In response to the rapid growth of musical theatre as a global phenomenon, The Oxford Handbook of the Global Stage Musical offers new scholarly approaches to issues arising from these new international markets. The thirty-three essays highlight major aspects of the genre, such as the dominance of Western colonialism in its early production and dissemination, racism and sexism - both in representation and in the industry itself - as well as current conflicts between global and local interests in postmodern cultures. Featuring contributors from seventeen countries, the essays offer informed insider perspectives that reflect the diversity of the subject and offer in-depth examinations of specific cultural and economic systems.