A review by lory_enterenchanted
Shy: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers by Jesse Green, Mary Rodgers

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad

4.5

This was such a treat for fans of behind-the-scenes theatre stories. On every page a famous name (what can you expect, she's the daughter of Richard Rodgers) yet it never feels pretentiously name-droppy, it just brings them all to raucous and often disreputable life, from Lenny (Bernstein) and Steve (Sondheim) on down. These were real people whom we made into gods, but Mary has no respect for anyone, except where it is due to their art, and dishes the dirt with abandon, including about herself. Do not read if you don't want your illusions broken, but do read if you want to laugh a lot. I had to check contradictory boxes, because often it's quite dark and sad, yet the writing is invariably hilarious (what a voice this woman has!), and also somehow inspiring and hopeful, because Mary will not let life get her down. 

The collaboration was brilliantly done, kudos to Jesse Greene for being the best kind of amaneusis, and for the unmissable footnotes - do not skip them.