Musical Theatre For Dummies (For Dummies

by Seth Rudetsky

Discover what goes on behind the curtains of your favorite musical Do you want to know more about the fascinating history of Broadway musicals, the stars of yesterday and today, and what goes on behind the curtain of a musical production? In Musical Theatre For Dummies, Broadway insider and host of Sirus/XM Radio’s ON BROADWAY channel Seth Rudetsky takes you backstage and reveals everything you want to know (and what you didn't know you wanted to know) about life in the theatre. How did musical theatre begin? How did Broadway stars become stars? How can you launch your own musical theatre path, whether in a school musical, community theatre, or on a path toward Broadway? Get answers to all these questions along with tons more insight from the unofficial "mayor of Broadway."  Whether you're completely new to musical theatre or have a few Tony awards displayed over your fireplace, this is the book for you. Enjoy real-life anecdotes shared with the author by Broadway's biggest stars as you become a musical theater know-it-all.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Musicals, History

416 pages, Paperback

Published March 8, 2023

About the author

Seth is the Broadway host, seven days a week, on Sirius Satellite Radio. As a pianist, Seth has played for more than a dozen Broadway shows including RAGTIME, LES MIZ and PHANTOM. He was the Artistic Producer/Music Director for the first five annual Actors Fund Fall Concerts including DREAMGIRLS with Audra MacDonald (recorded on Nonesuch Records) and HAIR with Jennifer Hudson (recorded on Ghostlight Records, Grammy Nomination). In 2007 he made his Broadway acting debut playing Sheldon (singing “Magic to Do” in a devastating unitard) in THE RITZ directed by Joe Mantello for The Roundabout Theater. Off-Broadway he wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed RHAPSODY IN SETH (directed by Peter Flynn) at the Actors Playhouse and has also appeared on TV on LAW AND ORDER C.I. and had a recurring role on ALL MY CHILDREN. As an author, he penned the books THE Q GUIDE TO BROADWAY, now in it’s third printing, and the recently published BROADWAY NIGHTS which was just released as an audio book on audible.com featuring Andrea Martin, Jonathan Groff and Kristin Chenoweth . Recently he was the vocal coach on MTV’s LEGALLY BLONDE reality show and he currently writes a weekly column on Playbill.com.

Reviews

[Wagrobanite · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seth knows his musical theatre, that's not in question here. Here he provides good insights into not only Broadway history but how and who makes a musical.

My only issue is I wish there had been more musicals discussed as well as more standardization in talking about them. In some of the musicals, the source material is mentioned and it helps with the history but in others it's not that could have helped with the history (I'm specifically looking at the section on Cats. Explaining it's from a really weird T. S. Elliot poem (even for Elliot) would have helped a ton).

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, Seth Rudetsky, is a very funny and knowledgeable DJ on Sirius XM On Broadway channel. His book has lots of great stories about Broadway stars and shows and lots of links to great Broadway songs. I really enjoyed reading this and laughing at some great stories. Great for a musical lover and also informative for anyone interested in the theater, especially if thinking of auditioning. He has lots of great tips about how to audition.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book and entertaining - of course. Seth Rudetsky wrote it! I bought it knowing that I was going to see him speak and then get the book autographed.

The book has some very basic information about musical theater - most of which I knew but I did pick up some facts as bc history that so hadn’t been familiar with.

The book does not disappoint in its many sidebars with stories about different actors. Seth’s anecdotes are great. His knowledge of Broadway shows is unsurpassed.

The book is very dense. I read it all but again, I had to read lots of basic info to glean the little bits that ai didn’t know. If you are a real Broadway fan, don’t be afraid to skim a bit - but definitely read the sidebars.

[Christi · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a musical theater lover, I heard about this book On Broadway on Sirius, and it seemed like something that would provide some new insights and fun tidbits. It didn't disappoint as I gained some fun behind the scenes tidbits and how the whole musical process happens. Some of the book was forgotten as quickly as it was read, so it could have been a bit more memorable in discussing the facts, but still gained some better understanding of what I'm seeing on the stage!

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, especially Seth's anecdotes and insider knowledge, but this was one of the most poorly edited books I have ever read. Grammatical errors, whole sentences that didn't make sense, night instead of knight, repeated anecdotes in two totally different sections. In the last section, they listed 3 topics and only had chapters for two. The publisher should be embarrassed to have released this mess.

[Lisa Burris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as promised, this introductory book about musical theatre is for both novices and for those who are true theatreheads. I visit Broadway at least once a year, and have done so for the last 20 years or so, but I still learned lots of information from this book. (Did you know that show dressers use vodka to freshen up costumes?)

One would be hard pressed to find a more in-tune Broadway writer than Seth Rudetsky. He has played in the pit of more than 15 shows, and has been a musician, an actor, and a dance captain on Broadway for decades. He counts among his friends Tony award winners such as Stephanie J. Block, Audra McDonald, Gavin Creel, and Kristin Chenoweth, and the stars of this particular show...I mean "book"...is Rudetsky's behind-the-scenes dish, such as the time Audra McDonald fainted at an audition and Phantom's Christine had to sing the romantic ballad "All I Ask of You" alone because her co-star became ill right in the middle of the song. For that reason, this book is a worthy read, but I cringe at many of the editing errors, some of which are unforgivable to a theatre geek. Rudetsky admits online that he misspelled Liza Minnelli's name (I mean, there's even a song about that!) and, worse still, a section about Rent is headed 525,6000. That's five-hundred, twenty-five thousand, six thousand. Unacceptable. If you, like I, can look past these rather numerous errors, the meat of the book is fascinating, covering not just the history of musical theatre, but also the creative roles involved in getting a show onstage and even audition tips.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took my time with this delicious informative book, savoring every behind the curtain details Seth reveals from his many years in, on, and around Broadway 🎭 theatre and all the people who contribute to the productions therein.
Admittedly, this is my favorite genre of 🎶 music, so I was already familiar with many of the areas he covered, plus I am a regular listener to his show on Sirius XM; but the added bonus of now being able to watch so many of the performances he refers to (thank you You Tube!) was delightful! 💕🎭🎶
Recommend to anyone with interest in the world of Broadway.

[Heather McC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those familiar with Rudetsky's conversational style will appreciate this hilarious nonfiction book, packed with anecdotes, jokes, asides, and more. From discovering where Broadway shows come from, to how it all comes together, this crash course will delight the Broadway aficionado (me!) and newbies to the world of theatre.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd book - listened on Audible and Seth gives this energetic, charming performance but I think the way it was structured made it feel like a bit of a slog to get through. I'm not sure who it's aimed at because the structure covers the very basics of musical theatre (e.g. who's in a creative team) but the content is so in detail (and fascinating) that it feels like it's aimed at die hard fans.

[Maripat A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brava! I first discovered Seth on Sirius radio, years ago. Recently, I listened to the show, Stars in the House. That show was a bright spot during the pandemic. Thanks to you and James for always stepping up for the arts.
Thank you for this wonderful book, and I am so glad I listened to it on Audible.

[Mara Reich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for theatre fans!! Everything you always wanted to know about Broadway and more, as read by the Broadway guru himself. Lots of great anecdotes and "who knew?" facts that will have you exclaim "What?" and "Wow!" (or break into song) all along. Love Seth (and theatre, of course)!!

[Terri Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

very informative ...all parts of the theater not just the actual musicals. a history of musical theater with some insider stories thrown in....I can hear Seth speaking as he writes. He is very funny and so is the book....

[Pat Wahler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of information and interesting tidbits.

[Robyn Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible

[Katelyn Akrami · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really cool book on the ins and outs of broadway!! plus some acting advice and cool backstories!! loved this and this really helped me gain some understanding on the history of Broadway! Really good read, except I think this book is meant for adults and NOT for teens because there were a few 'iffy' things in this book. Other than that, a GREAT read for a theatre kid!!

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Audible Audiobook

Had a bit of trouble getting into this, as the beginning especially didn't translate well to audio. But ended up having a great time. As, always Seth is great at telling stories and sharing his love of theatre!

[MSN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of Seth anecdotes, a-Mah-zing!

Some typos though…

[Margie Bunting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broadway pianist, conductor, composer, performer, writer, Sirius XM show host, and all-around expert Seth Rudetsky was the right choice to create this very entertaining book about everything related to musical theatre. With wit and panache, not to mention a seemingly endless list of behind-the-scenes anecdotes, Seth uses his broad background to cover every subject imaginable, including what it takes to stage a musical, the roles of those involved--the creators, performers, backstage staff, musicians, and many more--how to land a role, and, of course, the fantastic shows.

Best of all, Seth includes dozens of links to one-of-a-kind performances (mostly on YouTube) that you can watch to enhance your enjoyment of the book. I read it in chunks, between fiction books, and I resolved to highlight all of the links and take my time watching as many as possible.

Finally, if you think you already know everything in the book because it is one of the "Dummies" series books, don't be fooled. There is something here for every musical theatre fan. I devoured every page.