While much of the background information you need to find for this project will be discoverable on the open internet, the following two encyclopedias are more credible sources of information than Wikipedia.
If your show or information about the creators or performers is not in one of the listed encyclopedias, try searching more broadly. If your show was created by or starred notable African American performers, the Oxford African American Studies Center is a great place the search.
Over 400 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press
Fully indexed, cross-searchable database of over 400 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press. Includes subject reference works in the humanities, social sciences, and science--both "Quick Reference" titles (concise dictionaries, etc.) and larger "Reference Library" titles (multi-volume encyclopedias, etc.).
African and African-American history; biography from major reference works.
Finding contemporary news about and reviews of musicals is one of the best ways to see how they were received when they were first produced, along with any revivals, or films that they are connected to. The New York Times is a great place to start because it has very robust theater reporting and will review most shows premiering in New York both on and off Broadway.
Searchable access to the backfile of the New York Times (Late Eastern Edition), in full digitized page images.
Searchable access to the New York Times (Late Eastern Edition), from the first issue on September 18, 1851 to three months ago. Reproduces the complete full text of every issue in its original printed form, in full page images digitized from microfilm. Also incorporates indexing and subject headings from the New York Times Index, 1851-1993.
Keyword(s): United States
The Performing Arts Periodical database contains popular, industry, and some scholarly publications related to theater, dance, and music. Title include Variety, Rolling Stone, and The Stage, and many will have news about shows in production as well as interviews and reviews with performers and creators.
Publications created by and for specific minority groups may have different perspectives on a musical or play than the main stream press. For example, Dreamgirls was not reviewed favorably in many publications when it premiered in 1981, but publications like Ebony were more favorable towards it and commented on the coverage by other press. Ethnic NewsWatch is a database that focuses on news sources created by and for minority and ethnic groups.
Ethnic NewsWatch is a current resource of full-text newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press, providing researchers access to essential, often overlooked perspectives.
The database now also contains Ethnic NewsWatch: A History, which provides historical coverage of Native American, African American, and Hispanic American periodicals from 1959-1989.
Keyword(s): World news, United States
Credible Sources Outside the Library
The following websites are good sources for news about what is happening on Broadway, though they may not contain much historical content and their search options are not very robust.
Here are some tips to help you find sources through the library's databases.
See the library's Research Process guide for more search tips and check out our YouTube channel for video tutorials.