Did You Know? Ain’t Misbehavin’ launched the career of the irrepressible Nell Carter.

Music Theatre International
421 West 54th Street
New York, NY 10019
 
Tel: (212) 541-4684       Fax: (212) 397-4684

In 1952, Frank Loesser transformed a fledgling business into what is now known throughout the world as "MTI." In the intervening years, Music Theatre International has become a leader in the theatrical licensing industry, specializing in Broadway, Off-Broadway and West End musicals. Since it’s founding in 1952, MTI has been responsible for supplying scripts and musical materials to theatres worldwide and for protecting the rights and legacy of the authors who it represents. Whether it is the newest hit from the Broadway or London stage, or a timeless classic, MTI has been a driving force in cultivating new work and in extending the production life of the great American musicals such as, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Fiddler On The Roof, Les Misérables, Annie, Of Thee I Sing, Ain't Misbehavin', Damn Yankees, The Music Man, Godspell, Little Shop Of Horrors and the musical theatre collection of composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, among others.

Apart from the major Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, MTI is proud to represent youth shows, revues and musicals which began life in regional theatre and have since become worthy additions to the musical theatre canon. Each year MTI licenses over 15,000 productions totaling more than 60,000 performances in the United States and Canada. The 45,000 amateur and professional theatrical organizations throughout the United States and Canada involve more than three million households each year in performances seen by more than twenty-five million audience members. Working with its sub-agents overseas, MTI has licensed productions in over sixty countries around the world. Whether it's a high school in Kansas, an all-female troupe in Japan or the first production of West Side Story ever staged in Estonia, productions of MTI musicals have touched the lives of hundreds of millions around the world.

MTI is particularly dedicated to the idea of theatre as education. Whether it's the twelve thousand high schools who regularly perform our shows, or the many community and professional theatres whose outreach programs introduce new audiences to new works, MTI shares with these educators the goal of raising the next generation of theatre artists and audiences. MTI has taken a leading role in theatre education by creating the MTI Theatrical Resources, a "theatrical tool box" designed to help not only ensure the success of each musical production, but also to establish the study of musical theatre as a permanent part of the high school curriculum. These resources include: Study Guides designed to bring the study of specific shows into the classroom; Video ConversationPieces™ featuring video seminars with artists such as Martin Sheldon Harnick, Stephen Sondheim and Susan Stroman discussing the creation of their shows from inception to production; and MTI Rehearscore® which provide unlimited rehearsal accompaniment (and a remarkable new way to teach scores in class) via an easy-to-use, fully interactive computer program on disk. MTI also provides projection slides, original Broadway logos, sound effects, key transpositions (piano conductor scores and orchestral parts) as well as TV Spots for promoting your production.

In 1998, as part of its educational initiative, MTI brought classic musical theatre to elementary and middle school-aged students with -- The Broadway Junior Collection®. Broadway Junior is a complete package which includes a first-timer's "How To" guide to producing Broadway's most beloved and celebrated musicals -- custom tailored to the needs of young people and schools. The Broadway Junior Collection® provides condensed, author-approved versions of classic musicals like Annie, Guys and Dolls, Into The Woods, and Fiddler On The Roof and shows you how to make your musical the ultimate interdisciplinary teaching tool. We even include an orchestral performance CD to make rehearsals a snap. Since 1998 there have been more than 16,000 licensed Broadway Junior productions in elementary and middle schools throughout the United States and Canada. The success of The Broadway Junior Collection® is perhaps best measured in the self-confidence, discipline, character, cooperation and self-esteem instilled in the children who have participated in Broadway Junior productions, as they master the diverse skills necessary to creating a musical.* We are building better citizens through musical theatre.

MTI is also a leader in providing materials to meet the increasing demand for symphonic arrangements of popular theatre music. The MTI Concert Library offers arrangements of selected songs, as well as full scores from Broadway shows.

The information contained in this web site contains detailed information on the musicals, revues and youth theatre works MTI represents. You'll find everything from cast size, orchestral instrumentation, act and scene breakdowns to production histories, cast album information, major awards and critic's quotes.

Musical theatre has developed into a universal language, with new and exciting works springing up from all over the globe. MTI is firmly committed to laying the groundwork and providing innovative products and services for the flourishing musical theatre community of the 21st century.

In 2000, Music Theatre International commissioned a two-year study on the impact of presenting a Broadway Junior show in three New York City schools. ArtsConnection administered the study under the direct supervision of Dr. Rob Horowitz.

Click below to view the evaluation results of the first year.

• October 2001 [PDF format]
• October 2001 Appendix [PDF format]
• November 2002 [PDF format]

Review our staff directory.

*ArtsConnection Evaluation - Dr. Rob Horowitz