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Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner
Not yet published
Expected 27 Jan 26From the award-winning composer/co-lyricist behind such iconic projects as Hairspray, Sister Act, Mary Poppins Returns, and Smash comes a wickedly funny, no-holds-barred memoir.
In Never Mind the Happy, musical dynamo Marc Shaiman looks back on five decades of Broadway triumphs, Hollywood hijinks, and unforgettable collaborations. Along the way, he charts the personal highs and heartbreaks that have shaped him—spending his teenage years in community theater, starting a decades-long collaboration with Bette Midler in the ’70s, surviving the AIDS crisis of the ’80s, his award-winning film music career in the Hollywood of the ’90s, right up to the peaks (and valleys) of creating Broadway musicals from 2000 on.
Candid, hilarious, and deeply human, Shaiman’s story is a tribute to the power of music, the pull of the spotlight, and the beat that never stops.
Part showbiz tell-all, part love letter to the melancholy that fuels creativity, told with perfect comic timing—along with a few wrong notes, and plenty of standing ovations.
In Never Mind the Happy, musical dynamo Marc Shaiman looks back on five decades of Broadway triumphs, Hollywood hijinks, and unforgettable collaborations. Along the way, he charts the personal highs and heartbreaks that have shaped him—spending his teenage years in community theater, starting a decades-long collaboration with Bette Midler in the ’70s, surviving the AIDS crisis of the ’80s, his award-winning film music career in the Hollywood of the ’90s, right up to the peaks (and valleys) of creating Broadway musicals from 2000 on.
Candid, hilarious, and deeply human, Shaiman’s story is a tribute to the power of music, the pull of the spotlight, and the beat that never stops.
Part showbiz tell-all, part love letter to the melancholy that fuels creativity, told with perfect comic timing—along with a few wrong notes, and plenty of standing ovations.
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 27, 2026
79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 6, 2025
I love a good celebrity memoir, so Marc Shaiman's Never Mind the Happy was firmly in my reading wheelhouse. Shaiman is the musical genius responsible for composing award-winning scores and songs for many notable movies and for co-creating successful Broadway shows, a multitalent who has also arranged and orchestrated musical numbers and accompanied a panoply of famous singers on the piano.
From a recent tour of his Some Like It Hot musical to the most touching song in the movie Mary Poppins Returns to the excitement of "Let Me Be Your Star" on the TV show Smash, his music has definitely been part of my life. He has also been a collaborator and friend of many celebrities, with long-term working relationships with Bette Midler, Martin Shore, Billy Crystal, and many more. For his first Broadway show, Hairspray, he takes us through the entire process, step by step, with all of the highs and lows, giving us the behind-the-scenes details we love. And his section on losing many of his friends during the AIDS epidemic is touching and memorable. Sprinkled throughout the book are lyrics that he wrote, co-wrote, or adapted which made him especially proud. It's a very entertaining read for those who enjoy musical theater and films and iwnt to learn more about them from an insider.
My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of this book.
From a recent tour of his Some Like It Hot musical to the most touching song in the movie Mary Poppins Returns to the excitement of "Let Me Be Your Star" on the TV show Smash, his music has definitely been part of my life. He has also been a collaborator and friend of many celebrities, with long-term working relationships with Bette Midler, Martin Shore, Billy Crystal, and many more. For his first Broadway show, Hairspray, he takes us through the entire process, step by step, with all of the highs and lows, giving us the behind-the-scenes details we love. And his section on losing many of his friends during the AIDS epidemic is touching and memorable. Sprinkled throughout the book are lyrics that he wrote, co-wrote, or adapted which made him especially proud. It's a very entertaining read for those who enjoy musical theater and films and iwnt to learn more about them from an insider.
My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A delight for musical theatre fans.
4.5 stars.
A total name drop throughout, it's what you're expecting. There is a lot of kissing of feet and theatre lovey-ness. Which you totally know is coming and revel in really.
A bit of a charmed career path in many ways, though obviously it took hard work, luck and a lifetime, we join Marc on a look back at his life from being the odd one out to following his dream to the big city and taking step by step on the road to respect and success. And love.
The narrative skips around a bit. One minute he's with his current husband, then a former partner/writing collaborator. Then back again. A little disorientating at times and disjointed. But the overall timeline flows sequentially even if we have glimpses of future events throughout.
Loved the showbiz stories, the behind the scenes of the creative process, I learned a few things reading this. And I didn't know the author was behind so many much beloved musicals (Smash!!!).
A fun autobiography, didn't whitewash some of his low points and the misses as well as the hits. Loved hearing about musical I love and how they were put together, how lyrics were changed, actors the same etc.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
4.5 stars.
A total name drop throughout, it's what you're expecting. There is a lot of kissing of feet and theatre lovey-ness. Which you totally know is coming and revel in really.
A bit of a charmed career path in many ways, though obviously it took hard work, luck and a lifetime, we join Marc on a look back at his life from being the odd one out to following his dream to the big city and taking step by step on the road to respect and success. And love.
The narrative skips around a bit. One minute he's with his current husband, then a former partner/writing collaborator. Then back again. A little disorientating at times and disjointed. But the overall timeline flows sequentially even if we have glimpses of future events throughout.
Loved the showbiz stories, the behind the scenes of the creative process, I learned a few things reading this. And I didn't know the author was behind so many much beloved musicals (Smash!!!).
A fun autobiography, didn't whitewash some of his low points and the misses as well as the hits. Loved hearing about musical I love and how they were put together, how lyrics were changed, actors the same etc.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
November 3, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. I was familiar with Marc's work with Hairspray and Catch Me If You Can (CMIYC is one of my favourite musicals) but I wasn't aware that he had done so much film work as well. It was interesting hearing all the stories from over Marc's career so far especially the one about Stephen Sondheim.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews