Oberlin Research Databases
The library subscribes to hundreds of databases. The list below is a selection of discipline-focused or related databases to serve as a starting point. See the full A-Z list of databases for additional options.
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Grove Music Online This link opens in a new windowOnline music encyclopedia, offering comprehensive coverage of music, musicians, music-making, and music scholarship.
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International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance This link opens in a new window
Full text of journal articles on all aspects of theater and performance, plus indexing for books, book articles and dissertation abstracts.
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IPA Source: IPA transcriptions and literal translations of songs and arias This link opens in a new windowIPA Source contains International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcriptions and literal translations of opera arias and art song texts.
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Music Index Online This link opens in a new windowMusic Index Online covers topics concerned with every aspect of the classical and popular world of music. Dates of coverage: 1979-present.
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Performing Arts Periodicals Database This link opens in a new windowIndexes over 200 scholarly and popular performing arts periodicals. Also indexes a variety of documents such as biographical profiles, conference papers, obituaries, interviews, discographies, reviews and events. Dates of Coverage: 1864 to date
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RILM Full Text This link opens in a new windowComprehensive music bibliography providing international coverage of music literature. Dates of coverage: 1775 to the present.
Suggested Open Access Databases
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Broadway.org This link opens in a new window
Broadway.org is The Broadway League’s official on-line headquarters for Broadway information in NYC, as well as for shows on tour across North America. Get tickets at all price points to current and upcoming shows direct from the theatres’ official ticketing offices. The website also provides up-to-date show and theatre information in eight languages, as well as a guide to hotel and dining options in Manhattan’s Theatre District, and general information about Broadway theatregoing.
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IBDB (Internet Broadway Database) This link opens in a new window
IBDB provides a comprehensive database of shows produced on Broadway, including all title page information about each production.
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Musicals 101 This link opens in a new window
Built by John Kenrick, this website features a wide range of articles and resources on the history of musicals on stage, film and television - more than 800 commercial free pages.
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Playbill Vault This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive online database of Broadway history maintained by Playbill. It contains a vast collection of digitized Playbills, along with photos, videos, and articles, from the 1930-31 season to the present.
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Theatre History on the Web This link opens in a new window
This site has been maintained by Dr. Jack Wolcott since 1996 to provide easy access to useful sites throughout the world. What started life as Theatre History on the Web, perhaps now more appropriately called Theatre Resources on the Web for it includes links to other theatre-related materials as well as historical material, is divided into three sections: Historical Periods; links to museums, libraries and centers; the third section provides links to materials useful to scenic and lighting designers, to costumers and to others seeking links to design materials.
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British Library Theatrical Playbillsblplaybills.org does not contain every playbill the British Library has to offer, but has access to about 80,000 playbills made available by the Library under a Creative Commons license. These include playbills digitized from over 500 physical volumes of theatrical English, Scottish, and Irish playbills between 1600 and 1902 (mostly 19th century).
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The Gilbert and Sullivan ArchiveDevoted to the operas and other works of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, it was established at Boise State University in 1993 and moved to its present home in 2016. Includes resources relating to the fourteen operas on which Gilbert and Sullivan collaborated.
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TheMA: Open Access Research Journal for Theatre, Music, ArtsTheMA is a peer-reviewed open-access research journal dedicated to the history of performing and visual arts. It is published biannually. TheMA specializes in the critical and trans-disciplinary historical study of artistic production and reception in various artistic genres including literature, theatre, music, painting, sculpture, and architecture.
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Victoria and Albert Museum: Theatre & Performance CollectionThe Theatre & Performance collections are an incredible resource that document current practice and the history of all areas of performing arts in the UK, including drama, dance, opera, circus, puppetry, comedy, musical theatre, costume, set design, pantomime, popular music and much more.