Guide to Musicals
Here you will find an overview of resources for and about musicals at the State Library with search tips.
The Collection
Scores for Loan
The State Library's collection of musicals and excerpted songs is very comprehensive. From scores of Showboat, (widely regarded as the first of a new genre of musical theatre) to the latest Broadway and West End hits, we can usually satisfy your request. This collection is supplemented by song anthologies of show songs and film musicals and an extensive sheet music collection.
Matching librettos for musicals are purchased if they are published commercially.
Reference Material
The reference collection of books, journals and electronic resources is also comprehensive. Standard musical theatre reference works combine with histories of music theatre in different countries, repertoire, dictionaries, encyclopedias, auditioning, stage craft, singing technique and dance to provide a one-stop shop for the musical theatre enthusiast.
Recordings
We hold a collection of CDs and LPs that can be listened to on-site. You can also listen to tracks using the on-line database Naxos Music Library. Recordings of different performances of standard works are collected to enhance the listening experience. There is a small classical loan collection of audio cassettes available.
Searching for Scores
Scores and recordings of musicals can be found using our catalogue and the sheet music to individual songs can be found using the Song Index. A guide to searching for songs can be downloaded. You can also find choral arrangements and medleys of show songs. All the musicals score can be found on the shelves at the classification CM. Film versions of musicals can be found at KDW/JR.
You may also search by subject. Some useful subject searches are:
- Musicals
- Musicals – Vocal scores with piano
- Musicals, Excerpts
- Musicals, Excerpts – Arranged
- Musicals, Excerpts – Vocal scores with piano
- Musicals - Librettos
- Motion picture music (expanded as above)
Searching for information
The book and journal material can be found using the catalogue. If you are looking for a specific title, use the author or title search. If you are looking for material on a subject, use the keyword or subject option. Useful subject and keyword searches are:
- Musicals
- History and Criticism
- Auditions
- Production and direction
- Musical films
- Musical Theater
- Criticism and Interpretation
Further information on this site
Page last updated: Wednesday 20 April 2011