Published Musical Librettos

#1

Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 2:21pm

Does anyone know what published musical librettos there are out there??

(not Samuel French acting edition librettos, but actually published ones with color covers.)

The ones I know of are:

Grey Gardens
Light in the Piazza
Caroline, or Change
The Secret Garden
Flower Drum Song
Hairspray
The Full Monty
A Chorus Line
City Of Angels
Urinetown
Spring Awakening
Assassins
A Little Night Music
Into the Woods
(actually, I think most Sondheim shows are published...)

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#2

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 2:26pm

Fiddler on the Roof

#3

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 2:27pm

well the wicked libretto is in the grimmerie- does that count?

#4

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 2:34pm

The original "Cabaret" libretto was published as a regular, text-only book in the 60s. I think it's out of print, but it shows up on ebay every so often.

(Then there's also the new book with the pictures and libretto from the Roundabout revival.)

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Updated On: 2/19/08 at 02:34 PM

#5

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 2:36pm

Follies
Sweeney Todd
Sunday in the Park with George

#6

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 2:38pm

Into the Woods
RENT

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#7

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 2:43pm

Thanks guys.

Things that are out of print are cool too... (thanks Raspberry)

Any other titles you can think of off hand?

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Updated On: 2/19/08 at 02:43 PM

#8

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 2:47pm

"well the wicked libretto is in the grimmerie- does that count? "

Not the complete one I don't think.

Parade
Wild Party
Rent
Floyd Collins
(All in that New American Musical Theatre compendium)

#9

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 2:51pm

Yeah, the "libretto" in the Grimmerie is pretty bad. All it really gives are summaries of scenes and song lyrics.

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#10

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 4:10pm

"Company" has one as well.

#11

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 4:11pm

'Sweet Charity', the ORIGINAL book. Out of print. Easy to find. I am glad to own it.

#12

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 4:14pm

Isn't the Avenue Q libretto in the Avenue Q book?

#13

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 4:18pm

NINE
PAL JOEY
A NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD/DAY IN THE UKRAINE
All of Sondheim's shows (including GYPSY and WEST SIDE STORY)
KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN
CHICAGO
ZORBA
TITANIC
SEESAW

(these are a few I remember at the top of my head from the list at the UF library)

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#14

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 4:26pm

Company

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The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda "And when Idina Menzel is singing, I'm always slightly worried that her teeth are going to jump out of her mouth and chase me." - Schmerg_the_Impaler

#15

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 4:38pm

1776 (easily found, now out of print, I believe)
See What I Wanna See
The Producers
Broadway Blog: Broadway Star Bingo IV

#16

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 6:24pm

The Mystery of Edwin Drood -- nearly 150 pages due to all the endings.

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#17

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 6:28pm

They're Playing Our Song
Promises Promises
Little Me
Sweet Charity
(All in Neil Simon compendiums)

#18

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 6:40pm

Anyone remember the old day of the fireside theatre book club?

Almost every new show and every new play was an option and you could have an almost complete set of published broadway librettos for that season.

I still have a few.

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#19

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/19/08 at 8:11pm

BFB-
I was just about to mention Fireside. I have a fairly good number of scripts from them.

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#20

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:10am

Assassins
Follies
Grease

#21

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:22am

Actually the librettos of Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along", "Saturday Night" and the re-working of "The Frogs" have never been published.

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#22

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/20/08 at 10:12am

"KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN
CHICAGO"

Do bookstores still sell these?

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#23

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/20/08 at 10:22am

You're a Good Man Charlie Brown

#24

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/20/08 at 10:26am

When was YAGMCB published?

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#25

re: Published Musical Librettos

Posted: 2/20/08 at 12:33pm

a lot of the Sam French catalog is available for purchase. probably best to order through them.

The Rodgers & Hammerstein shows have all been published, both individually and in compilations. not sure if they are still in print.

Most of the shows (except Sondheim) in the MTI catalog are a little trickier to get. they used to be available (some of them in the Reference section of the NYPL) and now they're not. I would try actual city/public libraries. the stacks are generally kind of old and have materials from when musicals were more important in pop culture.