A Year with the Producers: One Actor's Exhausting (But Worth It) Journey from Cats to Mel Brooks' Mega-Hit (A theatre arts book) [Paperback]

Jeffry Denman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0878301542 | ISBN-13: 978-0878301546 | Publication Date: February 22, 2002

A behind-the-scenes story with more than a touch of theatrical magic about it, A Year with The Producers is a book for actors and theater fans everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the summer of 2000, Denman, an actor in New York for eight years, set his heart on appearing in Brooks's much-hyped musical, ignoring New York Post gossip writer Michael Riedel's acerbic comment that it "[h]as all the makings of a floperoo." Here, Denman offers a candid one-year diary of his experiences as singer, dancer and understudy in the production. His style is breezy and refreshingly honest, charting each step from audition to opening night. Winning over director Susan Stroman was the first challenge, and Denman describes achieving the prayed-for callback through intense mental focus that convinces director, composer and author that you're exactly what they've been looking for. The first day of rehearsal establishes a caste system, during which principals frequently ignore those who don't have speaking lines. Dramatizing the confining nature of a Broadway commitment, he asks Stroman for one day off to do an important career-enhancing performance and is flatly denied permission. Tensions mount after a main actor loses his voice and a pre-Broadway Chicago run reveals serious problems. Denman vividly recounts the terror of opening night in New York, and readers share his later triumph when he goes on for star Matthew Broderick and scores a hit. Affectionate biographies of Broderick, Stroman, Nathan Lane, librettist Tom Meehan and Mel Brooks round out the book. Denman's emotional narrative maintains suspense and sufficiently informs, making this a textbook for anyone seeking a theatrical career and yearning "[t]o change, alter, enhance, deepen, and magnify the hearts of people who sit there watching." B&w photos. Even those lacking showbiz aspirations will enjoy this book; it has a strong inspirational angle.

Review

Here, Denman offers a candid one-year diary of his experiences as singer, dancer and understudy in the production. His style is breezy and refreshingly honest, charting each step from audition to opening night. Denman's emotional narrative maintains suspense and sufficiently informs, making this a textbook for anyone seeking a theatrical career and yearning [t]o change, alter, enhance, deepen, and magnify the hearts of people who sit there watching. Even those lacking in showbiz aspirations will enjoy this book; it has a strong inspirational angle. That, along with the show's blockbuster success, guarantees an instant hit. -Publishers Weekly.
From the closing night of one smash, Cats, to the opening night of another, The Producers, Jeffrey Denman takes us on a delightful and insightful backstage tour of the Great White Way. His portraits of Mel Brooks and Susan Stroman are gems and add much to our understanding of how these towering creative talents work. How lucky for us that Mr. Denman is as fine a writer as he is a performer. Michael Riedel, The New York Post.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (February 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878301542
• ISBN-13: 978-0878301546
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,144,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Broadway here comes Jeffry Denman, June 14, 2002

By 

D. Clancy (Portland, Or USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Year with the Producers: One Actor's Exhausting (But Worth It) Journey from Cats to Mel Brooks' Mega-Hit (A theatre arts book) (Paperback)

Last October I was fortunate enough to see "The Producers" on Broadway. First of all I must say it lives up to its hype. It's brash, bright, tuneful and FUNNY. Nathan Lane was out at that performance but Brad Oscar (the current Max) and Matthew Broderick were in fantastic form.
This all brings me to this wonderful book. Jeffry Denman, a member of the ensemble, received a call in August 2000 from his agent who scored an audition for him. At the time he was in "Cats" which was winding down its 18 year run in a few weeks. On September 10, 2000 he began this wonderful journal. It takes the reader to the closing of "Cats" and on to the auditions and callbacks for "The Producers".
Denman is an excellent writer and makes his year long odyssey a joy to read about. He tells of winning director Susan Stroman and Mel Brooks over, the first rehearsals, the small parts in the musical he is assigned. He is ten assigned to cover (understudy) Matthew Broderick. The book ends one year later after his performing the part of Leo Bloom for 4 performances when Broderick was out.
Anyone who has ever done theatre or who wants to know what goes on behind the scenes will find this book fascinating. Denman writes with complete candor and often times affection for his fellow actors and crew members. His parents also figure prominently in his affection.
The reader will find out how the show gets on its legs, what it is like to be out of town in Chicago prior to Broadway, recording the cast album and the grand opening night.
He also lets the reader into his own personal life and lets us know what it is like being an actor and the demands it places on him.
It reads quickly and it is very difficult to put down. Jeffry Denman said he would like to write another book. Lets hope so.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely WONDERFUL book!!!, April 5, 2002

By 

Jim Jr (Buffalo, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Year with the Producers: One Actor's Exhausting (But Worth It) Journey from Cats to Mel Brooks' Mega-Hit (A theatre arts book) (Paperback)

This is a terrific book for anyone interested in the creative processes involved in getting a big Broadway musical on stage and what happens to the non-star names who are the backbone of any show - the people who support the stars and are the basis of the show.

Jeff Denman is a wonderful writer. I read the book in one evening taking time only for dinner and actually read while eating. It is one of those "can't put down" books. There is an ease and polish to his writing that allows the reader to feel Jeff is talking to him/her instead of just putting words on paper.

The narrative begins when Jeff is one of the principals in the last cast of "Cats" on Broadway going right through closing night. He takes the reader through auditions for "The Producers" that took place just before the closing and how he went from one show to the other. Then he details the rehearsal process, the out of town tryout and the New York opening. The closing section is the suspensful time he went through as the understudy for Matthew Broderick and going on for him during his vacation. It is so well written that it is possible to feel the nerves and tension he went through at this time.

Jeff mentions his roots in Buffalo and doing productions in this area before going to New York. I was lucky enough to have been in a musical with him and know he is a terrific singer-actor-dancer, but I was unaware of what a good writer he is.

If you would like to see him at work, he has a featured dance on the DVD "My Favorite Broadway, The Love Songs" (a lovely "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" partnered with Joan Hess) and can be seen throughout the DVD "Recording The Producers" about the recording of the cast album. (Watch during the tap sequence - Jeff has a distinctive pair of shoes so you can pick out his feet when no heads are shown.)

This is a book that anyone who loves musicals and theater should add to thier library to get the perspective of how the supporting actors really make the show. It is a book that can and will be reread many times.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding..., September 8, 2002

By 

JacMac - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Year with the Producers: One Actor's Exhausting (But Worth It) Journey from Cats to Mel Brooks' Mega-Hit (A theatre arts book) (Paperback)

What a wonderful glimpse inside the world of a working actor! I couldn't put this book down. I needed to know what was going to happen next. (I read it in one sitting - something I rarely do.) If you are curoius about what it takes to be in a Broadway show - this is the book for you.