In his introduction Ewen traces the development of musical theater from the ballad opera through burlesque, pantomime, extravaganza, operetta, revue, and musical comedy to the musical play which often had serious themes at the core. This reference book contains biographies of composers, lyricists, and librettists alphabetically listed, and under each name the author discusses the plots of significant plays, production histories, stars, and songs.

David Ewen is a prolific and successful music writer, having published more than 80 books which cover every facet of music. Many of them have been used as texts in high schools and colleges. He was the authorized biographer of George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Richard Rodgers. He wrote and co-produced a 52-week series on popular music that was broadcast by Voice of America and was adjunct professor of music at the University of Miami.