Citing a Play or a Musical
How you cite a play or musical will depend on how you experienced it. This guide will review how to cite three experiences:
A live performance
A published play
A soundtrack (musical only)
The below examples will be in MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard formats.
Please note that these examples are not comprehensive, and you should always check with your teacher if you have any questions about how to make your citations.
Information you need
To cite a play or musical properly, identify as many of the following pieces of information as possible or applicable to your citation:
Playwright
Name(s) of the main performer(s)
Play Title(italicized)
Publication Title (italicized)
Editor
Publisher Name
Record Label/Studio
Publication Year OR Year of Performance
Publication City
Page Number (p.) or Page Numbers (pp.)
How to cite a play as a live performance
MLA Format (9th edition)
Here’s a Works Cited entry template and example for citing a live performance in MLA format:
Playwright Last Name, First Name. Play Title. Directed by Director First Name Last Name, Theater Company, Day Abbreviated Month Year, Theater Name, City, State Code.
Miranda, Lin-Manuel. Hamilton: An American Musical. Directed by Thomas Kail, The Public Theater, 21 Apr. 2022, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York, NY.
Here’s a template and an example for an in-text citation:
(Playwright Last Name)
(Miranda)
APA Format
Here’s a Reference List entry template and example for citing a live performance in APA format:
Playwright Last Name, First Initial (Writer), & Director Last Name, First Initial (Director). (Year, Month Day Seen). Play title: Subtitle. Live performance at Theater Name.
Miranda, L. (Writer), & Kail, T. (Director). (2022, April 21). Hamilton: An American musical. Live performance at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
Here’s a template and an example for an in-text citation:
(Playwright Last Name, Year of Performance)
(Miranda, 2022)
Chicago Format
Because live performances cannot be referenced directly by the reader, a reference within the text and a supporting footnote are sufficient in Chicago style. You do not need an entry in the bibliography.
Here is an example of a reference within the text and a footnote for Hamilton:
In a performance of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York…
Hamilton: An American Musical, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, dir. Thomas Kail, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York, NY, April 21, 2022.
Harvard Format
Here’s a Reference List entry template and example for citing a live performance in Harvard format:
Play title by Playwright First Initial. Last Name (Year of Performance) Directed by Director First Initial. Last Name. [Name of Theater, Location of Theater. Day Month of performance].
Hamilton: An American musical by L. Miranda (2022) Directed by T. Kail. [Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York. 21 April].
Here’s a template and an example for an in-text citation:
(Playwright Last Name, Year of Performance)
(Miranda, 2022)
How to cite a published play
MLA Format (9th edition)
Here’s a Works Cited entry template and example for citing a published play in MLA format:
Playwright Last name, First name. Play Title.Publication Title, edited by Editor First name Last name, Publisher Name, Publication year, page numbers.
Miranda, Lin-Manuel. Hamilton: An American Musical.Hamilton: The Revolution, edited by Jeremy McCarter, Grand Central Publishing, 2016, pp. 23-26.
Here’s how to cite the above example in an in-text citation:
(Playwright Last Name Page# mentioned)
(Miranda 25)
APA Format
Here’s a Reference List entry template and example for citing a published play in APA format:
Playwright Last name, First initial. (Year published). Play title. In Editor First initial. Last name (Ed.), Publication Title (Page numbers). Publisher Name.
Miranda, L. (2016). Hamilton: An American musical. In J. McCarter (Ed.), Hamilton: The revolution (pp. 23-26). Grand Central Publishing.
Here’s how to cite the above example in an in-text citation:
(Playwright Last Name, Publication year, Page# mentioned)
(Miranda, 2016, p. 25)
Chicago Format
Here’s a Reference List entry template and example for citing a published play in Chicago format:
Playwright Last name, First name. “Play Title.” In Publication Title. Edited by Editor Name. Publication City: Publisher Name, Publication date.
Miranda, Lin-Manuel. “Hamilton: An American Musical.” In Hamilton: The Revolution. Edited by Jeremy McCarter. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2016.
Harvard Format
Here’s a Reference List entry template and example for citing a published play in Harvard format:
Playwright’s Last Name, First Initial. (Publication year) Play title. Publisher City: Publisher Name.
Miranda, L. (2016) Hamilton: the revolution. New York: Grand Central Publishing.
Here’s how to cite the above example in an in-text citation:
(Playwright Last Name, Publication year, Page# mentioned)
(Miranda, 2016, p. 25)
How to cite a musical soundtrack
MLA Format (9th edition)
Here’s a Works Cited entry template and example for citing a soundtrack in MLA format:
Soundtrack Title. Performers’ Names, Record Label/Studio, Year Released.
Hamilton: An American Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording). Performances by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, and Jonathan Groff, Atlantic Records, 2015.
Here’s how to cite the above example in an in-text citation:
(Shortened Soundtrack Title)
(Hamilton)
APA Format
Here’s a Reference List entry template and example for citing a soundtrack in APA format:
Performer Last Name, First Initial. (Year Released). Soundtrack title [Format of recording]. Record Label/Studio.
Miranda, L. (2015). Hamilton: An American musical [MP3]. Atlantic Records.
Chicago Format
Here’s a template and example for citing a soundtrack in Chicago format:
Performer Last Name, Performer First Name. Soundtrack Title. Record Label, Year Released, Format of Recording.
Miranda, Lin Manuel. Hamilton: An American Musical. Atlantic Records, 2015, MP3.
Harvard Format
Here’s a Reference List entry template and example for citing a soundtrack in Harvard format:
Performer Last Name, First Initial OR Group Name (Year Released) Soundtrack title [Format of recording]. Publisher City: Record Label/Studio.
Original Broadway Cast (2015) Hamilton: an American Musical [MP3]. New York: Atlantic Records.
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Citation Examples
Websites
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: Dissertation | Archive Material | Software | Syllabus | Newsletter | Pamphlet or brochure | Painting | Play | Statue | Poem | Case study | White paper | Foreign Language
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