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A Year with the Producers Paperback – March 21, 2002

by Jeffry Denman (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 28 ratings
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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.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    March 21, 2002
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.46 x 8.5 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0878301542
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0878301546
  7. See all details
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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."

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Routledge; 1st edition (March 21, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0878301542
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0878301546
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.46 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

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Jeffry Denman

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
28 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jim Jr
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely WONDERFUL book!!!
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2002
Verified Purchase
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.
6 people found this helpful
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Donald E. Fulton
4.0 out of 5 stars Well written, backstage look at musical theater
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2007
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This book is an interesting little backstage look at Broadway musical theater by one of the faceless, hard working, (struggling to be) up and coming, supporting performers. Twice in the beginning of this book, written in 2001, he notes how impressed he was with the show 'Crazy for You', and in 2007, when I first saw him perform, it was as the lead in (you guessed it) 'Crazy for You'.

Denman is a versatile guy, onstage as singer, dancer, actor, and offstage as choreographer, playwright, tap dance teacher, and (based on this book) quite a good writer. From the credits shown on his web site and based on what I saw at North Shore Music Theater (near Boston) Denman has made good progress in the years since writing this book toward his stated goal of moving up to principal performer.

Video of Denman (paired with Amanda Watkins) in the North Shore Music Theater production of Crazy for You is available on YouTube (search phrase "Jeffry Denman".

[...]
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Larry Gevirtz
5.0 out of 5 stars Insider View of Broadway
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2013
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Jeffry Denman wisely kept a journal of his ongoing experiences as part of the cast of the smash hit "The Producers," from auditions straight through to the opening (and beyond, to his debut in a major part). The author has talent aplenty, not only as a dancer/singer/actor, but also as an engaging writer. This is really a top-notch insider's portrait of what really goes on behind the scenes, and what being a Broadway performer truly entails. There is not much turmoil depicted in these pages, since "The Producers" was hardly a problem production, but it still keeps the reader fascinated with its vivid depiction of how a Broadway show finds its feet and marches on to success.
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Notting Hill
5.0 out of 5 stars an utterly addictive and fascinating read!
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2024
I guess I'm late to this book party, although I was lucky enough to catch Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in Feb 2004 in NYC when they did a limited-run return. In any case, I discovered this fantastic gem - overused word, I know, but it's apt - of a show memoir on the library shelves among the Broadway musical books and brought it home on impulse. It really is one company player's view of The Producers, from Jeffry's initial audition - coinciding with the end of Cats, in which he had a featured role - to Jeffry going on for Broderick at long last (he was one of two Leo Bloom understudies). Thanks to J deciding to diarize his experience, we get a humorous and fully absorbing step-by-step - through previews in Chicago as the show is readying for Broadway - of what the life of a supporting Broadway performer is really like - from a guy for whom The Producers is not his first rodeo. I absolutely loved it and actually tried to draw out my reading of it, and even went back to the beginning after I finished, so that I could read the early audition stuff again. Jeffry is a witty, talented, tuned and observant guy, but also modest and generous - it's all there on the page - and you really do thrill for him when he goes on for Broderick over one weekend. Completely great.
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Stef
4.0 out of 5 stars It's almost like he took us on tour with him
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2012
Verified Purchase
Okay, I loved this book so much.
His writing was so descriptive, it felt as though he invited us all along with him on his Producers tour. To have such an intimate look at someone realizing a long held dream was really incredible and it was nice to see what a touring show looks like behind all the glitter and jazz hands. I can't wait to hear what else he's been up to--I'm sure whatever it is, he's written some pretty great blog posts to family and friends about his adventures!
One person found this helpful
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Teresa Welby
5.0 out of 5 stars a fun look at life backstage
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2003
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this is a great book for anyone interested in any aspect of the theatre. It is an intimate look at the process, how actors live and work.
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Top reviews from other countries

Simon
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for fans of the show
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 14, 2024
Verified Purchase
I bought this as research material for my university film theory final essay.
It does not contain a lot of info on the actual show, rather it's a diary of a performer who was an understudy on the original Broadway production.
If you are a fan of the show or a Broadway enthusiast you will enjoy this book.
I bought this book in conjunction with these other books and dvds for the thesis and they were precious references for my work:
The Producers: The Book, Lyrics and Story Behind the Biggest Hit in Broadway History - How We Did It
The Producers Special Edition [1968] [1967] - DVD
The Producers - A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks - DVD
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tartuffeclunes
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
Very interesting insight into the production
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