This guide covers 180 musicals, from the mould-breaking Showboat through the hit shows of Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe, to the theatrical extravaganzas of Lloyd Webber, arranged in alphabetical order. The entry for each musical includes: composer, libretti and first performance; principal characters, plot synopsis and hit songs; original stage case and film details; a Did You Know? section of facts and recommended recording. Potted biographies of the composers and lists of their output, plus an introduction on the history and development of the musical and a glossary of terms, are also provided.