Citing musical sources can be confusing, especially because they often have several creators. Below you'll find some guidelines for citing non-traditional sources you might encounter while researching musical theatre.
According to the Chicago Manual of Style, section 14.255, "published musical scores are treated in much the same way as books"
For more information about using Chicago Notes style please consult:
The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition by Libretti, Scores, and other sources with multiple creators
When citing a source with multiple creators, which often comes up with musicals that have a composer, director, librettist, etc., choose the creator who's contribution is the most important to your argument and list them as the primary creator. For example, if you're focusing on the music of A Doll's Life you would format your citation like this:
If you're focused more on the libretto, you can choose to format your citation this way:
While not include in examples offered through the Chicago Manual of Style, it is very helpful to your reader if you include the type of score when applicable.
