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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
Interesting to hear a memoir with a full ensemble to read for all the other people in your life.
As a theater person, the long deep-dive into Seller's involvement and development of Rent and then into Avenue Q and Hamilton (with a minor stop for In the Heights) were the most engaging for me.
While everyone who writes a memoir is entitled to tell their story the way they wish, Sellers might be a better story shaper and teller than author. Some descriptions of people and situations felt more effortful than they needed to be and his discovery ofmasturbation is oddly clinical and lacking the maybe joy? excitement? I would expect from such a moment in one's life. Never have I before, and never will I again, hear the word "pelvis" used so many times in so short a span.
As a theater person, the long deep-dive into Seller's involvement and development of Rent and then into Avenue Q and Hamilton (with a minor stop for In the Heights) were the most engaging for me.
While everyone who writes a memoir is entitled to tell their story the way they wish, Sellers might be a better story shaper and teller than author. Some descriptions of people and situations felt more effortful than they needed to be and his discovery of
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Loved it!! And especially loved the audio version. Authors reading their own memoir brings such a nice truth to the words and the guests were really terrific!!
I’ve worked in the business for years and am a lifelong live theatre fan. I found all of the references and descriptions so interesting. I’m the same age as the author and really loved all the pop culture references he made throughout.
I’ve worked in the business for years and am a lifelong live theatre fan. I found all of the references and descriptions so interesting. I’m the same age as the author and really loved all the pop culture references he made throughout.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4 stars with some caveats!
I've always known Jeffrey Seller by name as a "big-time Broadway producer" who was heavily involved in Avenue Q and Hamilton among others so I was interested to gain some context from his memoir!
I LOVED the part of the book in which Seller relays in detail his involvement in bringing Rent to Broadway and his relationship with Jonathan Larson. I was moved by having another POV on the Rent origin story and Larson's legacy — that part of the memoir made me emotional!
I also enjoyed the other Broadway tidbits and the name drops and learning how Seller's career has intersected with other big Broadway names.
That said, this memoir needed better dramaturgy (aka editing!) It's ironic that Seller discusses shaping musicals, but his own memoir needed tightening. I did NOT need to know graphic details about Seller's sex life — in particular, it was entirely unnecessary to learn he had a threesome in a sauna on his 30th birthday. He mentions that he needs both musicals and sex to live...that was honestly TOO candid for a memoir.
Overall, this had too much discussion of sex and general bodily functions — I really just wanted to know more about Seller's path as a Broadway producer and those secrets!
The first half or so also goes into detail on Seller's childhood and family, then the family all but disappears from the narrative. And while that first half has a narrative format, the memoir ends with random tidbits from Seller's producing career.
Tl;dr: This memoir was fascinating in terms of the inside scoop on Seller's career as a Broadway producer of epic musical hits, but I didn't need as much personal backstory — or discussion of sexploits — to accomplish that mission.
Hard-core musical theater fans like myself will find enough nuggets of info here to make this a worthwhile read — as I ultimately did!
I've always known Jeffrey Seller by name as a "big-time Broadway producer" who was heavily involved in Avenue Q and Hamilton among others so I was interested to gain some context from his memoir!
I LOVED the part of the book in which Seller relays in detail his involvement in bringing Rent to Broadway and his relationship with Jonathan Larson. I was moved by having another POV on the Rent origin story and Larson's legacy — that part of the memoir made me emotional!
I also enjoyed the other Broadway tidbits and the name drops and learning how Seller's career has intersected with other big Broadway names.
That said, this memoir needed better dramaturgy (aka editing!) It's ironic that Seller discusses shaping musicals, but his own memoir needed tightening. I did NOT need to know graphic details about Seller's sex life — in particular, it was entirely unnecessary to learn he had a threesome in a sauna on his 30th birthday. He mentions that he needs both musicals and sex to live...that was honestly TOO candid for a memoir.
Overall, this had too much discussion of sex and general bodily functions — I really just wanted to know more about Seller's path as a Broadway producer and those secrets!
The first half or so also goes into detail on Seller's childhood and family, then the family all but disappears from the narrative. And while that first half has a narrative format, the memoir ends with random tidbits from Seller's producing career.
Tl;dr: This memoir was fascinating in terms of the inside scoop on Seller's career as a Broadway producer of epic musical hits, but I didn't need as much personal backstory — or discussion of sexploits — to accomplish that mission.
Hard-core musical theater fans like myself will find enough nuggets of info here to make this a worthwhile read — as I ultimately did!
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced