Herman's memoir is like his music - generally bright and happy, though not without shadows (his adored mother died of cancer when she was only young, a lover died of AIDS). He comes across as a very positive upbeat person, although the book ends with him contracting HIV; his first three musicals on Broadway were big hits, two of them "big enough to retire"sensations (Hello Dolly, Mame); he also wrote an off Broadway show which is little remembered.
The 70s were harder, with three flops -though one, Mack and Mabel, developed a strong cult and became a smash hit on revival in the 1990s (this seems to have been a trend with 70s musicals eg Chicago), but he came back strongly in the early 80s with La Cage Aux Folles (NB surely there's a musical which would be ripe for big screen treatment by now? And speaking of this, they could surely remake Mame and even Dolly, do them right this time).
Not that Herman seems to have been short of dough - in the 70s he moved to LA and took a break from writing, instead deciding to renovate and re-sell houses as a sideline, a very lucrative sideline.
Fans of Herman's shows and Broadway will find this an interesting read - the stories behind his key songs, feuds with David Merrick on Hello Dolly, the love fest that was Mame and La Cage (except when trying to persuade them to cast Judy Garland in the former), troubles on other shows, his 'feud' with Steven Sondheim in the early 80s.
Even Herman admits he probably couldn't be gayer if he tried: he's an only child, close to an adoring mum but distant from macho dad, works in musical theatre, worshipped Judy G, great pals with all the classic icon women (eg Carol Channing, Liza Minnelli), owned a place on Fire Island, lived for a time at Key West, had a boyfriend die of AIDS.
Somehow this book - bright, enjoyable, easy to read - lacks a little something. Couldn't put my finger on it - maybe lack of top notch anecdotes (probably because Herman sounds like a good friend who keeps secrets), a little drama, or something.
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