Making It On Broadway - th truth? — Page 6

There's only one of me. Obviously, you've decided to turn your energies towards the area of acting by promoting the hell out of this book. I made a different choice. So be it.

I didn't say Making it on Broadway was untrue. Just not groudbreaking or that good, literarily. I liked the book overall, but only because I knew about its tilt before I read it and forced myself to ignore it as much as I could.

Updated On: 11/11/04 at 05:09 PM

yes, but bobby, you were paying for those no?

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Papa, I paid in blood, sweat and tears!

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Bobby, would you like to share some stories?

i know Bobby, and i'm certain he'd bend over backwards to regale you with a story. Oops.... have i said too much?

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i'm gonna end up getting us all tossed off the main board!

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you should see what she's done with, uh, shows, heh heh, she liked.

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I think it's a good book. I personally learned a lot of interesting pieces of info in the book. Granted, it's nothing you can't learn about in full detail in ONE evening in a Broadway green room. But, that's not available to all, and a book is. I think it's very valuable and interesting if you're obsessed with Broadway and the actor's life. And like I mentioned in my previous post (which no one responded to cuz they were too busy arguing about nothing ), everyone sees the good side of performing. Few people see the not-so-good side. It may go a little overboard on the downer stories, that's for each reader to decide. So I'm kind of unclear as to what this argument is about: are we doubting the truthfulness of the actors' complaints? Or just doubting their motives for expressing these gripes? I can tell you now, they're not lying. Is it whiny? Sure. Does that make it untrue? Absolutely not. So I'm going to assume this about motives. So you have to ask yourself, why would they WANT to express these complaints? Goodness knows it wouldn't be to advance their careers. Is it just to dish and be gossip-y? That's a very viable option, we are a gossipping sort. OR could it be to give those who view Broadway through rose-colored glasses info on the bad stuff so they won't be unprepared when it does inevitably happen? To stress that it's not all fun, games, and glory. There's crap, too. Reality amid the "glitz and glamour". I don't think this book is designed to temper anyone's enthusiasm for Broadway. Nor was it written just so these actors could bitch. It's somewhere in the middle.
Two cents, tossed. Again.

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B.B. Wolf - I think you got it exactly right.

And, Blue, of course the book is subjective. It is how the Authors and contibutors perceive Broadway - based on decades of experience. Please don't tell me that you are one of "those people" who beleives that "their" views are the objective truth and everthing else is biased. Should you be such a gospel of truth, I congratulate you, but I doubt it.

Updated On: 11/12/04 at 08:27 AM

I agree. I'll freely admit, I was one of the people who, until only very recently, had the mentality of, "Oh, when I'm grown up and move to NYC and audition, I'll get all the roles I want and be fine." It's not like that. Yes, it is based on talent somewhat--I mean, I haven't seen a show where a lead was completely untalented--but, when you really get down to it, it's just a business. There's the casting couch, unemployment, cramped apartments, and while all that may look glorious when played out on the Nederlander stage, I'm sure it isn't.

Still, I think I'm going to check out this book.

I have to admit, that when I read the chapter "Sex at the Workplace" I thought it would be more about casting couches and who with whom. It was actually more like "Mobbing at the Workplace"

That was the German Joseph. A very handsome, lovely and humble person.