Preface to the First Edition (by Cecil Smith, 1950) -- The purpose of this book -- the first to recount the history of the popular musical stage on Broadway and its intersecting streets -- is to tell what the various entertainments were like, how they looked and sounded, who was in them, and why they made people laugh or cry.

Preface to the Second Edition (by Glenn Litton, 1979) -- To say that musical comedy in America lives is an understatement.