For World Book Day, here are 10 recommendations of books about the musical theatre

Today, March 4th, is World Book Day - a celebration of readers and writers across the globe. In celebration, we have 10 recommendations of books about the musical theatre that belong on the bookshelf of every theatre lover.

Not Since Carrie by Ken Mandelbaum

Not Since Carrie is simply the gold standard. Written by celebrated historian Ken Mandelbaum, it contains the sordid stories of nearly 200 musicals that never reached success. Some were infamous like the title show Carrie, others quietly went into the night, but they all have one thing in common - they all were certifiable, undeniable, flops.

The Untold Stories of Broadway by Jennifer Ashley Tepper

Jennifer Ashley Tepper’s Untold Stories of Broadway series is full of fascinating information about every theatre on Broadway. Everyone from the stage door attendant to the Tony-winning stars of legendary productions has a story to tell, and Tepper captured them all. Volume 4 is set for release on March 9th, and they make fantastic gifts for any theater lover.

The World of Musical Comedy by Stanley Green

Now in its Third Edition, The World of Musical Comedy is a fantastic way to learn about the scope of the musical theatre - with biographies of many of the leading players throughout its history, it brings the reader up to a birds-eye view of the art form, showing the clear trajectory from Victor Herbert’s operetta’s in the late 19th century, all the way to A Chorus Line.

The Broadway Musical Quiz Book by Laura Frankos

What, you thought books couldn’t be fun? The Broadway Musical Quiz Book is a fantastically fun way to learn more about the musical theatre - with more than 80 quizzes on almost every aspect of making a musical, it is sure to entertain and delight even the most knowledgeable of theatre lovers.

Black Broadway: African Americans on the Great White Way by Stewart F. Lane

This beautiful, full-color, 275-page coffee book is a must-read for every theatre lover. Lane’s chronicle of the contributions of Black artists to Broadway is nothing short of a triumph, cataloging the experience of Black artists onstage from the Chitlin Circuit to Dreamgirls and beyond.

Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time by Frank Vlastnik & Ken Bloom

Ever wanted to find a new show to explore, but had no idea where to start? Vlastnik and Bloom have you covered. This compendium gathers some of the most celebrated musicals in history for the reader’s perusal, and is beautifully illustrated.

Everything Was Possible by Ted Chapin

Ted Chapin, now the head of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, was a college student when he wrangled the job of production assistant on Follies, one of the most beloved musicals of the 20th century. Chapin kept a journal during the experience, chronicling everything from drama-filled rehearsals to pressurized out-of-town tryouts, all the way to it’s exhilarating opening night. Published in 2003, it is a uniquely intimate look at what it takes to bring a show to Broadway.

Act One by Moss Hart

Act One very well might be the best autobiography written by anyone involved in the theatre. Spawning a 1963 film and a 2014 play, Moss Hart was one of the great dramatists of the early 20th century, and his remarkably frank autobiography shares how he went from the eldest son of struggling immigrants to a rousing success on Broadway’s boards.

Notes on a Cowardly Lion by John Lahr

To modern audiences, Bert Lahr is perhaps most recognizable as the Cowardly Lion in MGM’s The Wizard of Oz, but before he donned the whiskers he was known as one of the most popular comedians of vaudeville, burlesque, Broadway, and film. His son, celebrated drama critic John Lahr, uses his father's experiences at the turning point of American popular culture to examine just how modern show business came to be, through the eyes of one man's memories.

Fosse by Sam Wasson

Bob Fosse has become somewhat of a deity in the modern musical theatre - with the Emmy winning Fosse/Verdon series, endless references in music videos, and the hard work of the Verdon Fosse Legacy, you may think you know everything there is to know about the man in the bowler hat with the knocked knees. Sam Wasson’s exhaustive and impeccably researched biography will show you that you had no clue. Wasson explores every inch of Fosse, both as a man and as a performance artist, and by the end, you too will want to bust out a top hat and cane.