Brutal. Frank. Unforgiving. The Musical Theatre Report, launched on August 12, 2024, is a journal for industry and audiences covering the past, present, and future of the musical stage. It offers a fresh perspective on the art form, driven by a detailed, holistic, and serious-minded approach, with a focus on artistic excellence, historical accuracy, and informed theatrical discourse.

The Report is published on Sundays. The main dispatch contains a variable combination of reviews and reappraisals, inside stories, opinions, quick takes, fact checks, and satirical essays. Plus, a quote of the week, select press announcements from the past week, and a list of the upcoming week’s previews and openings. The detailed reviews and reappraisals cover productions opening in New York and out of town, and they reach beyond any one show, with creative discussions that are universal.

The main dispatch is accessible for free. Certain independent articles are accessible with a paid subscription of $2 per month or $20 per year. And all past independent articles are similarly accessible with a paid subscription, though a handful are accessible for free. They include:

• The Broadway Musical is Not in Trouble!
• Is Dead Outlaw One of the Best Written New Musicals of the 21st Century?
• An Open Letter to Moisés Kaufman (And Everyone Who Cares About the Musical Theatre)
• The 31 Rules of Musical Theatre

The Report is written by Ben West, a musical theatre artist, consultant, and historian. He is the author of The American Musical: Evolution of an Art Form, published by Routledge, he created and directed Unsung Carolyn Leigh for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series, and he created the “Timeline Walls” for the Museum of Broadway. He has worked in various capacities on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally. He played Mrs. Drudge in his high school production of The Real Inspector Hound, his husband was born in Poland, and their canine-son is named after lyricist Henry Creamer. Ben is a recipient of Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award.

News, Questions, and Comments: themusicaltheatrereport@gmail.com.