Showtune: A Memoir by Jerry Herman

by Jerry Herman, Marilyn Stasio

The creator of three of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history, Jerry Herman is a theatrical institution. His rise from anonymity as a youth in Jersey City to become one of the most successful composer-lyricists ever is candidly recounted here in his own words.
When Herman was seventeen, his mother set up, via "the mother Mafia," a meeting with the legendary composer of Guys and Dolls, Frank Loesser, who happened to be the brother of a friend of a friend of her hairdresser. Instead of the agreed-upon ten minutes, Loesser spent an entire afternoon with young Herman, encouraging him to take a shot at "It's a tough life, but I see talent here," he said.
Jerry Herman's first creation was a downtown cabaret show that soon had crowds of tuxedo-and-mink-wearing sophisticates lined up outside. (Mistaking them for patrons of the restaurant next-door, he politely asked them to move.) From there he was engaged to work on the musical that would become Milk and Honey, earning him a Tony nomination alongside Noel Coward and Richard Rodgers. Smash hits like Hello Dolly!, Mack and Mabel, La Cage aux Folles, and Mame were to follow.
Herman's memoir goes beyond the creation of his legendary hits, including hitherto unrevealed, behind-the-scenes encounters with such luminaries as Angela Lansbury, Carol Channing, Barbra Streisand, Ethel Merman, Judy Garland, and the notoriously volatile Broadway producer David Merrick, whose office was an intimidating bright red, top to bottom, matching his choleric temperament.
Wonderfully recreating the golden age of the Broadway musical, Jerry Herman's revealing memoir is at once frank and uplifting, a characteristic of his songs as well as a personal quality that has sustained him through a long career marked by its share of tragedy as well as triumph.

Genres: Memoir

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1996

About the author

Gerald Sheldon Herman (July 10, 1931 – December 26, 2019) was an American composer and lyricist, known for his work in Broadway musical theater. He composed the scores for the hit Broadway musicals Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles.

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a “Broadway Baby” - grew up in Manhattan and my parents took me to theater at a very early age (first production: the original My Fair Lady, don’t recall much except the revolving stages during scene changes, very cool to a kid who couldn’t make head or tail about the story, but liked the music and costumes.) So when Jerry Herman passed away just recently, I decided to download his memoir, written in 1996 but he lived on for another 23 years despite his HIV+ status, thankfully. As Carol Channing, his first and most famous “Dolly” (although I preferred Pearl Bailey in that role) once stated “When they handed out talent, Jerry got in line twice.” And I agree, I think Mame, Mack & Mable and La Cage Aux Folles are three of his very best. This is not great literature, it reads more like a relaxed conversation between you and the Composer/Lyricist. While it’s a bit superficial at times,he does offer some interesting behind the scenes tidbits that made the book fun. Most interesting to me was the revelation that Judy Garland begged to replace Angela Lansbury when her run as Mame was ending, Jerry loved the idea (and she would have been fantastic in the role) but it came at a time when her drinking and drug use sadly prevented her from being considered reliable and the producers overruled Jerry to save the show from uncertainty. More stories like that (David Merrick, the producer, does not fare well in this book) and there was much more insight into “show business” and what it takes to mount and stage a successful Broadway show. There is an occasional contradiction, in one chapter Jerry says he is still bitter “to this day” he was overlooked for a Tony nod for “Mack & Mabel” and two chapters later he said he was over it and forgave. But these are minor issues. He comes across as the bubbly, upbeat optimist he was. And if you love Broadway musicals, he was one of the greats, so you would enjoy this easy to read (2 days for me) light memoir.

[Rick Rapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is packed with interesting tidbits and back stories about some of the most important musicals in the 1960s-1980s. Additionally, there are good insights into some performers, as well as amusing, and sometimes unfortunate, anecdotes about them. A danger with any memoir is that it can fall into the "woe is me" or "I didn't get the breaks I deserved" category. For the most part, Herman avoids this. He seems to be honest about what worked and what didn't and why regarding his creations. The book also has some good photos (but not nearly enough for my taste) of Herman with key players in his life. For anyone interested in the history of the Broadway musical, this book is a must read.

[Daniel Krolik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very endearing (if superficial) memoir. It feels at times like Herman is not being as candid as he could be, yet he expresses such joy about life and the theatre that you forgive him. His admission about his HIV status and how he dealt with it is quite beautifully written though, and that bumps up the star rating for me.

[Wendell Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delight from beginning to end. The memoir clips along at a rapid pace and you feel as if you are right beside Jerry all the way! I loved all of the musical theatre stories and his honesty relating all of his feelings and opinions as life changes all around him. We miss you Jerry, but thank you for leaving a legacy of beautiful, meaningful, emotional songs that will live on forever.

[Howard Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth the read

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book I ended up picking up on the recommendation of a friend. Jerry Herman was a song writer for some of the biggest Broadway hits of the 1960s and 1970s, including "Hello, Dolly!," "Mame," and "La Cage aux Folles." I have to admit that I really didn't know too much about him, though I had seen most of the film versions of all of his works.

Herman was a pretty interesting person. He was openly gay and lived in New York and California through most of his life. This book gives some interesting insight into the Broadway process of his era as well as his perspective on some of the best known actresses of the time period, including Angela Lansbury, Carol Channing, and Judy Garland.

While Herman doesn't spend a lot of time focusing on his romantic life, he does highlight a few of the most important relationships in his life, and he also talked about the rise of the AIDS Epidemic from his own perspective. In fact, he lost the man who probably the biggest love of his life to the disease, and he shares with his readers what it is like to find out that you are HIV positive when he talks about his own status.

There is a lot of discussion about the creative process that he goes through when writing a score and specific songs. It is something that seemed to come naturally to him, which makes the results of all his work so much more impressive. I really liked how he shared what it felt like to be tied to major hits as well as musicals that bombed.

I am glad that I ended up following up with the recommendation. I probably would never have come across the book without it, and it was a pretty enjoyable read.

[R.E. E. Derouin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Showtune by Jerry Herman 1/7/2019 Paper

Anyone interested in musical theater would be engrossed by Herman’s inside look in this entertaining biography. The author tends to think highly of himself and drops names frequently, but he details a wonderful time in American theater and a close look at the inner workings of the Broadway world. The book makes you want a front row seat and you find yourself humming, “Hello Dolly.”