Mitchell Maxwell, author of Little Did I Know, is my special guest.
After an illustrious career in the entertainment industry, Mitchell became a first-time novelist. His debut work, Little Did I Know, set in the summer of 1976, is the touching, poignant, and sometimes hilarious story of young, ambitious, and inexperienced (save for college theater productions) would-be producer and director Sam August. In Plymouth, Massachusetts, Sam finds a dilapidated theater in which he is determined to produce several musicals before heading to the bright lights of Broadway. Along the way, Sam encounters plenty of obstacles and learns valuable life lessons. The book is a charmingly entertaining look at a simpler time and the pursuit of a dream.
The Goal is Goose Bumps
Years ago I did a musical on London’s West End where it became a big smash hit. After we danced and celebrated and thanked the theater gods, toasting each one with a fresh pint, we came to the sober realization that we had a show that was the buzz of Piccadilly and beyond. Within days we had offers to take the show on tour in the United Kingdom, remount it in New York, and were offered a lucrative guaranteed tour of Japan. I had come to learn “hits are fun.”
So, we loved the British company and decided to keep them for the remount in New York and then bring them to Japan, saving money and keeping the family together. Unfortunately, the unions would not allow the entire company to make the journey so we were forced to choose who we might replace and went about the process with a sense of joy mixed with melancholy. We all agreed on one actor that “had to stay” even if we had to throw down the gauntlet to the gods of the union. So on the day of auditions whenever an actress walked in to sing for this “taken” role, her chances were slim and none.
And then I learned something that stays with me every time a performer walks in and has the guts, resolve, and courage to audition. You just never know where you will find magic or goose bumps or electricity in a performer so strong that it can light a city.
This young woman stepped center stage, gave her name, which was barely noted, and said she was going to sing a song from Ballroom. Out of professional respect we listened and within a moment, a heartbeat, a breath taken away we all knew at once that something special had happened and our plan had changed. Talent is a gift, professionalism is a craft, but when God gives the ability to stop the world and have it pay attention, and you are lucky enough to be in the room . . . well, remember it is better than a real job — sort of like a snowflake –never to be replicated, unique, with its own power to be remembered.
I have auditioned hundreds of actors and so many of them are good. They are pleasant and special in the own way. But when a rocket ship walks in and fires up, I have learned to get on and enjoy the ride.
That’s how you discover art, your own gifts, and your own insights. The journey is fluid, the play is the thing, and goose bumps is the goal.
I have met hundreds of actors — I remember talent most, then character, and how, when we shook hands, our eyes met and registered a connection. The good ones come back and it is fun to be there when they do.
Meet Mitchell
Mitchell directed Angry Housewives on London’s West end and off-Broadway, and the off-Broadway and motion picture productions of Jeffery and Key Exchange. Off-Broadway he developed Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy and produced David Mamet’s Oleanna, as well as Paul Rudnick’s The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told and Scott McPearson’s Marvin’s Room, which won the Drama Desk award. Mitchell built five entertainment companies, and owned and operated three off-Broadway theaters for more than twenty years.
Mitchell attended Tufts University and later served as an adjunct professor there, as well as a guest lecturer at Columbia and New York universities.
10 Comments
Wow! That’s quite a story.
reading_frenzy at yahoo dot com
The discovery of the unforgettable artists intrigue me.
I could see this in my mind. Would love to read the book.
I love that Mitchell can draw from life experiences (and fascinating ones at that!) to write this novel. Goosebumps are a rare and wonderful thing!
Life is about the journey, not the destination.
I like the time period which I do remember and the idea of a story with the excitement of trying to create something big.
I can’t wait to read about that “ability” mentioned!
The road to being in pursuit of a dream should bring plenty of interesting events!
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com
I like to try books with Massachusetts settings, and am hoping to find another theatre book that makes me laugh as much as Marc Acito’s (How I Paid for College & Attack of the Theatre People).
Yes, the journey is by far more important than the destination.
I love stories about small towns and relationships. Everyone seems to look at them differently. Some would do anything to find a life there and some would do anything to leave.