emmadilemma reviewed Changed for Good by Stacy Ellen Wolf
What it says on the tin
4 stars
"A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical" is exactly what you're getting here, and if you missed the reference, "Changed for Good" is a key song from the musical Wicked. Initially panned by critics as entertainment for screaming teenage girls, Wicked overcame the slights of the critic world - most of whom are basically the opposite demographic from teenage girls.
Ms. Wolf uses that arc of critical reception to illustrate musical theater's journey as a whole. A bit strident in places, with a couple of head-shaking moments that weren't so egregious that I remember them, Changed for Good is the only book I've come across to approach musical theater from the female POV.