Customer Reviews

Broadway Nights: A Romp of Life, Love, and Musical Theatre [With Earbuds] (Playaway Adult Fiction)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was looking for something sparkling and amusing to read, and since I'm a big old theatre nut, I decided to give Seth Rudetsky's BROADWAY NIGHTS a go. What a great decision that turned out to be. This novel is brilliantly conceived, fast paced yet beautifully detailed, and a total delight from cover to cover.

Stephen Sheerin in a musical wunderkind, but he's never really reached his potential due to his many hysterical insecurities. He's a superb pianist and a fantastic arranger and conductor but he has issues, lots of issues. He's obsessed with trying to get the attention of his opera diva mother, he's constantly fantasizing about a future with his boyfriend who already has a boyfriend, and he's annoyed by the fact that he's a Broadway sub, always filling in for others but never being the name on the marquee.

Things are about to change, however, when Stephen is offered and accepts the chance to be musical director of a new Broadway show called FLOWERCHILD. Conceived by an old friend of his, Mason, the musical is about the end of the hippie era and uses songs from the period to tell the story.

BROADWAY NIGHTS is actually Stephen's diary. He's writing it because his therapist, Monikah, thinks it will help him deal with his problems. The format allows the reader to follow Stephen's haywire existence on a daily basis, and it's a hoot.

Seth Rudetsky is an extremely successful comedy writer, having received three Emmy nominations for his work on THE ROSIE O'DONNELL SHOW, as well as an accomplished Broadway musician, and it's obvious he knows the world he writes about very well. The book is full of musical theatre anecdotes, and insights, and the feeling of being in on the dirt is palpable.

If you're looking for something to read that's going to help you forget about your own miseries, or if you're just looking for a good book to relax with for an evening, pick up a copy of BROADWAY NIGHTS and slip into Stephen's world for a bit. It's bound to put a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

Well written fiction in a biographic style. I had a hard time putting this down. Its easy to forget that this is not a biography in fact. It makes me want to ask Seth about how much of this comes from his real life.

Only small problem with the story is that the ending was a bit too tidy.

This is a hilarious read! Great fun for Broadway fanatics or anyone who loves to laugh!

I read Seth's first book Q Guide to Broadway about a year ago and could hardly wait for this full length novel to come out! Well worth the anticipation! GREAT READ!

I listen to Seth on Sirius Satellite radio several times a week. He is a blast to listen to. He's clever, funny and Broadway! Once he said he had a book coming out, I decided I'd have to try it. Well, I'm glad I did. I could barely put it down. I finished it in less than 4 days, and that's good for me with my lack of free time these days. I actually want to read it again, but I can't yet as I've loaned it to a friend. Broadway Nights made me laugh out loud and I felt like I was going on one heck of a trip with Stephen as I read.

I LOVED this book. I read it in six days, which is very rare for me. At first, I thought that this was just Seth's life, with just the names changed. Then, I realized that this was fiction, and boy did he do a good job. I actually laughed out loud. I don't think a book has ever gotten me to do that.

Can't wait for the next one!

This is such a fun book to read! Seth is really funny and clever, so every sentence has something to make you smile or laugh out loud. He knows just EVERYTHING about Broadway, and tells all, as well. It's tough to tell the fact from the fiction (I prefer to think it's 99% fact with about two names changed). Besides being a funny person, Seth has put together a great narrative, in the form of a diary. In other words, it's not just a bunch of one-liners crammed into a book -- the story itself is interesting, believeable and intriguing. His writing voice is completely natural -- you can easily imagine sitting in a café with him (but never getting a word in).

Seth -- keep writing!

Whether or not you're tuned in to the world of musical theater, you'll have to grin and gasp at author Seth Rudetsky's irreverent novel, Broadway Nights: A Romp of Life, Love, and Musical Theatre. Rudetsky, through his flaky protagonist Stephen Sheerin, dishes about the doings on stage, in the pit, and behind the scenes of some of the great musical productions.

Stephen is a thirty-something pianist and conductor whose goal is to music-direct his own show, AND to find love and happiness with that one special someone, AND possibly to run a bed-and-breakfast in Vermont with that special someone, though he admits that last one might be better in fancy than in reality. But according to Stephen's therapist Monikah (and by the way, Stephen HATES the -kah!), he is his own greatest obstruction to reaching these goals. Monikah assigns him the task of writing a journal and this is the hilarious result.

Follow Stephen through his days and nights as he gets a shot at his professional dream, music-directing a new 60s retrospective show called Flowerchild. Watch in wonder as the complexities of mounting a major show are broken down to the essentials of hard work, wild and often groundless gossip, and regular brunches at the Manhattan hot spots. Try to guess whether Stephen will ever find a boyfriend who doesn't already HAVE a boyfriend. Polish up your knowledge of pop culture from the 1980s and 90s. Get to know Stephen's wacky parents (his father's toupee has seen seven Presidential administrations and his mother answers the phone with her "hello" tripping up and down the scales) and an eclectic group of friends and professional associates. This is one fast-paced book!

Seth Rudetsky is a well-loved musician, writer, performer and radio host on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. He really knows Broadway, and now you can too if you grab this book. I listened to the Audible audio edition, hilariously performed by the author as Stephen Sheerin, with input from a stellar cast in the supporting roles. BROADWAY NIGHTS is an entertaining romp, but there's nothing like a performance to raise the fun factor. Thoroughly enjoyable, five stars (at least!) for the audio version.

Linda Bulger, 2010

This book is a great, fast read. Its so funny that I was literally laughing at loud - plus the characters are just like so many people you probably know. Also, if you live in new york and/or love broadway, you'll appreciate all the insider references. A great book - I hope he writes more!

Having listened to Seth's radio show in Sirius I was pretty certain that I would enjoy this book and I was not disappointed! Following the adventures of Stephen and hearing him describe what actually happens behind the scenes of a Broadway show is both entertaining and touching. And the Broadway anecdotes that are included made me laugh out loud while reading it! Having heard a few of them relayed by Seth himself on the radio makes me think that most of the Broadway stories (if not all) actually happened.

Reading this book makes me wonder how much of this is autobiographical of Seth. Some of the things that happen to his lead character are just too strange/absurd/funny to NOT have happened to Seth or at least someone he knows.

If you are a Broadway fan in any way, shape, or form you will enjoy this book!

As someone who loves broadway and dish (even if it's fictionalized) this book was perfect!
Seth makes you feel like you are living in the wings of broadway and perfectly captures his character's hopes and fears. Stephen, the protagonist, is whimsical, neurotic, witty and an absolute delight. You want to see him succeed and you also want to laugh when he makes the same stupid mistakes we all tend to make.
This book was so delicious I devoured it!