Books by Thomas S. Hischak

This encyclopedia exhaustively covers Thornton Wilder, one of America's greatest writers. It features a biography of Wilder's life and career, followed by entries that cover the people who worked with him, friends and family members who were of great influence, and every novel, play, film script, and other literary work by Wilder.

In The Mikado to Matilda: British Musicals on the New York Stage, Thomas Hischak provides an overview of British musicals that made their way to Broadway, covering their entire history up to the present day.

From January 1 to December 31 of 1927, the entries in this book cover every major news event-national and international-of this pivotal year in history. Milestones of theater, radio, music, literature, film, and sports-as well as minor news items that would prove to be more important later, such as births of significant figures-are also included.

This wide-ranging guide introduces (or reintroduces) readers to movie musicals past and present, enabling them to experience the development of this uniquely American art form-and discover films they'll love.This comprehensive guide covers movie musicals from their introduction with the 1927 film The Jazz Singer through 2015 releases. In all, it describes 125 movies, opening up the world of this popular form of entertainment to preteens, teens, and adults alike.An introduction explains the advent of movie musicals; then, in keeping with the book's historical approach, films are presented by decade and year with overviews of advances during particular periods. In this way, the reader not only learns about individual films but can see the big picture of how movie musicals developed and changed over time. For each film covered, the guide offers basic facts-studio, director, songwriters, actors, etc.-as well as a brief plot synopsis. Each entry also offers an explanation of why the movie is noteworthy, how popular it was or wasn't, and the influence the film might have had on later musicals. Sidebars offering brief biographies of important artists appear throughout the book.

This reference work consists of entries on every film, television, stage, and literary work by Woody Allen. The volume also includes entries on people (actors, producers, writers, etc.) who have worked with Allen as well as various topics (acting roles, awards, themes, film locations, etc.).

A discussion of the 100 most significant animated features produced in the U.S. and the U.K. Each entry includes a synopsis, production history, a summary of the critical response, commentary on the writing, animation, background art, music and/or songs, the voice actors in addition to influence, and so much more.

100 Greatest American Plays is the 1st book on the 100 greatest American, non-musical plays. Arranged alphabetically, each entry covers each play extensively including the plot, the production history, a summary of the critical reaction, its influence and long-range effects, cast lists of notable stage and film versions, and a playwright biography.

This book is a day-by-day chronicle of 1939 Hollywood's greatest year. Each entry will focus on major news events-national and international-as well as minor curiosities or news items that would prove to be more important in the future. This will be followed by a full description and commentary on the Hollywood movies that were released each day.

This biographical dictionary is devoted to the actors who provided voices for all the Disney animated theatrical shorts and features from the 1928 Mickey Mouse cartoon Steamboat Willie to the 2010 feature film Tangled. More than 900 men, women, and child actors from more than 300 films are covered, with biographical information, individual career summaries, and descriptions of the animated characters they have performed. Among those listed are Adriana Caselotti, of Snow White fame; Clarence Nash, the voice of Donald Duck; Sterling Holloway, best known for his vocal portrayal of Winnie the Pooh; and such show business luminaries as Bing Crosby, Bob Newhart, George Sanders, Dinah Shore, Jennifer Tilly and James Woods. In addition, a complete directory of animated Disney films enables the reader to cross-reference the actors with their characters.

This companion volume to Enter the Players: New York Stage Actors in the 20th Century explores the careers of over three hundred directors and choreographers who have worked in New York City, giving biographical sketches and listing directing and choreography credits through the year 2005.

Jerome Kern (1885-1945) is considered one of the most versatile and influential of all American theatre and film composers. His pioneer work in developing a truly American musical sound inspired many of the great songwriters of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, and his songs include dozens of beloved standards still heard today, such as ';Smoke Gets in Your Eyes' and ';The Way You Look Tonight.' The Jerome Kern Encyclopedia consists of entries on people, theatre and film musicals, songs, subjects, and themes related to the composer. Not only are all of Kern's stage and screen projects from 1904 to 1946 covered, but there are also entries on all the major librettists and lyricists with whom he worked, as well as producers, directors, actors, and other individuals who figured prominently in his career. Approximately 100 of Kern's most important songs are discussed, and other entries address awards, collaborations, working methods, song styles, and other related subjects.The encyclopedia also includes a brief biography of Kern, a chronology of his life and work, and appendices on recordings, interpolations, revivals, and remakes. The most complete work on one of America's greatest composers, this fascinating, readable, and extensive look at Kern will appeal to theatregoers, movie musical fans, students, teachers, and professionals in musical theatre.

In addition to the handful of composers known to the general public, this book brings recognition to the many men and women who have written music for the movies over the past 100 years-those who have not been given their due in previous books and other sources. This volume features more than 250 famous and little-known movie composers from around the world. In addition to providing facts about the composers (dates, biography, careers, complete list of movie credits), the entries explain what makes each composer notable and discusses their music in detail. The selected composers range from the days of silent films when music scores were performed by orchestras in movie palaces to today with synthesized and electronic music being used in film scoring.

This encyclopedic reference to the American movie musical identifies and describes the musicals and the artists who made them.

This work will be of interest to scholars, students, and theatregoers in general. The Almanac provides an interesting collection of facts, presents personal commentary on trends in theatre, puts contemporary theatre in the context of the past, and serves as both a browsing book and a reference work.

The first encyclopedia of theatre songs from Broadway shows ranging from The Black Crook (1866) to the 1994 Tony Award-winning Passion, this handy guide features over 1,800 songs from over 500 musicals.

Among the latter are entries on British Imports, Dance in Musicals, Flop Musicals, Locations of Musicals, Operetta, Pastiche Musicals, and Tony Awards. As fascinating as its subject, Stage It with Music will serve the researcher seeking a specific fact, but he or she may find it hard to stop there.

Cohan, the American theatre's first important lyricist, and continuing up into the 1980s, the book presents an overall history of the musical theatre during this century.

Although the venue Off Broadway has long been the birthplace of innovative and popular musicals, there have been few studies of these influential works. Long-running champs, such as The Fantasticks and Little Shop of Horrors, are discussed in many books about American musicals, but what of the hundreds of other Off-Broadway musicals? In Off-Broadway Musicals since 1919, Thomas Hischak looks at more than 375 musicals, which are described, discussed, and analyzed, with particular attention given to their books, scores, performers, and creators. Presented chronologically and divided into chapters for each decade, beginning with the landmark musical Greenwich Village Follies (1919), the book culminates with the satiric The Toxic Avenger (2009). In this volume, any work of consequence is covered, especially if it was popular or influential, but also dozens of more obscure musicals are included to illustrate the depth and breadth of Off Broadway. Works that introduced an important artistic talent, from performers to songwriters, are looked at, and the selection represents the various trends and themes that made Off Broadway significant. In addition to essential data about each musical, the plot and score are described, the success (or lack of) is chronicled, and an opinionated commentary discusses the works merits and influences on the musical theatre in general. The first book of its kind, this highly readable volume will please both the theatre scholar and the average musical theatre patron or fan.

Many books have been written about Tin Pan Alley-the colloquial name assigned to popular music before the advent of rock 'n' roll-yet little is available about the individual songs defining this enormously significant style of American music.

Songs written for Disney productions over the decades have become a potent part of American popular culture. Since most Americans first discovered these songs in their youth, they hold a special place in one's consciousness. The Disney Song Encyclopedia describes and discusses hundreds of famous and not-so-famous songs from Disney films, television, Broadway, and theme parks from the 1930s to the present day. Over 900 songs are given individual entries and presented in alphabetical order. The songwriters and original singers are identified, as well as the source of the song and other venues in which it might have been used over the years. Notable recordings of the song are also listed. But most important, the song is described and what makes it memorable is discussed. This is not a reference list but a true encyclopedia of Disney songs. The book also contains a preface describing the criteria for selecting the songs, a glossary of song terms, a list of all the Disney songs and their sources, a songwriter's directory in which every song by each composer/lyricist is listed, a bibliography, a guide to recordings and DVDs of Disney productions, and an index of people and titles.

In this personal and opinionated book Tom Hischak takes a close look at what happens when a Broadway musical goes to Hollywood, and less often when Hollywood comes to Broadway. The musicals discussed range from The Desert Song (1927), the first sound film of a Broadway musical, to Chicago, the 2002 film made from the 1975 Broadway hit. Film musicals that became Broadway shows range from Lili (1953) to Never Gonna Dance (2003). The book assumes a basic familiarity with famous musicals (for example the plot of My Fair Lady is summed up in a sentence or two) but lesser known works are fully explained. One chapter looks at British musicals that were popular in New York and were later filmed with Hollywood connections. Also included is a Directory that gives credits, names, and songs for both the stage and screen version for all the musicals discussed. Appendices offer statistical data on musicals, and there is an extensive Bibliography.

Following the successful, The American Musical Theatre Song Encyclopedia (Greenwood, 1995), this new encyclopedia reviews in-depth individual songs written for the American musical film over the past seventy years.