American Musical, An (Over-The-Top) History

Ethan Mordden’s “The Happiest Corpse I’ve Ever Seen” is a new highly-opinionated histry of the American musical. “Just when you think you’re reading a hip encyclopedia, you find yourself immersed in a flagrant gossip column; just when you feel you are getting essential insights, you are submerged in the most esoteric lore or most intimate revelations.”