ISSM is the International Society for the Study of Musicals.

We are the home of the annual conference Song, Stage and Screen and the journal Studies in Musical Theatre.

Our Mission


The International Society for the Study of Musicals serves as an intellectual home for the interdisciplinary field of musical theatre studies. ISSM's mission is to advance the study of musicals from global perspectives on pages, stages, and screens through the scholarly journal Studies in Musical Theatre and the annual international conference Song, Stage and Screen. Scholars from any discipline who research and write about musicals are welcome.

Song, Stage and Screen 2026

Stop the World, I Want to Get Off: Musicals Everywhere

A virtual multi-hub conference

June 22-25, 2026

To join our listserv, please email info@issmusicals.org

The International Society for the Study of Musicals is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions to ISSM are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The International Society for the Study of Musicals, Inc. is incorporated in the state of New York as a domestic not-for-profit corporation.