Our list of some of the best Broadway books & series in recent years. Get inspired by one or more of the following books.
- The New Broadway Fake Book: 645 Songs from 285 Shows (2018)
- Broadway Sheet Music Collection: 2010-2017 (2018)
- Broadway: The American Musical (Applause Books) (2010)
- The Broadway Musical Quiz Book (Applause Books) (2010)
- The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built (2017)
- Kids’ Broadway Songbook: Songs Original Sung on Stage by Children (1993)
- Kids’ Broadway Songbook Edition (Vocal Collection) (2001)
- Broadway Musicals, Show-by-Show (Applause Books) (2014)
- Broadway Musicals: Show by Show (2019)
- Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical (2011)
- The Best Broadway Songs Ever (The Best Ever Series) (1985)
- Broadway Presents! Teens’ Musical Theatre Anthology: Female Edition: A Treasury of Songs from Stage & Film, Specially Designed for Teen Singers! (2009)
- Where Is Broadway? (2019)
The New Broadway Fake Book: 645 Songs from 285 Shows (2018)
(Fake Book). This amazing new collection features nearly 650 Broadway songs arranged with melody, lyrics and chords for C instruments. Definitely a must-own resource for any gigging or auditioning musician or actor!
Broadway Sheet Music Collection: 2010-2017 (2018)
(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook). 39 favorites from contemporary Broadway hit shows are featured in this collection of piano/vocal/guitar arrangements. Includes songs from: The Addams Family * Aladdin * The Book of Mormon * Bright Star * A Bronx Tale * Come from Away * Dear Evan Hansen * Hamilton * Kinky Boots * Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 * Newsies * Something Rotten! * Waitress * and more.
Broadway: The American Musical (Applause Books) (2010)
A companion to the six-part PBS documentary series, Broadway: The American Musical is the first comprehensive history of the musical, from its roots at the turn of the 20th century through the smashing successes of the new millennium. The in-depth text is lavishly illustrated with a treasure trove of photographs, sheet-music covers, posters, scenic renderings, production stills, rehearsal shots and caricatures, many previously unpublished.
The Broadway Musical Quiz Book (Applause Books) (2010)
ÊThe Broadway Musical Quiz BookÊ includes nearly 80 quizzes on every aspect of the Broadway musical including sections devoted to the careers of major Broadway stars songwriters directors and producers ranging from Ethel Merman to Stephen Sondheim.
The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built (2017)
For almost a century, Americans have been losing their hearts and losing their minds in an insatiable love affair with the American musical. It often begins in childhood in a darkened theater, grows into something more serious for high school actors, and reaches its passionate zenith when it comes time for love, marriage, and children, who will start the cycle all over again. Americans love musicals.
Kids’ Broadway Songbook: Songs Original Sung on Stage by Children (1993)
(Vocal Collection). This mainstay collection of songs originally sung on stage by children has been updated and revised, now with 21 songs from 16 shows, from classic musicals ( Annie, The Music Man, Oliver! ) to contemporary ( Matilda the Musical and A Christmas Story ). Includes: Castle on a Cloud * Into the Woods * It’s the Hard-Knock Life * Let Me Entertain You * Naughty * When I Grow Up * Where Is Love?
Kids’ Broadway Songbook Edition (Vocal Collection) (2001)
(Vocal Collection). This landmark collection of music originally sung onstage by children was released in 1993, and has become the most used collection of theatre music for kids. Now this same collection is available with a much needed companion online audio of piano accompaniments. Child singers can practice with the recording as many times as they like until they drive Mom and Dad crazy!
Broadway Musicals, Show-by-Show (Applause Books) (2014)
This updated edition of one of the bestselling and most comprehensive Broadway reference books first published in 1985 has been expanded to include many of the most important and memorable productions of American musical theater including revivals.
Broadway Musicals: Show by Show (2019)
This updated edition of one of the bestselling and comprehensive Broadway reference books, first published in 1985, has been expanded to include many of the most important and memorable productions of American musical theater, including revivals.
Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical (2011)
From Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls” to Nina in “In the Heights” and Elphaba in “Wicked,” female characters in Broadway musicals have belted and crooned their way into the American psyche. In this lively book, Stacy Wolf illuminates the women of American musical theatre – performers, creators, and characters — from the start of the cold war to the present day, creating a new, feminist history of the genre.
The Best Broadway Songs Ever (The Best Ever Series) (1985)
(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook). The 5th edition of this bestseller has been updated with an even stronger songlist. 85 Broadway standards, including: All Good Gifts * All I Ask of You * As Long As He Needs Me * Bring Him Home * Cabaret * Climb Ev’ry Mountain * Don’t Cry for Me Argentina * Getting to Know You * Hello, Dolly!
Broadway Presents! Teens’ Musical Theatre Anthology: Female Edition: A Treasury of Songs from Stage & Film, Specially Designed for Teen Singers! (2009)
(Vocal Collection). Broadway Presents! Teens’ Musical Theatre Anthology: Female Edition is a delightful collection of musical theatre songs from a variety of shows that span decades of theatre history. Using the original vocal scores, the songs have been selected and adapted with the ranges and skills of teen singers in mind. Authoritative historical and contextual commentary, audition tips, and 16-bar cut suggestions for each song make this the most useful and relevant collection of its kind.
Where Is Broadway? (2019)
In a lively and engaging style, authors Douglas Yacka and Francesco Sedita cover the development of the first theaters and the birth of the American musical, as well as the shows and stars that have become Broadway legends. Readers will get the inside story on their favorite shows and may even discover some new ones.
Best Broadway Books You Should Enjoy
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some broadway books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
The Greatest Street in the World: The Story of Broadway, Old and New, from the Bowling Green to Albany
Author(s): Stephen Jenkins
ID: 2438618, Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag, Year: 8 Mar 2018, Size: 456 Kb, Format: epub
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
Author(s): Jack Weatherford
ID: 2393007, Publisher: Broadway Books, Year: 22 Mar 2005, Size: 642 Kb, Format: epub
Gemignani: Life and Lessons from Broadway and Beyond
Author(s): Margaret Hall
ID: 3383539, Publisher: Applause Theatre & Cinema, Year: 2022, Size: 5 Mb, Format: epub
Please note that this booklist is not final. Some books are really record-breakers according to Los Angeles Times, others are composed by unknown writers. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant books you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.