The Author Events Series presents Marc Shaiman | Never Mind the Happy
In Conversation with Alan Zweibel
Featuring:
MATTHEW GALLAGHER, Principal trumpeter of The Philly Pops Orchestra, & vocalist, KAT BRUNNER.
In Never Mind the Happy, musical dynamo Marc Shaiman looks back on five decades of Broadway triumphs, Hollywood hijinks, and unforgettable collaborations. Along the way, he charts the personal highs and heartbreaks that have shaped him—spending his teenage years in community theater, starting a decades-long collaboration with Bette Midler in the ’70s, surviving the AIDS crisis of the ’80s, his award-winning film music career in the Hollywood of the ’90s, right up to the peaks (and valleys) of creating Broadway musicals from 2000 on.
Candid, hilarious, and deeply human, Shaiman’s story is a tribute to the power of music, the pull of the spotlight, and the beat that never stops.
Part showbiz tell-all, part love letter to the melancholy that fuels creativity, told with perfect comic timing—along with a few wrong notes, and plenty of standing ovations.
Marc Shaiman is a renowned American composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer known for his work across film, television, and theater. Shaiman began his career as a musical director and arranger for Bette Midler before expanding into film scoring. He gained prominence with his work on films such as When Harry Met Sally, The Addams Family, Sister Act, City Slickers, A Few Good Men, Sleepless in Seattle, The American President, and South Park, on television with SNL, and on his recordings with Harry Connick Jr. and Mariah Carey. Shaiman earned widespread acclaim for co-writing the Broadway musical Hairspray alongside his longtime co-lyricist Scott Wittman. The duo has also co-created the musicals Catch Me If You Can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Some Like It Hot, and Smash. He has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and has won a Tony, two Emmys, and two Grammys. Marc Shaiman is celebrated for his versatile, emotionally resonant music and his ability to blend classic musical theater sensibilities with modern storytelling. Born and raised in New Jersey, he currently lives in New York with his husband, Lieutenant Commander (ret) Lou Mirabal.
Kathryn is a Philly native who now lives in NYC! She loves coming back to Philly to perform whenever she has the opportunity to, and is frequently seen in productions around the city. Favorite credits include Elle in Legally Blonde (Walnut Street Theatre, La Mirada Theatre, Riverside Theatre, and the Ordway), Ella in Cinderella (Walnut Street Theatre, Broadway at Sacramento Music Circus), Mary Phagan in Parade (The Arden), Dyanne in Million Dollar Quartet (Walnut Street Theatre), and Sophie in Mamma Mia (Pioneer Theatre, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre). Film / TV: Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.
Because you love Author Events, please make a donation when you register for this event to ensure that this series continues to inspire Philadelphians.
Books will be available for purchase at the library on event night!
If you’d like to purchase two tickets but only one copy of the book, please email authorevents@freelibrary.org
All tickets are non-refundable.
