Home Books Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir

Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir

Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir

by Jeffrey Seller

Simon & Schuster ·2025 ·355 pages
New Release
Near the Top
Near the Top
I Index
74/99
Near the Top

70/99

Critics' Rating Index

Top of the Pile

78/99

Readers' Rating Index

n/a

Scholars' Citation Index

51/99

Volume of Reviews

80/99

Volume of Reader Ratings

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About This Book

A coming-of-age tale from one of the most successful American producers of our time, Jeffrey Seller, who is the only producer to have mounted two Pulitzer Prize–winning musicals—Hamilton and Rent. Before he was producing the musical hits of our generation, Jeffrey was just a kid coming to terms with his adoption, trying to understand his sexuality, and determined to escape his dysfunctional household in a poor neighborhood just outside Detroit. We see him find his voice through musical theater and move to New York, where he is determined to shed his past and make a name for himself on Broadway. But moving to the big city is never easy—especially not at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis—and Jeffrey learns to survive and thrive in the colorful and cutthroat world of commercial theatre. From his early days as an office assistant, to meeting Jonathan Larson and experiencing the triumph and tragedy of Rent, to working with Lin-Manuel Miranda on In the Heights and Hamilton, Jeffrey completely pulls back the curtain on the joyous and gut-wrenching process of making new musicals, finding new audiences, and winning a Tony Award—all the while finding himself. Told with Jeffrey's candid and captivating voice, Theater Kid is a gripping memoir about fighting through a hardscrabble childhood to make art on one's own terms, chasing a dream against many odds, and finding acceptance and community.


Reviews

"A reader needs no prior familiarity with Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights, or Hamilton, all of which Seller had a hand in, to enjoy chapters devoted to the origins of these against-the-odds hits."

Nell Beram· Shelf Awareness Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Seller candidly describes his dysfunctional family, his teenage sexual awakening, and relationships with his best friend Andrew and other men in New York City during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s ..."

Denise Miller· Library Journal Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Candid and affectionate ..."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Makes for a fascinating study in identifying, supporting and achieving greatness ..."

Thomas Floyd· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Near the Top

"An entertaining and heartfelt look at what it takes to find your true self and not only survive but thrive amidst the neon lights on Broadway."

Carolyn Mulac· Booklist Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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