Letters from Backstage: The Adventures of a Touring Stage Actor

by Michael Kostroff

• Part backstage tour, part travelogue, part social commentary, all funny and insightful • Adventures in more than 20 US cities, large and small • Anecdotes about celebrities, including Mel Brooks, Susan Stroman, Jason Alexander, and Martin Short Ever wonder what it’s like to be a real working actor? Wonder no more! Michael Kostroff is here to reveal, in hilarious detail, just what it’s like to travel with the road companies of The Producers and Les Miserables. His firsthand account of the exciting, funny, and sometimes bizarre highlights of his journey includes working at a temp job when his agent calls to say, “You got the part!”; singing on a revolving stage while lugging a dead body; seeing ghosts in haunted theaters; and much more. Along the way, anecdotes about nailing an audition, keeping a performance fresh, and getting along with fellow cast members give useful tips for working actors. Anyone who wants to know what a life in the theater is really like needs this intimate and unforgettable narrative.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theatre

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Michael Kostroff]

I wrote it, so it's not for me to say.

[S. Downing · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book. It is chatty and funny. Non-fiction. Michael sends letters to friends about his adventures as a touring musical actor. I love the backstage gossip, the passion of the cast, the sweat of the crew, the woes of a bad hotel, the weird audience members. The challenges of learning new parts, dealing with illness and injury on the road, the joy of performing, the family that develops from coworkers. I have read it multiple times and laugh and shed tears every time.

[Emily Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a theater person this book is so enlightening! Love hearing about all of the shenanigans that touring actors get up to. Michael Kostroff is so funny and conversational. I reread this book all the time, and it never fails to crack me up.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theater friends - Read This Book. It’s terrific and relatable and he just rocks.

[Desiree Koh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear Kostroff,

I've always wondered what goes on backstage before, after and during a major musical theater production. I've often thought about life on the road of a traveling actor - where do you find places to stay, what do you do during the day and on days off, and when the hell do you get a day off? I've regularly pondered how you stay fresh doing the same show night (and day) after day (and night) and not get tired of it, sometimes for years. I've usually appreciated and enjoyed any musical theater production that pulls its weight across stage and back, unless it's "Rent" - wow, I just dislike that show.

So I was very, very pleased to have found your book, which put to rest some of my queries, but not all of them. I was once very fortunate to tour backstage of a traveling national production of Les Miserables - incidentally, it was the Thenardier understudy who took us around - so I almost felt professional when you went through the technical details. I didn't need the definition of a swing, but I read yours anyway because it made me feel smug to nod knowingly as I was told what any self-respecting theater nerd should know. I truly appreciated that you were honest about actors' secrets - the time you blew off a Les Mis fan backstage in Boston, when you took nights off just because you didn't feel like working. But above all, it was neat to see how you gave yourself your own comeuppance when you realized it still came down to the love of the play and got right back on track. Theater is so honorable - I think - or at least, that's how you portray it.

But, I still felt that there are some skeletons rustling about in that actor's chest of yours, and while I appreciate that you can't give all trade secrets away, I was definitely hoping for that level of expose. How do actors on the road deal with relationships? What happens when people fight - surely bound to happen being thrown together in the same space everyday? From toughies like that to simple curiosities like, how many vacation days does a touring actor get? What do you do when you're off-stage? So many questions! And only so many letters you have written.

Still, you are a funny guy - I can see why you were picked to play the roles you did in these productions, and bravo! Obviously, you give due credit to that old Broadway standard, "Let Me Entertain You", and I was. There's no business like show business, and all that jazz, and I could keep on singing this Broadway melody, but people will say we're in love.

Best,
Koh

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as I had hoped but still somewhat entertaining, nonetheless. Any "Wire" fan would recognize the author as the sleazy attorney that represented drug dealers. To my surprise, though, his acting passions lie with the theater. It's clear that Kostroff has talent and adapts to his characters with ease, as he tours the U.S. with broadway through "The Producers" and "Les Miserables." Although the book generated a few laughs and some good, behind-the-stage interactions, much was uninteresting and dull for the non-thespian types.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book went slower than I expected. I went in not expecting much, and I got so much out of it. If you start to read it and want to stop, i personally thought it was worth finishing. Some of the chapters run slow, but the end was poetic and touched my heart.

I recommend this to any aspiring actor, anyone who likes to see theater and doesnt really know what it is like behind the scenes. It made me want to go back to seeing a play a week in new york.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a person who would like to pursue a career on the stage, I consider this a great book on giving insight into the life of a touring stage actor. This cleared up a lot of questions, as well provided an entertaining story.

After finishing the story, I wrote to the author asking about his opinion on colleges for someone looking to go into the stage profession. He was kind enough to respond, which was very kind of him to do. It is clear that he is writing with his readers in mind.

[Gaenolee]

This is a fun, easy to read detail of what it's like to tour in a major musical. Although I've never toured, the theatre stuff does ring true, and I think anyone with an interest in theater would enjoy this.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

VERY funny story! Kostroff is a well-known actor (TV). His adventures touring with a show (a musical) is quite illuminating and fun to read. A must for every would-be-actor to get an idea of what touring the country can be like!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

He made this book for people not involved in theatre, but being involved in theatre I found this book hilarious. Like crying and stomach hurting hilarious. It was perfect to just read in a sitting and feel totally good about myself and my own theatre experiences. Loved it

[Cedric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, candid and open. An excellent re-telling of the hilarious and exhausting stories from a touring actor.