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Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater
In Nothing Like a Dame , theater journalist Eddie Shapiro opens a jewelry box full of glittering surprises, through in-depth conversations with twenty leading women of Broadway. He carefully selected Tony Award-winning stars who have spent the majority of their careers in theater, leaving aside those who have moved on or occasionally drop back in. The women he interviewed spent endless hours with him, discussing their careers, offering insights into the iconic shows, changes on Broadway over the last century, and the art (and thrill) of taking the stage night after night. Chita Rivera describes the experience of starring in musicals in each of the last seven decades; Audra McDonald gives her thoughts on the work that went into the five Tony Awards she won before turning forty-one; and Carol Channing reflects on how she has revisited the same starring role generation after generation, and its effects on her career. Here too is Sutton Foster, who contemplates her breakout success in
an age when stars working predominately in theater are increasingly rare. Each of these conversations is guided by Shapiro's expert knowledge of these women's careers, Broadway lore, and the details of famous (and infamous) musicals. He also includes dozens of photographs of these players in their best-known roles.
This fascinating collection reveals the artistic genius and human experience of the women who have made Broadway musicals more popular than ever -- a must for anyone who loves the theater.
an age when stars working predominately in theater are increasingly rare. Each of these conversations is guided by Shapiro's expert knowledge of these women's careers, Broadway lore, and the details of famous (and infamous) musicals. He also includes dozens of photographs of these players in their best-known roles.
This fascinating collection reveals the artistic genius and human experience of the women who have made Broadway musicals more popular than ever -- a must for anyone who loves the theater.
364 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 26, 2015
June is busting out all over...for MEEEEEEEE! (Theater buffs should get the allusions.) First came Father's Day, then another birthday, both in the same week. I decided that this book would be my special present to myself. I've been smitten by all things Broadway since my mother took me to see Mary Martin and Robert Preston in a long-forgotten musical, I Do! I Do!, which is about a married couple who celebrate their love by singing to each other in bed. The most memorable song is titled "Our Cup Runneth Over." It may sound corny, but I was watching Nellie Forbush AND The Music Man...I'd done my homework.
Eddie Shapiro, another theater "enthusiast" has done something miraculous. He has compiled in-depth interviews with twenty-one Broadway babes-he calls them dames. What they share, besides at least one Tony and many subsequent nominations, is a career-defining commitment to THE THEATER. I've only scratched the surface, but he's confirmed many of my preconceived prejudices: Carol Channing is hilarious, Angela Lansbury is gracious, Betty Buckley is a conflicted genius, and Patti LuPone is a world-class BITCH! I also discovered Debra Monk. They all have fascinating stories...and a few scores to settle. They've overcome disappointments, but triumphed in ways that make their performances soar. Many have found work in films and TV, but their stage work is what matters most... to them, and to their devoted fans. To echo Martin and Preston: MY cup runneth over...with love!
Eddie Shapiro, another theater "enthusiast" has done something miraculous. He has compiled in-depth interviews with twenty-one Broadway babes-he calls them dames. What they share, besides at least one Tony and many subsequent nominations, is a career-defining commitment to THE THEATER. I've only scratched the surface, but he's confirmed many of my preconceived prejudices: Carol Channing is hilarious, Angela Lansbury is gracious, Betty Buckley is a conflicted genius, and Patti LuPone is a world-class BITCH! I also discovered Debra Monk. They all have fascinating stories...and a few scores to settle. They've overcome disappointments, but triumphed in ways that make their performances soar. Many have found work in films and TV, but their stage work is what matters most... to them, and to their devoted fans. To echo Martin and Preston: MY cup runneth over...with love!
February 16, 2018
For those of you who don’t know me, I love and I mean love anything and everything that relates to Broadway. Probably if I could, I would go and see a Broadway show every weekend. Money, distance and time prevents that from actually happening. I love going to theaters and learning the history and seeing pictures of all the famous actors and actresses who performed at that theater. Angela Lansbury, Chita Rivera, Carol Channing, Audra McDonald and Betty Buckley, Kristin Chenoweth are some of the actresses that Shapiro interviewed. Author Eddie Shapiro interviewed these wonderful ladies along with others and just got to know their successes and struggles in the industry. Three stars that I have always loved and enjoyed reading more about were Carol Channing, Chita Rivera and Betty Buckley.
Carol Channing, you hear the name and you automatic are drawn to the theater. This 5’9” of a woman with a deep and unique voice is Broadway. Starting from her first Broadway show of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949) to her last show of Hello Dolly in 1995. In the book, she talks about her love of the theater and the environment of the theater. Diversity, is important to Carol and the theater, you have all walks of life on a stage. Channing also though does touch on issues like being in the theater world so much, she lost touch with her only son and was never the mom that was there for him. She mentions her one husband taking her money but someway, somehow she always seemed to manage. For a woman of 90 something, she has had her share of ups and downs, but the theater was always a place she could escape and forget about reality for awhile. I read her autobiography book titled Just Lucky I Guess, it was a hoot.
When it comes to being at the right place at the right time, Chita Rivera knows it all to well. In the book, she talks about her not really wanting to do theater but it just came to her. Her one love was dancing and that lead to tryouts, that lead to Broadway and that lead her to where she is today. Also, she gives a lot of credit to fellow performers who helped her along the way such as Bob Fosse, his wife Gwen Verdon (another great Broadway performer), Jerome Robbins Leonard Bernstein and so on. She mentions her disappoint of not being in the movie version of Bye, Bye Birdie but was thrilled to have been in the play (1960) with Dick Van Dyke and Paul Lynn ( both who went onto the movie version). A wonderful person who has an outstanding Resume of dancing and the theater.
Parents always want the best for their children and that was not exception in the case of Broadway star Betty Buckley. This Texan gal had parents who were on opposite ends to her career in theater. Her mother being a singer and dancer herself, encouraged her daughter’s dreams. Her father on the other hand, believe those who did showiness were seen as unclean and loose women. Her father eventually gave in and accepted his daughter’s profession. Being a huge fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber, I have a ton of Buckley’s cds. It’s hard to say who sings “Memory” from Cats better, her or Elaine Paige.
All and all a wonderful book for those of us who enjoy Broadway and learning more about the stars on the stage.
Carol Channing, you hear the name and you automatic are drawn to the theater. This 5’9” of a woman with a deep and unique voice is Broadway. Starting from her first Broadway show of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949) to her last show of Hello Dolly in 1995. In the book, she talks about her love of the theater and the environment of the theater. Diversity, is important to Carol and the theater, you have all walks of life on a stage. Channing also though does touch on issues like being in the theater world so much, she lost touch with her only son and was never the mom that was there for him. She mentions her one husband taking her money but someway, somehow she always seemed to manage. For a woman of 90 something, she has had her share of ups and downs, but the theater was always a place she could escape and forget about reality for awhile. I read her autobiography book titled Just Lucky I Guess, it was a hoot.
When it comes to being at the right place at the right time, Chita Rivera knows it all to well. In the book, she talks about her not really wanting to do theater but it just came to her. Her one love was dancing and that lead to tryouts, that lead to Broadway and that lead her to where she is today. Also, she gives a lot of credit to fellow performers who helped her along the way such as Bob Fosse, his wife Gwen Verdon (another great Broadway performer), Jerome Robbins Leonard Bernstein and so on. She mentions her disappoint of not being in the movie version of Bye, Bye Birdie but was thrilled to have been in the play (1960) with Dick Van Dyke and Paul Lynn ( both who went onto the movie version). A wonderful person who has an outstanding Resume of dancing and the theater.
Parents always want the best for their children and that was not exception in the case of Broadway star Betty Buckley. This Texan gal had parents who were on opposite ends to her career in theater. Her mother being a singer and dancer herself, encouraged her daughter’s dreams. Her father on the other hand, believe those who did showiness were seen as unclean and loose women. Her father eventually gave in and accepted his daughter’s profession. Being a huge fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber, I have a ton of Buckley’s cds. It’s hard to say who sings “Memory” from Cats better, her or Elaine Paige.
All and all a wonderful book for those of us who enjoy Broadway and learning more about the stars on the stage.
July 30, 2014
Before I delve into my reservations, I want to make clear that, for Musical Theater/Broadway enthusiasts, this book is an essential read. But then, based on the description, said enthusiasts probably know that. It is a once-in-a-lifetime compilation of interviews with just about every Tony Winning Leading Lady you can think of (except Bernadette Peters), compiled from five years of conversation. Author Eddie Shapiro seems to have a genuinely fine rapport with all of the subjects featured in the book, and the herculean effort it must have taken to secure their consent and time is to be applauded. Great effort was made to cover new ground, as opposed to just rehashing things die-hard fans already know, and most of the interviews succeed in expanding my understanding of--and appreciation for--their subjects. But as much as Shapiro seems to pride himself on the thoroughness of the interviews, and though he always tries to “set the scene” in which each conversation takes place, these interviews seem to exist in a world without context.
In his introduction, Shapiro says he spent “hours” with each of the actresses interviewed, oftentimes meeting multiple times over the course of several years. (The months and years of the meetings are listed at the beginning of each chapter). But these discussions, which Shapiro consistently describes as “loose” and “casual”, are always presented in the book as a single, linear, concise conversation. How does the former become the latter? How many different bits of conversation go into one precise answer? The clearest example is the interview with Sutton Foster which is culled from three meetings over a four year span. And yet the interview makes no attempt to clarify this passage of time. Is Foster talking about Shrek while it is in its out of town tryout, 10 months after opening, or two years after it closed? When she jokes that she’s only ever dated actors, is that as a married woman or a divorcee (both are possible given the time span of the interviews)?
Shapiro also presents these interviews in an information void. He frequently refers to Debra Monk’s Emmy, but at no point sees fit to tell the reader that she won for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 1999. He’ll say to Vicki Clark, “and then you did Cabaret”, without mentioning that she played Fraulein Kost, only letting the information be revealed by Clark a few pages later. Nor does the grey-box containing an arbitrary list of acting credits that accompanies each interview ever contain the roles each woman played but instead lists only the show titles, years, and Tony wins or nominations. He’ll launch into lengthy discussions an actress’ experience in a truly obscure musical (not-even-on-wikipedia titles I’ve never heard of like “Song of Singapore” or “Time and Again”), without a single sentence to explain the show to an un-enlightened reader (i.e. almost everyone). Even the most informed Broadway fanatic will need a web browser to make it through these interviews.
Eddie Shapiro clearly did something to merit the trust and confidence of the women interviewed in this book; I just wish he had done likewise for the readers.
In his introduction, Shapiro says he spent “hours” with each of the actresses interviewed, oftentimes meeting multiple times over the course of several years. (The months and years of the meetings are listed at the beginning of each chapter). But these discussions, which Shapiro consistently describes as “loose” and “casual”, are always presented in the book as a single, linear, concise conversation. How does the former become the latter? How many different bits of conversation go into one precise answer? The clearest example is the interview with Sutton Foster which is culled from three meetings over a four year span. And yet the interview makes no attempt to clarify this passage of time. Is Foster talking about Shrek while it is in its out of town tryout, 10 months after opening, or two years after it closed? When she jokes that she’s only ever dated actors, is that as a married woman or a divorcee (both are possible given the time span of the interviews)?
Shapiro also presents these interviews in an information void. He frequently refers to Debra Monk’s Emmy, but at no point sees fit to tell the reader that she won for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 1999. He’ll say to Vicki Clark, “and then you did Cabaret”, without mentioning that she played Fraulein Kost, only letting the information be revealed by Clark a few pages later. Nor does the grey-box containing an arbitrary list of acting credits that accompanies each interview ever contain the roles each woman played but instead lists only the show titles, years, and Tony wins or nominations. He’ll launch into lengthy discussions an actress’ experience in a truly obscure musical (not-even-on-wikipedia titles I’ve never heard of like “Song of Singapore” or “Time and Again”), without a single sentence to explain the show to an un-enlightened reader (i.e. almost everyone). Even the most informed Broadway fanatic will need a web browser to make it through these interviews.
Eddie Shapiro clearly did something to merit the trust and confidence of the women interviewed in this book; I just wish he had done likewise for the readers.
October 2, 2023
The author brings his obvious knowledge of the theater world and, in some cases, his existing rapport as he interviews some luminous female musical theater performers. He is concentrating on those ladies who have been primarily first known for their stage work—so we see women like Kristin Chenowith who is also known for TV and film work but first came to our notice through her work on stage and still pursues that element, and not performers like Streisand who is not still on the stage. Each interview is engaging, sometimes repetitive, but Shapiro, for the most part, captures the individuals well allowing us to see their insecurities, while also praising their accomplishments without fawning. Good questions and each interview contains much of the same inquiries and I enjoyed learning about people I knew little of and those I do. That performance is hard work and can punish a person’s body and spirit when done at this level of excellence was something I had never really thought about. There is not a lot of “dirt” in this book but a contemplative consideration of who these women were and what and how they accomplished their careers. I look forward to his second volume: Hello to the Ladies out this year. For any fan of the musical theatre or readers of Michael Riedel, Jack Viertel,and memoirs like Patti Lupone’s .
July 3, 2021
This was a fun read featuring interviews with several truly great women of the musical theatre. I'm sorry that part of his criteria was each subject had to have a Tony Award - he missed many extraordinary women that have truly been part of the spine of Broadway. Also some notable omissions that did meet his criteria - La Chanze? Lea Salonga? Beth Leavel? Christine Ebersole?
Having said all of that, it reads quickly and offers some fascinating insights into these amazing talented women. Give it a whirl.
Having said all of that, it reads quickly and offers some fascinating insights into these amazing talented women. Give it a whirl.
July 15, 2018
Fascinating interviews with female stars of musical theater- not necessarily anything new here but catnip for a former musical theater kid like me.
March 25, 2019
If you are a fan of Broadway musicals, especially the leading ladies, then this book is for you. Shapiro did countless interviews over a number of years with some of the top names in the business. The criteria was that they needed to have won a Tony. My favorite interviews were with Angela Lansbury and Bebe Neuwirth - both seemed like quite classy ladies. All of the experiences were interesting in their similarity and differences. I would recommend taking a leisurely approach to the book and reading one interview a day or couple of days.
January 1, 2022
Three and a half months. That’s how long it took me to read Eddie Shapiro’s Nothing Like a Dame. It was like running a marathon: grueling but glad you finished. This book is a series of long interviews with the leading ladies of Broadway musicals. From veterans like Elaine Stritch, Chita Rivera, and Carol Channing on down to more contemporary leading ladies like Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, and Sutton Foster. In all, the paperback edition is composed of twenty-one interviews with an additional one available online. I am a dyed-in-the-wool musical theater fanatic. I eat and drink musical theater. I was convinced I would be fascinated by this book. And I was. I learned so much about the lives, careers, and philosophies of these wonderful actors. I feel honored to know so much now that I didn’t know before, and I humbly submit that I know an awful lot about the theater. My problem here is that each interview was about fifteen pages long—over-sized pages, tiny font. I could not get through more than one a day, and then I would find that had been such a chore that I might skip several days until I got back to the book. Hence the three and a half months. I say this…musical theater fans will love the book; musical theater historians will learn so much from it; tried and true fans of Audra, Kristen, and Sutton will be enthralled with their words. But plan to take a long time to get through the book. Or plan for your arms to get tired holding this mammoth, heavy volume. Or speedread.
November 19, 2021
So much richness. There was almost too much to take in, and I put it away for a few years, only to pick it up again on a recent vacation and eagerly finish. Everyone sounds very authentic—they're long interviews, so you don't get a sense that he's picking and choosing, or paraphrasing, they read like transcripts—and you certainly walk away with a sense of each actor's personality, plus the level of hard work (and luck) it takes to become a star, and stay there.
If you're interested in the subject, this will be a real pleasure.
(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I feel like I should mostly read 3s, but of course I am biased in my selection and pick books I think I'll like, so mostly read 4s!)
If you're interested in the subject, this will be a real pleasure.
(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I feel like I should mostly read 3s, but of course I am biased in my selection and pick books I think I'll like, so mostly read 4s!)
April 26, 2019
Sad they didn't include Bernadette Peters! :(
June 16, 2021
As a Broadway musicals enthusiast, I really enjoyed the author's in-depth interviews with 21 prominent actresses who have spent most of their career on the musical theater stage.
June 16, 2021
Magnificent interviews with Broadway legends! A must read for anyone interested in Broadway.
August 12, 2022
Such a joy to read about these amazing actresses.
September 18, 2023
Entertaining to 'listen' in on conversations with icons past and present. The interviews seem to be directly transcribed without the notes or commentary that often makes this type of endeavor more accessible to anyone other than an insider journalist, which was a little disappointing.
Favorite features: Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Sutton Foster, and the inimitable Patti LuPone.
Favorite features: Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Sutton Foster, and the inimitable Patti LuPone.
July 22, 2024
Fun read for a broadway fan.
February 13, 2014
Excerpt from my review at TalkinBroadway.com:
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Subtitled "Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater," Shapiro's book delivers exactly what the title promises: interviews with (mostly) above-the-title stars, presented as straightforward Q&As. While there are only a couple of notable omissions (Bernadette Peters being the most obvious), the book makes no attempt to be encyclopedic. In fact, in his introduction, Shapiro acknowledges that many of these women have written their own memoirs (or, in the case of Elaine Stritch and Chita Rivera, performed in autobiographical Broadway shows) and, rather than attempt to retell the same stories, he hoped to complement and expand upon what they've already offered about themselves. Given that approach, this book might not be the most accessible to casual theatergoers. If shows like Call Me Madam and Kiss of the Spider Woman or names like Graciela Daniele and Gwen Verdon send you running to Google, you may find the reading experience challenging.
Shapiro occasionally relies on simplistic, formulaic questions, and you may get tired of "What was it like working on show x?" and "How do you feel about all the press events surrounding the Tony Awards?" While this produces the occasional dud (Elaine Stritch's chapter reads like she's actively avoiding answering questions), in the best interviews, these become springboards for surprisingly frank discussions of the joys and challenges of being a working actress. That may be the biggest revelation of the book as a whole: even actresses like Chita Rivera, who can't help but acknowledge the indelible mark she's made on the history of Broadway, see themselves first and foremost as working actors. And the most depressing part of that revelation is how much each woman still has to hustle to keep working, not only for the love of the theater, but to pay the bills. Legendary status doesn't come with a pension plan.
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October 30, 2013
This book is a compilation of interviews with twenty leading ladies of Broadway. Shapiro spends an extensive amount of time interviewing each woman and the book is composed of his short observations about their interviews followed by edited transcripts of the interviews. interview subjects include such Broadway luminaries as Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury, Patty Lupone, Chita Rivera, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, and Sutton Foster among others. If you are into the theatre this is an excellent and fascinating book. Shapiro basically organized the chapters by the age of the actress which gave an interesting continuity to trends in the theatre and the way the actresses think about working on Broadway. Most if not all of the older actresses expressed opinions that young people weren't dedicated enough to their roles and overwhelmingly decried the personal days Broadway actors now receive. It was also great to hear the women talk about the shows they've been in and their experiences behind the scenes as well as their feelings on each other. If you like Broadway theatre I highly recommend this book.
May 22, 2014
If you're a Broadway fan, or just like some of these fabulous ladies, you'll love this book. Eddie Shapiro sits down with some of Broadway's biggest names: Carol Channing, Patti LuPone, Chita Rivera, Angela Landsbury, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel...the list goes on. Each interview was thoughtful and in depth - I really felt like a fly on the wall. I appreciated each woman's honesty and it's incredible to read that these women have so much insecurity! Few of them believe they've completely deserved what they've gotten, and most feel like one day they may wake up and find out it was all a dream.
Boy let me tell you though, this book really does illustrate how "making it" is pure luck. Even some of the women acknowledged there are definitely performers out there who deserve Broadway just as much as them but they aren't given the time or attention. It's a really right place at the right time kind of business. However, each one of these women clearly have earned their spotlight and all the raves that go along with it. It's refreshing to see how real these women are in spite of all the glory.
Now I really want to go to a Broadway show - there's nothing better!
Boy let me tell you though, this book really does illustrate how "making it" is pure luck. Even some of the women acknowledged there are definitely performers out there who deserve Broadway just as much as them but they aren't given the time or attention. It's a really right place at the right time kind of business. However, each one of these women clearly have earned their spotlight and all the raves that go along with it. It's refreshing to see how real these women are in spite of all the glory.
Now I really want to go to a Broadway show - there's nothing better!
April 2, 2016
I love a celebrity autobiography, and for the Broadway aficionado, this was the mother lode! The author interviewed a plethora of Broadway divas, and the book was chock full of fascinating behind-the-scenes anecdotes and a glimpse of the stars' true personalities.
I've always found it interesting that celebrity authors let a little of their "ugly" side peak through when dishing on their lives, and it was so true in this case. While ostensibly touting their triumphs, some of the actresses who seem charming and warm on the stage actually harbored jealousy, resentment, and huge egos on the inside - I guess that's why they're great actresses. Surprisingly, other women (I'm thinking of Bebe Neuwirth) who usually play cold, bitchy women were actually sweet, self-effacing and generous with praise for their peers.
The author interviews older "classic" stars like Angela Lansbury and Chita Rivera, as well as today's Broadway babies (Kristen Chenowith, Sutton Foster, Idina Menzel), and quite a few in between. A must-read for the theater buff!
I've always found it interesting that celebrity authors let a little of their "ugly" side peak through when dishing on their lives, and it was so true in this case. While ostensibly touting their triumphs, some of the actresses who seem charming and warm on the stage actually harbored jealousy, resentment, and huge egos on the inside - I guess that's why they're great actresses. Surprisingly, other women (I'm thinking of Bebe Neuwirth) who usually play cold, bitchy women were actually sweet, self-effacing and generous with praise for their peers.
The author interviews older "classic" stars like Angela Lansbury and Chita Rivera, as well as today's Broadway babies (Kristen Chenowith, Sutton Foster, Idina Menzel), and quite a few in between. A must-read for the theater buff!
September 28, 2014
I don't know a whole lot about theater, but I did a lot of theater growing up and that was kind of more my scene than say movies, which I watch a lot more now. I only read the interviews of women that I knew, like Bebe Neurith and Sutton Foster. I wish I got to the theater more, but it is expensive. I liked how a lot of them just fell into it. Grew up taking dance and theater classes and just worked their way up. They just kind of were in love with theater all their life and got noticed. That seems like the way it should be in all the arts. Sometimes movies seem so overblown and they're usually not very good, while usually, theater has better odds against it in terms of being good or not because it seems like a lot more went into it than into some movies.
July 22, 2023
This is a series of twenty-one chatty interviews, by theater journalist Eddie Shapiro, conducted from 2008 through 2012. He began with the late Elaine Stritch and Carol Channing and worked his way to Sutton Foster and Laura Benanti, with stops along the way for Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, and Idina Menzel, plus many others. If you enjoy theater, you’ll be entertained by this collection…and the photos are fun too.
Roughly ten years have passed since the book's initial publication, and it's time for an update, along with some more interviews. Certainly Bernadette Peters is a major omission, and he could add additional profiles for Lea Salonga, Sara Bareilles, and Kelli O'Hara, to name a few. New edition would = five stars.
Roughly ten years have passed since the book's initial publication, and it's time for an update, along with some more interviews. Certainly Bernadette Peters is a major omission, and he could add additional profiles for Lea Salonga, Sara Bareilles, and Kelli O'Hara, to name a few. New edition would = five stars.
January 30, 2016
This is a great read for those who want to do Broadway. Being a Broadway star is lots of hard work and many auditions where .you never get a call back. I loved all the famous theater personalities that were interviewed. You must persevere in show business. Donna McKechnie (A Chorus Line) is my favorite because I just saw her perform not to long ago to honor Marvin Hamlisch. Betty Buckley,
Sutton Foster, Patti Lapone and so many more.
Sutton Foster, Patti Lapone and so many more.
August 12, 2014
A very enjoyable set of interviews with most of the great ladies of the Broadway stage. (OK, Bernadette, what happened?) From Elaine Stritch to Laura Benanti, these women talk openly and honestly about their careers, fears, and joys. The interviewer keeps the discussions moving without imposing his own opinions or agenda.
July 20, 2016
This collection of interviews with Broadway's living leading ladies is perfect for a theatre geek like me. In fact, it may go farther in depth than interests me. Fortunately you can skim your way to the parts that interest you. A fascinating history of Broadway over the last 60 years!
July 19, 2014
A must-read for anyone who cares about the actresses behind all the great roles on Broadway, I bought it for Kristin Chenoweth but I found each and every interview to be a fascinating portrait of an intelligent and strong woman, often with tales of struggles relevant to any female career.
March 31, 2014
I knew a lot of these stories, but to read them together was certainly literary comfort good. Some new pictures too. I enjoyed each story a lot and appreciated the author asking some difficult questions. Thank you for this book!
August 18, 2014
The interviews all come across as a little too linear and polished, but I'm thankful to have this book as a resource and a way in to the minds of these artists. It's great to see all these women in the context of one another.
March 22, 2014
These ladies lead really interesting lives - even if they treat them as rather ordinary.
June 5, 2014
Perfect inside story into the fascinating lives, careers and methods of Broadway's greatest leading ladies. LOVED it!
September 11, 2014
It's a fun, interesting book. Definitely worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews