Musical Theatre: 1943-1965, Corinne J. Naden discusses more than 180 musicals covering a span of more than twenty years. Naden lists both commercial successes and flops of the Golden Age, when musicals on Broadway showcased timeless tunes, sophisticated comedy, and the genius of creative artists like Rodgers and Hammerstein, George S. Kaufman, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Leonard Bernstein, George Abbott, Moss Hart, Mary Martin, Bob Fosse, Angela Lansbury, Robert Preston, and many others.

Corinne J. Naden is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than 100 books, including Characters in Young Adult Literature (1997) and Romeo and Juliet: Shakespeare Explained (2009).