Sources: The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals

The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals. By Dan Deitz. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2014. 467 p. Alkaline $95 (ISBN 978-1-4422-3504-5). E-book (978-1-4422-3505-2), $94.99.

According to Dan Deitz’s very entertaining and informative The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals, things really started with a bang in January of 1950 with Happy as Larry, a cheery musical involving witches, time travel, and murder. Directed by and starring Burgess Meredith, the show included many peppy sounding numbers, such as “Three Old Ladies from Hades” and “The Flatulent Ballad.” Sadly, Happy as Larry was one of the few musicals for which no cast recording was made. Happily, all the entries in The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals are as detailed and delightful as the first.

Each entry includes the name of the theatre, the opening and closing dates, the number of performances, author of the book, the lyricist, the composer, the source material if such exists, the director, producers, key designers (scenic, costume, lighting), the setting, the number of acts, and a list of all songs by acts. While all of that is certainly interesting, the real value of this volume is in the author’s commentary, which somehow manages to be authoritative, well-documented, and gossipy all at the same time. Deitz writes in the introduction that his goal “is to provide a reference source that examines in detail the technical aspects surrounding the musicals as well as information that sheds new light on them, from obscure details to analyses of their book and song structures” (ix). Those obscure details are what make this volume so fun to read, as they tell an interesting story even before the wonderful, chatty commentary begins. Each commentary includes a plot summary, how the performance was received by critics (including an entertaining roundup of reviews, which are funnier when they’re describing the flops), notable trivia about the cast and crew, and any awards the show was nominated for and received.

While I didn’t need much besides the facts above to be entertained by Happy as Larry, Deitz really shines in the commentary. In describing Arms and the Girl, he writes that the main character of this Revolutionary War musical, Jo Kirkland, is “a sort of Joan of Arc by way of Lucy Ricardo” who ends up bungling everything; in the end, George Washington has to get her to stop meddling. In that same show, Pearl Bailey (later a Tony award winner for the all-black production of Hello, Dolly!) is described as “continui[ng] her string of bravura performances in Broadway failures” (11). I found this funny, tidbit-laden style to be a refreshing change from the usual tone of reference books. I also enjoy dumb jokes, so I laughed when I read that Stuart Erwin, who played a character named Woodrow Twigg in Great to Be Alive!, also played a “full-fledged tree in the 1942 fantasy Mr. Sycamore” (15).

While the book gives equal billing to the musicals that didn’t make it, there are plenty of entries for the musicals everyone knows: the original productions of My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and The King and I all debuted in the 1950s.

The only real problem with the book is the fact that it’s arranged chronologically, which is fine for browsing, but the user must consult the index to locate a specific musical. There are also a whopping eleven appendixes, which is perhaps a bit much, even by librarian standards.

The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals is browsable, engaging, and recommended for academic and specialized libraries focusing on the arts.—Tracy Carr, Library Services Director, Mississippi Library Commission, Jackson, Mississippi