"Directors and the New Musical Drama" offers a fresh perspective on the dramatic shifts in musical theatre in the 1980s and 90s. Miranda Lundskaer-Nielsen explores the cultural differences between British and American musicals, examines their critical reception, and demonstrates the crucial role of British and American directors in developing musical dramas that have initiated change in the parameters of this popular art form. Starting with the provocative idea of the "British Invasion," this volume includes analysis of groundbreaking musicals such as "Sunday in the Park with George," "Les Miserables" and "Jelly's Last Jam, " as well as interviews with leading musical theatre writers, directors and producers.

This is one of the first books to offer a rigorous analysis of the enormous changes in the musical theatre during the 1980s and 90s. In addition, it focuses on the contribution of well-known, serious theatre directors to the mainstream Musical Theatre and it is the first book to offer a dual Anglo-American perspective on this subject.