Eddie Shapiro grew up singing music from every cast album he could get his hands on. He is the author of Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater, A Wonderful Guy: Conversations with the Great Men of Musical Theater, Queens in the Kingdom: The Ultimate Gay and Lesbian Guide to the Disney Theme Parks, and hundreds of articles in magazines with much shorter and more sensible titles than his books. He lives in New York City and Los Angeles.
Eddie Shapiro has gathered the best in business for another fascinating collection of interviews. Reading his work is like sitting down with old friends, where the conversation is easy and the laughs are plenty. This backstage tour de force is one of my all-time favorites and a must-have for any theater loverâs library. * Susan Stroman, LGBTQ+ Studies * I found this book to be truly amazing. These glorious women theater artists are almost all friends and colleagues of mine. Yet Eddie Shapiro's intimate conversations with them reveal aspects of their lives, careers, and the beautiful, raw humanity at the core of them and their experiences, that had me entranced, enlightened, and inspired. Eddie is a deeply prepared interviewer who doesn't back off of tough questions, and these goddesses of the theater, meet him generously, courageously and directly. What a privilege for the reader to be invited into the tender nuances of their journeys. * Donna Murphy * Eddie Shapiro's personal warmth and genuine passion for musical theater sets the stage for these irresistible interviews. Talking to him for his last book felt like an in-depth conversation with an old friend. His knowledge and honest curiosity inspired me to open up in ways I never have before. * Jonathan Groff * It's so much fun when Eddie Shapiro asks you about what it was like, a long time ago, to do a certain play. And you get the pleasure of only thinking of the best things and the fun things. And his books are chalk full of that. * Joel Grey * Eddie Shapiro is not only an expert in theater but a gentle and expert interviewer, allowing the magnificent women in this book to open their hearts in the most forthright and intimate way-a fascinating chronicle of lives well-lived. * Lynn Ahrens * Having been forced to consider a world without Broadway for a couple years, this book celebrating some of its most wonderful practitioners arrives as even more of a gift. As in his previous works, Eddie knows just the right thing to ask and when to simply listen to give us unparalleled access to the very human people responsible for some of our most cherished experiences. Overflowing with insight and delight, it's equally valuable for curious audiences, seasoned performers, and future generations of theater lovers. * Michael Cerveris * Eddie Shapiro accomplishes a great feat. He gets this glorious collection of artists to dig into the details of their work and the corners of their lives, sharing with us what they do and who they are, which are not always the same thing. Eddie's respect, wit, knowledge and absolute love for the musical theater is our guide to their greatness, and their greatness is our gift * Raúl Esparza *