Musical buffs have finally met their match in Colin Larkin's latest volume. The Virgin Encyclopedia of Stage & Film Musicals is an exhaustive, indepth view of one of the world's oldest forms of entertainment. Timeless classics are included in this volume as well as the flops which may have escaped the memories of avid musical enthusiasts. Compiling an entire history of musicals in one volume allows the reader to draw links between stage and film. How many people knew that Gay Divorce, Funny Face, and Of Thee I Sing were the predecessors for such timeless classics as Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, and The Sound of Music. Chronicling musicals from the West End to Broadway and everywhere in between, this volume offers a world view of an art form that millions of people stand in line for every year.