Robert W. Schneider and Shannon Agnew’s new book, Fifty Key Stage Musicals, has been released by Routledge Press; an exploration of fifty musicals whose creation impacted the trajectory of musical theater history.  

Fifty Key Stage Musicals” is designed to introduce both students of musical theater, as well as its fans, to groundbreaking musicals that moved the genre forward in some way. We hope that this book will initiate a conversation about musical theater’s past and its impact on contemporary storytelling.” Schneider said. 

Shows highlighted in the book include traditionally noted landmark musicals Show Boat, Oklahoma, and Hamilton, as well as musicals not typically explored in the discussion of musical theater history, such as Promises, Promises; the 1994 revival of Grease; and Seussical.  

Contributors to the book include a collection of artists, historians, and scholars including Jerrell L. Henderson, Peter Filichia, Laura Frankos, Laurence Maslon, Scott Miller, and Susan B. Russell. 

Fifty Key Stage Musicals is published by Routledge Press and is available here.