Never Mind the Happy, Marc Shaiman
Never Mind the Happy, Marc Shaiman
List: $20.99 | Sale: $14.70
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Never Mind the Happy
Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner

Author: Marc Shaiman

Narrator: Marc Shaiman

Unabridged: 9 hr 25 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 01/27/2026

Synopsis

From the award-winning composer/co-lyricist behind such iconic projects as Hairspray, Sister Act, Mary Poppins Returns, and Smash comes a wickedly funny, no-holds-barred memoir. 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. This audiobook includes music performed by Marc Shaiman, with special guest appearances from Norbert Leo Butz, Martin Short, Christine Ebersole, Ben Whishaw, and more!

Reviews

Goodreads review by Ilyse on January 25, 2026

I loved this book, it was such a name droppy gossipy story of someone whose work I've loved since high school (our thespian troupe took a trip to see Hairspray). If youre a fan of any of Marc's work id recommend picking up this book. Specifically the audiobook, because not only does Marc sing, he has......more

Goodreads review by Jack on February 20, 2026

Highly recommend listening to the audiobook! Marc narrates, sings many of the mentioned songs, and brings in special guests (Martin Short, Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Lewis, Megan Hilty, and many more). Filled with some wonderful behind the scenes show business stories. Every theater and movie lover......more

Goodreads review by Rossi on March 28, 2026

The audiobook was just *chefs kiss* - getting to hear Marc’s music woven into his life story was such a smart, immersive touch. Was it a little name-droppy at times? Sure. Did the first half occasionally feel like a Bette Midler biography? Maybe. And did it get a little irrationally “woe is me”? Yes.......more

Goodreads review by Margie on November 05, 2025

I love a good celebrity memoir, so Marc Shaiman's Never Mind the Happy was firmly in my reading wheelhouse. Shaiman is the musical genius responsible for composing award-winning scores and songs for many notable movies and for co-creating successful Broadway shows, a multitalent who has also arrange......more

Goodreads review by Mediaman on March 11, 2026

Excellent, well-written, and incredibly fun book that is packed full of very short stories and politically incorrect asides. This could have been five stars with a few cuts to his compulsion for wokeism, along with including more details about the many famous people he worked with. I'll say that in m......more

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