Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Musical Theater
A short and concise history of musical theater with two early performers and a composer highlighted.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Inst.: Am. Musical Theater: Making It Work in Classroom
A great lesson plan for introducing the musical to students. Great bibliography.
Library of Congress
Loc: American Variety Stage: Bijou Theater
Musical theater and vaudeville were popular in the Gilded Age. Here is a theater program from the Bijou Theater in Boston. Leaafing through the pages gives a great slice of life at the time, not only because of the playbills, but also...
TheatreHistory.com
Theatre History: American Musical Theatre: An Introduction
A commercial website that provides a solid history of American musical theatre. Includes summaries of many musicals through history. Focus is on shows before 1960.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Open Course Ware: Introduction to Western Music
A complete undergraduate-level online course that introduces the history of western music.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source Set: The Golden Age of Broadway
This collection uses primary sources to explore the golden age of musical theater on Broadway.
Musicals 101
Musicals 101: History of the Musical Stage: Ziegfeld Follies
This article gives a history of the Ziegfeld Follies, with information on its creator Florenz Ziegfield, its origin, and the performers. The site also includes thumbnails of pictures of the Follies.
Nederlander Organization
Broadway Direct: 20 Benchmark Musicals in Broadway History
The history of Broadway musical theater is demonstrated through brief examinations of twenty groundbreaking musicals, from The Black Crook in 1866 to Hamilton in 2015. Nine videos accompany the descriptions of some of the musicals.
Musicals 101
Musicals101: History of the Stage Musical 1910 1920
From Jerome Kern's Americanized shows to the Ziegfeld Follies, the stages saw a whole new type of musical from 1910-1920.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Open Course Ware: Modern Music: 1900 1960
A complete, undergraduate level online class on the topic of modern music in the 1900s. Includes complete course material.
Other
Puppet Theater of Japan: Bunraku
An introduction to bunraku--the traditional puppet theater of Japan. Find clear explanations of the history of the art form and details of the music, props, and puppets used. Illustrated with beautiful pictures. Includes several video...
Other
Museum of Ancient Greek Technology
This is a virtual exhibition of inventions from ancient Greece that have been reconstructed by Kostas Kotsanas after over two decades of study and research. Click on 'The Museum' link at the top of the page to read an explanation and to...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 3: Fifties/sixties Musical Playwriting
This unit appeals to multiple intelligences, encourages interdisciplinary learning, reinforces self-confidence, and stimulates creativity, co-operation and critical thinking. Using songs with a strong narrative, learners are asked to...
Other
Stephen Schwartz
A biography and partial listing of the works of Stephen Schwartz, composer. He also wrote lyrics for the two Disney musicals Pocahontas and The Hunchback Of Notre Dame.
Other
Canal Kids: Arte (Explore Art?for Kids?in Portuguese)
History of the development of cinema, painting, theater, music, and dance--for kids. Visitors can explore how music is mixed, listen to radio, and watch the making of animated cartoons, among many other activities.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Gilder Lehrman Institute: History Now: The Wpa: Antidote to the Great Depression?
[Free Registration/Login Required] A good assessment of the Works Progress Administration and its contribution not only of providing jobs for the unemployed during the Great Depression, but for the lasting improvements it made in the...
Musicals 101
Musicals101: Homepage
This site from Musicals 101 provides a very comprehensive site dealing with all aspects of musicals. Includes great material for schools wanting to put on a musical. Over 330 biographies plus lots of history.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Music and Creativity in Ancient Greece
You think you love music? You have nothing on the Ancient Greek obsession. Every aspect of Greek life was punctuated by song: history, poetry, theater, sports and even astronomy. In fact, music was so important to Greek philosopher Plato...
PBS
Pbs: Cole Porter: You're the Top
A high school lesson plan designed to delve deeper into the life of Cole Porter and the meaning in his music.
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Features comprehensive biographical details on "the most successful composer of our time", Andrew Lloyd Weber. His play, "The Phantom of the Opera", is the longest running musical in Broadway history and he has won an Oscar, a Golden...
Other
Database of Award Winning Children's Literature
This is a phenomenal resource. It allows the user to create a reading list of quality children's literature based of choices such as reading level, type of book, genre, ethnicity, gender, etc. In addition, one can determine if a book won...
Other
Streetswing: Rumba
Very detailed site includes a history of the dance, as well as key dancers and musicians associated with it. Easy to read charts cover films, theaters, sheet music and a variety of other things connected to the rumba.
Musicals 101
Musicals101: Minstrel Shows
This site from Musicals 101 is a very good site that focuses on the history of minstrel shows through different eras. Provides pictures as well.
Other
Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization: Rodgers & Hart
Presents the history behind the collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart who are recognized as one of America's greatest musical playwrighting teams.