The tide of this work is slightly misleading, in a good way. This book examines in detail the 273 musicals that opened, or were supposed to open, from 1 January 1940 to 31 December 1949. A total of 56 of the shows listed actually had pre-Broadway closing, but are included. The book is part of series from Rowman & littlefield covering Broadway musicals, all written by Dietz. With the publication of this title, chronological coverage reaches from the 1940s through the 1980s. The author has reviewed each musical, giving the technical details of the production including the name of the theatre, opening and closing dates, number of performances (as reported by Best Plays) all of the cast, names of the book and sketch writers, lyricists, composers, directors song lists by act and more. He also includes snippets of reviews from a variety of sources on the production. The entries often include a historical perspective on how a musical influenced the trends in other Broadway musicals. The entries are well written, concise, interesting and fun to read. Often the author includes obscure details to personalize the production.
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