Guides
Beginner guides, plot explainers, and first-timer handbooks for major musicals.
Operas With Nudity: 6 Famous Productions That Bared All (and Why)
Which operas have nudity? Six famous productions, from Maria Ewing’s Salome to the booed Guillaume Tell, and why directors put nudity on the opera stage.
The Producers Songs Explained: Every Number in Order
Every song in Mel Brooks’ The Producers, in order: who sings it, what happens, and why ‘Springtime for Hitler’ became Broadway’s most famous joke.
Sweeney Todd Songs Explained: Every Song in Order
Every song in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, in order: who sings it, what happens, and why ‘A Little Priest’ and ‘Johanna’ matter. Plus the 2007 film cuts.
Sweeney Todd Characters Explained: Who’s Who
Sweeney Todd is a barber out for revenge on Judge Turpin, helped by Mrs. Lovett. Meet every character, from Johanna and Anthony to Toby and the Beadle.
Rent vs La Bohème: How Larson’s Musical Retells Puccini
Rent is a modern retelling of Puccini’s La Bohème. See how the characters, songs and endings match up, and where Jonathan Larson changed the story.
Gifts for Musical Theatre Fans (2026 Guide): Cast Albums, Songbooks, Books and Broadway Merch
18 gifts for musical theatre fans: Hamilton, Les Mis, Wicked, Phantom, SIX and Sweeney Todd cast albums, Hal Leonard songbooks, Broadway books and stocking stuffers.
A Chorus Line Songs Explained: Every Number in Order
Every song in A Chorus Line, in order: who sings it at the audition, what it reveals, and why ‘What I Did for Love’ and ‘One’ became classics.
A Chorus Line Characters Explained: Every Dancer
A Chorus Line follows 17 dancers auditioning for director Zach. Meet every character, from Cassie and Diana to Paul, Sheila and Bebe, and their songs.
Who Is Carmen Ghia in The Producers? Roger De Bris’s Scene-Stealing Partner
Carmen Ghia is Roger De Bris’s live-in partner and “common-law assistant” in The Producers. Who he is, where the name comes from and every actor who has played him.
Musicals Like Chicago: 10 Shows to See Next
Loved Chicago’s jazz, crime and razzle-dazzle? These 10 musicals share its dark humor, vaudeville style or Kander & Ebb DNA, from Cabaret to Sweeney Todd.