Moross loved writing for the theatre and his earliest stage work was a revue, PARADE, produced on Broadway by the Theatre Guild when the composer was 21. In the late 1930s Moross began work with John Latouche on BALLET BALLADS which opened in the spring of 1948 at ANTA, moving to Broadway in May of that year. Consisting of three separate pieces without any spoken dialogue, (the fourth piece was not done), "the idea was to so mix the singing and dancing that you didn't know where the singers began or where the dancers ended" said Moross in a 1978 interview. Their next show, THE GOLDEN APPLE, was produced in 1954 and also had no spoken dialogue. Both shows received rave reviews and THE GOLDEN APPLE won the 1954 Drama Critics Awards. After Latouche's death, Moross collaborated with Edward Eager on GENTLEMEN, BE SEATED!, a musical about the Civil War. UNDERWORLD, a show set in 1920s Chicago, was never completed and consists of only seventeen songs, with lyrics by John Hollander and Lester Judson. Premier Recordings released eight of these songs on its CD, 'Broadway Dreams'. The wide spectrum of themes and styles in these shows demonstrates the composer's sharp ear for the diversity of American sounds, and his versatility. Moross' music was instinctively 'American' and remained tonal and melodic throughout his career. He loved folk tunes and popular songs of his day and in his formative years continually sought out indigenous music. An experience his younger brother enjoys recounting is their going off to Coney Island to listen to carousel music.