Discover what goes on behind the curtains of your favorite musical

Do you want to know more about the fascinating history of Broadway musicals, the stars of yesterday and today, and what goes on behind the curtain of a musical production? In Musical Theatre For Dummies, Broadway insider and host of Sirus/XM Radio's ON BROADWAY channel Seth Rudetsky takes you backstage and reveals everything you want to know (and what you didn't know you wanted to know) about life in the theatre. How did musical theatre begin? How did Broadway stars become stars? How can you launch your own musical theatre path, whether in a school musical, community theatre, or on a path toward Broadway? Get answers to all these questions along with tons more insight from the unofficial "mayor of Broadway." 

• Learn the history of musical theater and discover the stories of shows that have run for years ... or closed before opening night!
• Trace the development of productions, from the initial idea all the way through opening night and beyond
• Discover what it takes to make a musical come together, from pit musicans, stage managers, and swings to designers, casting directors, and more.
• Get insider advice on the skills you need to perform in professional or amateur musical theater productions

Whether you're completely new to musical theatre or have a few Tony awards displayed over your fireplace, this is the book for you. Enjoy real-life anecdotes shared with the author by Broadway's biggest stars as you become a musical theater know-it-all.

Musical theatre takes center stage

How do bright ideas turn into world-famous productions? What happens behind the curtain to make shows run smoothly? How can you get involved in your local theatre or even star on Broadway one day? This book, written by the ultimate Broadway insider Seth Rudetsky, shines a spotlight on these questions and whisks you away into the delightful world of musicals. Deepen your appreciation for the shows you attend, read inside stories about your favorite shows and stars, and fall in love with musical theatre-for the first time or the 525,600th time. (If you know, you know.)

Inside?

• Find out the history of Broadway and the musical theatre genre
• Follow the process of producing musical plays
• Enjoy real-world anecdotes from behind the scenes
• Discover the best new and classic musical theatre shows