Making It on Broadway: Actors' Tales of Climbing to the Top

As others have pointed out, this book focuses (or seems to) entirely on musicals. So, the title or subtitle of the book should reflect that.Second, this book is from 2004. A friend mentioned it to me and said it was good, so I thought I'd read it.I personally enjoyed it and could relate to and understand a lot of the situations people found themselves in as they tried to "make it" on Broadway. If the stories in this book have not changed in 17 years, it would be really sad, and it would be great for the authors to put out a companion volume to see how things have (or have not) changed.That said, each section of the book is set up by the authors, who basically explain certain situations ("Getting Settled" "Transition to Stardom") and then quote (sometimes to a fault, without editing for clarity and or conciseness) a small group of professionals who have been on Broadway in either major roles or supporting roles, who regale us (the readers) with their unique experiences (many of which end up sounding similar). Some pros are relied on more than others (i.e. Jason Alexander, Antonio Banderas), but that didn't really bother me.What I took away from this book is that most people who participated in Broadway shows came to Broadway with major illusions about life in general. Some were luckier than others and got involved in major ways from the start... but then ended up waiting years until a similar (or less) opportunity came around.It was really disheartening and sad to read about how these people worked themselves to death... and then at the last minute, the show would never make it to Broadway, because the money vanished. Or, in the case of one show, they were headed toward Broadway, and their star broke his foot and he was irreplaceable, so, the show was canned.Also, it was really depressing just reading about how difficult it was for people to survive, about the horrible, horrible living conditions of their tiny apartments, of how much money it took to survive, about how much they sacrificed... and for what?There were a handful of absolutely hysterical gut-busting moments that can only happen to "show people," and if you can forgive a lot of unnecessary babbling from the authors as they set up each chapter, and move quickly through the "I thought I was going to be a star, and I was for a week, but then I had to go back to being a dancing donkey at a kid's birthday party to pay the rent" -- you can find some howlers that are worth the price of the book.Ultimately, though, I walked away from the book feeling sorry for all that America has lost. There is very little respect for the artists on the stage and people really have no concept of what these performers have to go through to get on that stage. So, hats off to the performers for baring their souls. And... when you are young, you are willing to go through hell if you think heaven is on the other side of it. But as you get older, you look at the situation and say, "Yeah... no. I prefer to be comfortable in a nice abode, away from cockroaches, bathtubs in kitchens, no recognition for what I do or who I am, always having to start form square one, always hoping you can make enough money to live, and possibly losing spouses and missing out on children's lives, for the chance to sing on a Broadway stage."An interesting, but ultimately sad look at the lives of Broadway performers from 2004 and before.

I think this book is definitely worth a buy if you want to really get into the minds of actors and what goes on behind the scenes of the supposedly squeaky clean Broadway stage.When I bought this book, I had been looking for something that would help me better understand the field I am planning to go into. I thought that the concept was very interesting. Actors telling their personal stories about how their time in the limelight. What I found was that things are changing on Broadway and not necessarily for the better. It honestly opened up my eyes and made me realize that perhaps there is more I need to think about before moving to New York and diving into my dream. It was interesting and had the opinions of many different people. While I do think it portrayed a very negative side of the Broadway actor's experience, it is good to see more than just the glamour once and a while. I would recommend it to people who want to become an actor so that they can have a bit of a taste of the less fun side of what they are getting into.

My son plans to go to college for a BFA in musical theatre. I am reading all that I can to help him and our family to prepare. This book is in many ways the most useful. When I tell others of my son's plans they often say "that's wonderful!" After reading this book a parent could feel that such a career choice is about as wonderful as being a prostitute or a hired killer. The book lets us hear actors in their own voices and it is frightening (as well as funny and heartwarming at times). I was prepared for the lousy apartments and the menial jobs to make ends meet. What I was not prepared for is how bad life is for the stars. I was not expecting to hear that actors who are in the mega productions are not enjoying it and that they play games on stage during the show to avoid boredom. After reading this book I hope that my son stays in local theatre. Broadway sounds like a nightmare, especially since the takeover by the mega corporations, referred to as the Disnyfication of Broadway.

Revealing stories, a must-read for anyone with theatre ambitions. But not ultimately encouraging. If you want to cling to your dreams, and just keep dreaming, don't read this. What you read here you will never be able to forget. But if your dreams ever come true, you'll wish you had known what this portrays, early enough in your career to plan accordingly.Let me just ask you this: how many Broadway "stars" can you name? People who got famous and successful for their work on Broadway -- not people who were already famous from something else and then did a Broadway show?

For anyone who plans to go into the performing arts as a career path, read this book. Full of first hand accounts on hard the road to "stardom" can be, and what a fickle mistress the modern theater is.I couldn't help but feel slightly depressed when reading this book as theater has changed so much thanks to the advent of the spectacular. Actors aren't given the chance to be creative anymore, they're merely replaceable products in the modern musical machine. This book should be a requirement for all college theater departments.

This book gives the reader a view "behind the curtain"! It was very interesting to learn about Broadway from the point of view of Broadway actors!

this book is amazing my dream is to go on Broadway I thought I would make good money be treated right on stage and most of all be recognized I was Wong this book teached me that Broadway business is hard that thank you for giving me a head start or I would jump in to it and be confused and scared read this book it is great

This is a very fun read! This book is a collection of very short stories (sometimes just 1-2 paragraphs) from Broadway actors about various stages in their careers.Some stories are sad an touching while many are laugh out loud funny.If you are fairly familiar with Broadway, so many of the names behind the stories will be familiar. I couldn't put it down.

I bought this book as both a fan of musical theatre and an aspiring Broadway performer, expecting a book which is more hopeful than realistic.I was pleasantly disappointed, if that makes sense!This book isn't a comfort as much as it is a true, gritty, grueling account of the trials and tribulations of the rocky road to Broadway. The stories provide NY newbies such as myself with a very honest portrayal of life on and off stage, from survival jobs to opening night in some of the biggest shows to date.I think the most important thing about this book is that it rips away all past pretenses to present the reality of the Broadway actor. You will come away feeling inspired, rather anxious, probably definitely apprehensive, but you'll also know if you are cut out for such a life.Trouble deciding whether or not to go for the big time? Read this book. No, really. It'll put everything into perspective so easily you will feel almost like a Broadway veteran yourself!

Funny and thought provoking, a must read for any fan or person looking to get into musical theatre. My only complaint is that there must surely be scope for an updated version with some more recent names!

Why anyone would want a part in a Broadway musical beats me after reading this. I was also expecting to read about all genres of theatre but this concentrated solely on musicals. Actually the first 1/3 of the book was reasonably interesting (which is why I have given it 3 stars) but started to falter part way in and by the time I got to the final chapters I was wondering why I bothered.

NOT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE ~ BUT NEVER THE LESS INTERESTING ~ WORTH A READ !