Two-fer Book Reviews: ‘How to Succeed in Musical Theatre W/Out Really Dying’ and ‘Mighty Real: a History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000’
—Cathy Ritchie
How To Succeed In Musical Theatre Without Really Dying: The Actor's Guide To Booking Work And Building A Career That Lasts
By Lindsay Menzel and Ryan Scott Oliver (BenBella Books, 2026)
Tony Award winner Menzel and composer Oliver pool their considerable resources and experience as performers and teachers to help aspiring musical stars (or "early-career actors," the term they prefer) tackle the arduous task of becoming household names. Their resulting 400+-page guidebook is an amazing, accessible document sure to enlighten newbies and veterans alike.
The book’s lengthy Table Of Contents tells readers what to expect: how to determine what character types or "brands" their voices accurately reveal and what songs are thus best suited for their audition "books;" audition techniques; practicing "self-care" while awaiting the Big Break; how to create one's own survival job or service (aka The Hustle); time and money management; dealing with agents, Equity, and the like; creating effective social media, and much, much more.
Throughout the narrative, the authors offer real-life examples of early-career successes and flops, always leavened with realism and encouragement. To me, this book does the concept of one-stop shopping proud. Even I, a non-performer on the outside looking in, learned enormously from the dedicated authors.
However, this phenomenal book does have one major flaw: no index. Its contents list is substantial, but the text desperately needs a mechanism that lets readers quickly access a definition, a to-do list (there are a lot!), and so many other fine features in this massive work—which shares important information on every page. If this book ever sees a second edition, an index should be top priority.
Nevertheless, sincere congratulations to Menzel and Oliver for their amazing achievement. Standing O's all around.
Mighty Real: a History of LGBTQ Music 1969-2000
By Barry Walters (Viking, 2026)
In the 1980s, you could find some unique musical genres on long-playing records at public libraries. One particular locale I patronized offered music written, produced, and performed by women for women. These particular discs were always few in number, but I was glad to see them.
Nearly 50 years later, a given library's musical formats may be disc-size and/or streaming, but the specialized genres that once lurked in tucked-away corners have undeniably earned a place everywhere.
Barry Walters celebrates this new visibility in his lengthy guide to several decades of LGBTQ musical achievement. As he comments: "Straight critics have been telling us how to hear our music for ages, so I'm simply offering a queer alternative."
The book’s scope is wider han we might expect. Walters also examines output by ostensibly straight performers who at times inserted an LGBTQ sensibility into their lyrics, including some artists with same-sex private lives who never officially declared themselves. Therefore, his compendium offers a broad view of the genre in a book perfectly designed for both cover-to-cover reading and skimming.
Among the usual suspects, we also find Lou Reed, Laura Nyro, Janis Joplin, Motown, Diana Ross and Dolly Parton as subjects. His brief chapters are substantive and well-written. I especially appreciated his section detailing the history of Olivia Records, the best account of the label's rise and later transformation I've ever read.
Barry Walters has done interested readers a fine service. Cross fingers that we'll be seeing a post-2000 edition.
