Women of Broadway
The Creative Icons Defining a Genre
Will be published approx. on 10. December 2026
Book
Hardback
288 pages
979-8-7651-4312-4 (ISBN)
Description
A gateway resource to understanding the historical and contemporary women who have been foundational in bringing musicals and plays to life on the iconic stages of Broadway, and beyond.
When considering the birth and evolution of Broadway, we have heard of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and of Bob Fosse and Joe Papp, but what about women such as Julie Taymor, Lorraine Hansberry, and Zelda Fichandler? Without them, we would not have landmark classics such as The Lion King, A Raisin in the Sun, and The Great White Hope not to mention New York's beloved free Shakespeare in the Park from the Public Theater or even the Tony Awards. Understand the evolution of Broadway from its early days through today by getting to know the female playwrights, composers and lyricists, directors, producers, choreographers, technicians, and leading actors who have defined this iconic performance genre.
Each chapter covers the many roles that it takes to make a show unforgettable, profiling the leading women in that field, including contemporary firsts like Larissa Fasthorse (first Native American woman playwright on Broadway) and Waitress (the first Broadway musical led by an all-female creative team). Throughout the entries, the book highlights the groundbreaking contributions of women who continue to reshape Broadway and expand what stories can be told on its stage.
When considering the birth and evolution of Broadway, we have heard of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and of Bob Fosse and Joe Papp, but what about women such as Julie Taymor, Lorraine Hansberry, and Zelda Fichandler? Without them, we would not have landmark classics such as The Lion King, A Raisin in the Sun, and The Great White Hope not to mention New York's beloved free Shakespeare in the Park from the Public Theater or even the Tony Awards. Understand the evolution of Broadway from its early days through today by getting to know the female playwrights, composers and lyricists, directors, producers, choreographers, technicians, and leading actors who have defined this iconic performance genre.
Each chapter covers the many roles that it takes to make a show unforgettable, profiling the leading women in that field, including contemporary firsts like Larissa Fasthorse (first Native American woman playwright on Broadway) and Waitress (the first Broadway musical led by an all-female creative team). Throughout the entries, the book highlights the groundbreaking contributions of women who continue to reshape Broadway and expand what stories can be told on its stage.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
College/higher education
Primary & secondary/elementary & high school
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
20 bw
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 178 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-7651-4312-4 (9798765143124)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Nancy Hendricks holds a doctorate in education and is an award-winning author whose books include Sandra Day O'Connor: How an Arizona Cowgirl Became the First Woman Supreme Court Justice (2026) and Women's Equality in America: Examining the Facts (2024).
Content
Preface
Timeline
1. From "The Broad Way" to Broadway: An Introduction
2. Playwrights
Caldwell, Anne
Childs, Kirsten
Donnelly, Dorothy
Ephron, Nora
Fasthorse, Larissa
Goodrich, Frances
Hansberry, Lorraine
Hatton, Ann Kemble
Hellman, Lillian
Henley, Beth
Holzman, Winnie
Hopkins, Pauline Elizabeth
Hudes, Quiara Alegria
Kanin, Fay
Kerr, Jean
Kron, Lisa
Lee, Young Jean
Loos, Anita
Nichols, Anne
Norman, Marsha
Nottage, Lynn
Parks, Suzan-Lori
Shange, Ntozake
Spewack, Bella
Swados, Elizabeth
Taub, Shaina
Vogel, Paula
Wasserstein, Wendy
3. Composers and Lyricists
Ahrens, Lynn
Asare, Masi
Bareilles, Sara
Comden, Betty
Fields, Dorothy
Grant, Micki
Green, Amanda
Leigh, Carolyn
Moss, Lucy
Rodgers, Mary
Swift, Kay
Tesori, Jeanine
4. Producers and Directors
Carroll, Vinnette
Chavkin, Rachel
Crawford, Cheryl
Fichandler, Zelda
Flanagan, Hallie
Furman, Jill
Gandy, Irene
Havoc, June
Jones, Margo
McCann, Elizabeth
Nugent, Nelle
Paulus, Diane
Selznick, Irene Mayer
Silverman, Leigh
Stroman, Susan
Taymor, Julie
5. Choreographers
Brown, Camille A.
Clarke, Hope
Daniele, Graciela
De Mille, Agnes
Garcia, Karla Puno
Haney, Carol
Lee, Baayork
Lynne, Gillian
Marshall, Kathleen
Reinking, Ann
Scott, Ellenore
Tharp, Twyla
White, Onna
6. Designers, Technicians, and Stage Managers
Aldredge, Theoni V.
Avallone, Angelina
Bernstein, Aline
Bjoernson, Maria
Buether, Miriam
Cave, Lisa Dawn
Cho, Linda
Christie, Bunny
Cimino, Sarah
Hauck, Rachel
Hefferan, Palmer
Hilferty, Susan
Hould-Ward, Ann
Jenkins, Beverly
Katz, Natasha
Kim, Willa
Klotz, Florence
Loukas, Leah
Madeira, Marcia
Mathis, Nikiya
Mitchell, Ruth
Musser, Tharon
Paz, Jessica
Rosenthal, Jean
Roth, Ann
Schriever, Jennifer
Sharaff, Irene
Staub, Joanna Lynne
Zipprodt, Patricia
Zuber, Catherine
7. Leading Ladies
Alexander, Jane
Allen, Debbie
Andrews, Julie
Bailey, Pearl
Bayes, Nora
Benanti, Laura
Block, Stephanie J.
Burnett, Carol
Channing, Carol
Chenoweth, Kristin
Cushman, Charlotte
Davis, Viola
DeBose, Ariana
Ebersole, Christine
Foster, Sutton
Goldsberry, Renee Elise
Grant, Lee
Hall, Juanita
Hayes, Helen
Hilty, Megan
Hurder, Robyn
Jones, Cherry
Lansbury, Angela
LuPone, Patti
Martin, Mary
McDonald, Audra
Menzel, Idina
Merman, Ethel
Miller, Marilyn
Miller, Patina
Minnelli, Liza
Moreno, Rita
Neuwirth, Bebe
Peters, Bernadette
Ralph, Sheryl Lee
Rashad, Phylicia
Rivera, Chita
Rose, Anika Noni
Salonga, Lea
Soo, Phillipa
Tyson, Cicely
Uggams, Leslie
Verdon, Gwen
Appendix A. First Ladies of the American Theater
Appendix B. What's in a Name?
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
Timeline
1. From "The Broad Way" to Broadway: An Introduction
2. Playwrights
Caldwell, Anne
Childs, Kirsten
Donnelly, Dorothy
Ephron, Nora
Fasthorse, Larissa
Goodrich, Frances
Hansberry, Lorraine
Hatton, Ann Kemble
Hellman, Lillian
Henley, Beth
Holzman, Winnie
Hopkins, Pauline Elizabeth
Hudes, Quiara Alegria
Kanin, Fay
Kerr, Jean
Kron, Lisa
Lee, Young Jean
Loos, Anita
Nichols, Anne
Norman, Marsha
Nottage, Lynn
Parks, Suzan-Lori
Shange, Ntozake
Spewack, Bella
Swados, Elizabeth
Taub, Shaina
Vogel, Paula
Wasserstein, Wendy
3. Composers and Lyricists
Ahrens, Lynn
Asare, Masi
Bareilles, Sara
Comden, Betty
Fields, Dorothy
Grant, Micki
Green, Amanda
Leigh, Carolyn
Moss, Lucy
Rodgers, Mary
Swift, Kay
Tesori, Jeanine
4. Producers and Directors
Carroll, Vinnette
Chavkin, Rachel
Crawford, Cheryl
Fichandler, Zelda
Flanagan, Hallie
Furman, Jill
Gandy, Irene
Havoc, June
Jones, Margo
McCann, Elizabeth
Nugent, Nelle
Paulus, Diane
Selznick, Irene Mayer
Silverman, Leigh
Stroman, Susan
Taymor, Julie
5. Choreographers
Brown, Camille A.
Clarke, Hope
Daniele, Graciela
De Mille, Agnes
Garcia, Karla Puno
Haney, Carol
Lee, Baayork
Lynne, Gillian
Marshall, Kathleen
Reinking, Ann
Scott, Ellenore
Tharp, Twyla
White, Onna
6. Designers, Technicians, and Stage Managers
Aldredge, Theoni V.
Avallone, Angelina
Bernstein, Aline
Bjoernson, Maria
Buether, Miriam
Cave, Lisa Dawn
Cho, Linda
Christie, Bunny
Cimino, Sarah
Hauck, Rachel
Hefferan, Palmer
Hilferty, Susan
Hould-Ward, Ann
Jenkins, Beverly
Katz, Natasha
Kim, Willa
Klotz, Florence
Loukas, Leah
Madeira, Marcia
Mathis, Nikiya
Mitchell, Ruth
Musser, Tharon
Paz, Jessica
Rosenthal, Jean
Roth, Ann
Schriever, Jennifer
Sharaff, Irene
Staub, Joanna Lynne
Zipprodt, Patricia
Zuber, Catherine
7. Leading Ladies
Alexander, Jane
Allen, Debbie
Andrews, Julie
Bailey, Pearl
Bayes, Nora
Benanti, Laura
Block, Stephanie J.
Burnett, Carol
Channing, Carol
Chenoweth, Kristin
Cushman, Charlotte
Davis, Viola
DeBose, Ariana
Ebersole, Christine
Foster, Sutton
Goldsberry, Renee Elise
Grant, Lee
Hall, Juanita
Hayes, Helen
Hilty, Megan
Hurder, Robyn
Jones, Cherry
Lansbury, Angela
LuPone, Patti
Martin, Mary
McDonald, Audra
Menzel, Idina
Merman, Ethel
Miller, Marilyn
Miller, Patina
Minnelli, Liza
Moreno, Rita
Neuwirth, Bebe
Peters, Bernadette
Ralph, Sheryl Lee
Rashad, Phylicia
Rivera, Chita
Rose, Anika Noni
Salonga, Lea
Soo, Phillipa
Tyson, Cicely
Uggams, Leslie
Verdon, Gwen
Appendix A. First Ladies of the American Theater
Appendix B. What's in a Name?
Glossary
Bibliography
Index