Memoir Of A Theater Kid

Summary

All Of It Podcast: "Memoir Of A Theater Kid" – A Detailed Summary

Episode Release Date: May 16, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Jeffrey Seller
Podcast: All Of It by WNYC

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Introduction to Jeffrey Seller and "Theater Kid"

In the episode titled "Memoir Of A Theater Kid," Alison Stewart introduces Jeffrey Seller, a seminal figure in Broadway production over the past three decades. As one of the most prolific producers, Jeffrey has been instrumental behind landmark shows such as Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights, and the globally acclaimed Hamilton. Currently in the studio to discuss his newly published memoir, "Theater Kid," Jeffrey provides listeners with an intimate glimpse into his life, from a challenging upbringing in the Detroit suburbs to finding purpose through theater and, eventually, influencing others to do the same.

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Early Life and the Birth of a Passion for Theater

Jeffrey's journey into the world of theater began in the fourth grade, where he performed in a Purim play at a Detroit temple. This early experience was transformative for him, instilling a sense of purpose and joy. Reflecting on this pivotal moment, Jeffrey explains:

Jeffrey Seller [00:30]: "Being in a play changes my life. I am filled with purpose for the first time."

He elaborates that the collaborative nature of theater—melding dialogue, music, and dance—along with the exhilaration of presenting a finished performance to an audience, was unparalleled in his life. This formative experience solidified his passion for the arts, setting the foundation for his future career.

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Navigating Challenges: Family and Personal Struggles

Jeffrey's memoir delves deep into his challenging childhood, marked by poverty, an ill parent, and a difficult neighborhood. His father, whom he describes as both challenging and loving, played a complex role in his early life. Jeffrey shares:

Jeffrey Seller [03:27]: "I grew up with a very challenging, loving, difficult father... writing a book like this was a way to get to know him better."

Despite his father's inability to support the family financially—highlighted by events such as a motorcycle accident and business bankruptcies—their relationship was nuanced. Jeffrey recounts instances where his father supported his theatrical pursuits, such as driving him to auditions, which juxtaposed his father's otherwise neglectful behavior. Writing his memoir served as a means for Jeffrey to process these conflicting emotions, ultimately fostering a deeper love and understanding for his late father.

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The Leap to New York and Broadway

Jeffrey's ambition to make Broadway his home solidified during his time at the University of Michigan, where he transitioned from being an audience member to actively producing shows. He emphasizes the critical role of a producer in selecting and shaping the plays that resonate with both personal values and audience desires:

Jeffrey Seller [07:14]: "I realized then and there that the most important decision a producer will ever make is what play to do, what musical to do."

His move to New York was marked by memorable experiences, such as attending his first performance of Dreamgirls in June 1982. Jeffrey vividly recalls the gritty yet fabulous atmosphere of Times Square during this era:

Jeffrey Seller [05:38]: "It was kind of grimy and kind of fabulous all at the same time... big ads for Sony and Iowa and Annie and Woman of the Year didn't exist yet."

This duality of New York—its raw energy coupled with burgeoning cultural landmarks—cemented Jeffrey's desire to contribute to the city's vibrant theater scene.

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Influence of Jonathan Larson and the Making of Rent

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Jonathan Larson, the late creator of Rent. Jeffrey shares a poignant memory of watching Larson perform a rock monologue titled Boho Days, which deeply resonated with him:

Jeffrey Seller [09:08]: "I'm filled with emotion. I'm crying, I'm laughing, I'm cheering and I'm saying, how does this man, who I've never met in my entire life tell my story? He was telling my story."

This encounter was pivotal, as it reflected Jeffrey's own struggles and aspirations, mirroring the themes Larson would later explore in Rent. Their collaboration heralded a new era in Broadway, blending rock music with poignant storytelling, and ultimately leading to the creation of a cultural phenomenon.

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The Art and Instinct of Producing

Alison probes into the intricacies of producing, questioning whether it is a teachable skill or an inherent talent. Jeffrey offers a balanced perspective:

Jeffrey Seller [08:02]: "I think you could teach someone, yes. But I also think it's very instinctual... a good producer pleases themselves and then hopes that the audience joins them."

He underscores the importance of personal taste and instinct in the decision-making process, asserting that true success lies in producing shows that genuinely resonate with the producer's own values and aesthetics.

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Behind the Scenes: The Weisslers and Learning the Ropes

Before his monumental successes, Jeffrey honed his craft working for the Barry and Fran Weissler, esteemed Broadway producers known for their star revivals. Jeffrey likens his time with them to earning a "PhD in Broadway production," detailing the multifaceted responsibilities he undertook:

Jeffrey Seller [11:24]: "They had their producing arm, their booking arm in house, and their general management arm... I lived and worked there, learning every facet of how you make a show and then how you tour it all over the country."

This experience was instrumental in shaping his comprehensive understanding of production, from sales and negotiations to coordination and merchandising.

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The Producer's Dilemma: Selling and Letting Go

A producer's journey is fraught with challenges, including the heart-wrenching moments of closing a show that doesn’t meet expectations. Jeffrey candidly discusses the emotional toll of such decisions:

Jeffrey Seller [14:50]: "It's so painful. You have to walk in that theater and tell that company... that we're closing."

Despite his successes with blockbuster shows, Jeffrey acknowledges that not every production reaches its potential. The ability to make tough decisions, while maintaining respect and empathy for the creative teams, is a testament to his resilience and dedication.

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The Broadway Lottery System and Making Theater Accessible

One of Jeffrey's notable contributions to Broadway is the Rush Tickets initiative, designed to make theater more accessible to a broader audience. Reflecting on its inception, he explains:

Jeffrey Seller [17:33]: "If I'm going to put a show on Broadway, I gotta take care of my people... we wanted it to be for everybody."

The original concept involved offering $20 cash-only tickets for the first two rows in the orchestra, aiming to generate enthusiasm and create a vibrant, inclusive atmosphere. This strategy quickly blossomed, with high demand leading to the implementation of a lottery system to manage the overwhelming interest. The success of this model paved the way for similar initiatives, including the $10 lottery tickets for Hamilton, ensuring that theater remains accessible to all, regardless of financial constraints.

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Conclusion: A Legacy of Passion and Inclusivity

Jeffrey Seller's memoir, "Theater Kid," is a tapestry of personal anecdotes, professional milestones, and heartfelt reflections. His journey from a passionate fourth-grader in Detroit to a Broadway titan underscores the transformative power of theater both personally and culturally. By fostering accessibility through initiatives like Rush Tickets and championing groundbreaking works like Rent and Hamilton, Jeffrey has left an indelible mark on the theater community. His stories not only celebrate the magic of Broadway but also inspire future generations to embrace and contribute to the ever-evolving landscape of cultural expression.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jeffrey Seller [00:30]: "Being in a play changes my life. I am filled with purpose for the first time."

• Jeffrey Seller [03:27]: "I grew up with a very challenging, loving, difficult father... writing a book like this was a way to get to know him better."

• Jeffrey Seller [07:14]: "I realized then and there that the most important decision a producer will ever make is what play to do, what musical to do."

• Jeffrey Seller [09:08]: "How does this man, who I've never met in my entire life tell my story? He was telling my story."

• Jeffrey Seller [17:33]: "If I'm going to put a show on Broadway, I gotta take care of my people... we wanted it to be for everybody."

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This episode of All Of It offers a profound exploration of Jeffrey Seller's life and contributions to theater, highlighting the intricate balance of passion, business acumen, and a commitment to inclusivity that defines his illustrious career.

Transcript

[Progressive Insurance]

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[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Actors, writers and directors rightfully receive the most attention for a Broadway production, but the producer is just as crucial as ensuring a show's success or failure. Jeffrey Seller is one of the most prolific Broadway producers of the last 30 years, behind shows that now define their respective eras. Jeffrey was an early believer in Rent back back when it was just an idea that his friend Jonathan Larson had. Jeffrey's also been the producer behind Avenue Q and he helped mentor a young man called oh Lin Manuel Miranda and produced in the Heights and Hamilton. Jeffrey Seller has written a new memoir ranging from a difficult childhood as an adopted kid in the Detroit suburbs to why theater was the first thing that really gave him purpose. And he saw a way for it to give purpose to other people. He helped start Rush tickets for theaters so that more people could see Broadway and maybe get inspired. The book is aptly named Theater Kid, and there are so many great stories in this book. Jeffrey Seller is here now in studio. Welcome to wnyc.

[Jeffrey Seller]

Oh, thank you, Alison. It's so fun to be here today with you.

[Alison Stewart]

You wrote in the book that your experience with theater started in the fourth grade. You performed in a Purim play at a temple in Detroit, and you write, being in a play changes my life. I am filled with purpose for the first time. Why do you think this experience filled you with purpose?

[Jeffrey Seller]

Because we make something. Because it's so hard to bring together dialogue, music, dancing. And when a group of people come together and they rehearse that show, in the case of a Purim play, every Saturday and Sunday afternoon and then feel the joy and, and the cheering of an audience when they get to watch that finished product. It's like nothing else I've ever done in my life. It's the funnest activity, but it's also the most rewarding activity.

[Alison Stewart]

Was it ever frightening or challenging?

[Jeffrey Seller]

I always, certainly when I was in plays, like, if you're not nervous, then you're not serious enough. Everybody, including some of our greatest performers today on Broadway, would say that they're still nervous every night when they go on and that that nervousness is the need and the desire to do well, to fulfill the Mission of the work.

[Alison Stewart]

In this book, there are so many stories of your childhood, and you lived through a lot. You lived through poverty, an ill parent, a tough neighborhood. As you wrote the memoir, what revelations did you have about your childhood that maybe you wouldn't have realized if you.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Hadn'T sat down and wrote them out?

[Jeffrey Seller]

I grew up with a very challenging, loving, difficult father. And writing this book both held him accountable, but it brought forward a love for him that I don't know that I had ever experienced in his life. He died 11 years ago, and my father did not support the family. Betrayed my mother suffered a motorcycle accident and bankrupt two businesses. He impoverished us. And yet any time I ever said to my dad, hey, will you take me down to the temple to audition for the Purim play? You know what he said? Get in the car. And he said that over and over when I wanted to go to the next play in Royal Oak or the next play at Michigan Opera Theater, the next opera, when I auditioned for the children's chorus. And writing a book like this was a way to get to know him better.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

That must have been challenging for you to have those. I mean, two ideas can exist at the same time in your head, but sometimes you get crowded in there.

[Jeffrey Seller]

Oh, my gosh. Yes. I was led with the notion that I have to show what happened, tell the story. Tell the story of that awful camping trip and tell the story of him taking me to that audition at the community theater when I'm in seventh grade. And then I get the part.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

My guest is Jeffrey Seller. The name of his book is Theater Kid. You tell a story about coming to New York as a teenager from Michigan, and you get to see Dreamgirls starring Jennifer Holiday. You went to Joe Allen for the first time.

[Alison Stewart]

First of all, what were your first.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Impressions of New York?

[Jeffrey Seller]

I will still tell you that the single best experience I ever had as an audience member was watching Dreamgirls In June of 1982, about four weeks after almost every single cast member on that stage won the Tony Award. Coming to Times Square for the first time. I remember, like, oh, like, walking from the Port Authority with my cousin Marty and then finding ourselves at, like, 46th street and Broadway. And you're like, oh, this is it. Cause it was kind of grimy and kind of fabulous all at the same time. I mean, there's a Howard Johnson's that looks kind of crappy, but then there's also. And then there's, you know, big ads for Sony and Iowa and Annie and Woman of the Year didn't exist yet. And then there's also, like, a theater that's right next to the Howard Johnson's called the gaiety. And I'm 17 years old and I am not yet out to myself or anybody else, but I want to know what's going on at the Gaiety.

[Alison Stewart]

I remember going to that Howard Johnson's and having really cheap drinks on 45th Street.

[Jeffrey Seller]

Yes. I mean, and I knew Howard Johnson's from home in Detroit because I loved their chocolate chip ice cream.

[Alison Stewart]

When did you decide that New York was going to be the place for you?

[Jeffrey Seller]

By the time I got to college at the University of Michigan. That was where I transitioned from being in place to directing A producing place. And making that leap to become a producer was all about me saying, who picks the play?

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Hmm.

[Jeffrey Seller]

And I realized then and there that the most important decision a producer will ever make is what play to do, what musical to do. And is that musical a reflection of my values, of my wants and needs and desires and my aesthetic?

[Alison Stewart]

Do you think you can. Is being a producer something you can teach someone, or is it a matter of taste?

[Jeffrey Seller]

Yeah, I think you could teach someone, yes. But I also think it's very instinctual. And what is taste? You know what I mean? This word that. Is anyone's taste any better or worse than anyone else's? So in my process, all I try to do is please myself. I loved Rent. I loved Jonathan's characters, I loved Jonathan's music, and it made the hair on my arm stand up. And that's why I did it. I didn't know if anyone else would be as pleased. So I think a good producer pleases themself, himself, herself, and then hope that the audience joins them.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. A good chunk of the book deals with Jonathan Larson. And you wrote him a letter that you wrote to him after seeing him perform his rock monologue Boho Days. What do you remember about that?

[Jeffrey Seller]

Oh, I can see it. He's at the piano on this empty stage. There's a piano, bass and drum player, and he is ferocious at this piano. He's attacking the piano and he is singing these songs. The green green dress and oh, what a way to spend a Day and his, you know, Sunday in the park parody about brunch. And he is joyous, furious, and Somehow he's a 30 year old composer of rock musicals that nobody wants to produce. He's living in the fourth floor walk up of an apartment down on Greenwich where the bathtub is really in the kitchen. And he's asking himself Should I keep writing these rock musicals that nobody wants to produce or should I go take this job as a copywriter and maybe finally make a living? And as I'm a 25 year old who's a booker, who I make a living but I don't like my job. I want to be a producer. I just broke up from a six year relationship and I'm afraid I'm going to be lonely for the rest of my life. And I'm wondering, will I ever be a producer? And I'm watching this man and the hair on my arms is tingling and I'm filled with emotion. I'm crying, I'm laughing, I'm cheering and I'm saying, how does this man, who I've never met in my entire life tell my story? He was telling my story.

[Alison Stewart]

I think all 20 somethings in the 80s and 90s felt that about what Jonathan Larson did and what Rent did.

[Jeffrey Seller]

Yeah, And I want to qualify that. Of course, Boho Days becomes. It gets a title change and it becomes Tick tick boom. Because of course what Jonathan heard in his head as a 30 year old was this tick tick boom that he thought he was going to explode if he didn't succeed soon.

[Alison Stewart]

I did want to ask you about what you did before that point because you were working as sort of a booker.

[Jeffrey Seller]

Yeah, yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

For the Weisslers. Is that how you say it?

[Jeffrey Seller]

Yeah, the Barry and Fran Weissler, the.

[Alison Stewart]

Great producers you write. Working for them was like getting a PhD in Broadway production. How so?

[Jeffrey Seller]

Oh my gosh. Well, the Weisslers were made, became famous for doing these big star revivals at a period on Broadway where there weren't a lot of new musicals. So in Clixagon succession they did Zorba with Anthony Quinn while I was still in college. And then when I got to join them in 1997, they were doing a revival of Cabaret with Joel Gray. They were doing a revival thereafter of Topol and Fiddler on the Roof. And my job was to be that guy who plans the tour that's going to go from Columbus to, to Chicago to Minneapolis, Denver, all over the country. It's a sales job, it's a negotiation job and it's a coordination job. And what they did in their office is all facets of production. So they had their producing arm, then they had their booking arm in house and they had their general management arm that does all of the day to day nuts and bolts. They even did their merchandising in house. They did it all so they could conceive we're gonna do this show and then we'll take it right through our entire office. And that's how we're gonna make it happen. And that's where I lived and worked. Well, not lived, but you felt like you live there, Felt you live there. And that's where I lived. You know, worked for three and a half years learning every facet of how you make a show and then how you tour it all over the country.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, you make a joke that your last name is seller.

[Jeffrey Seller]

I know, isn't that eerie? It's like if you're a baker and you're a baker, but I'm a seller and I sell stuff.

[Alison Stewart]

What do you sell? What do you think you sell?

[Jeffrey Seller]

Well, the most important thing I sell is the ticket. And if I can't sell the ticket, I'm out of business. But on the way to selling that ticket, I have to sell so many more things. Because if I fall in love with this new rock musical that's based on La Boheme and takes place today in the East Village in which Mimi has AIDS instead of tuberculosis. Okay, I gotta go sell it to investors who are gonna give me money to do it. And I had a lot of investors who I try to get a little bit of money from. That said, I don't even understand this. No, thank you. Yeah, I've got to sell it to a not for profit theater company, maybe who wants to join me to partner. I have to sell it to the landlords on Broadway who control those theaters and decide what they want to put in. I have to sell it to the group sales agents who I'm hoping will buy tickets not one or two at a time, but 20 or 30 or 100 at a time. I have to sell it to. To you, Alison, because I gotta try to get Jonathan Larson. Sadly, I didn't. We know why. I have to try to sell it to the press so the press can help publicize it. So we are selling. Once I take once I make that commitment to do the show I am selling from the day I start all the way until the day we end. And when do we make that tough decision to close?

[Unnamed Interviewer]

I was gonna ask that. Because you have Rent, you have Hamilton, these shows that sold immensely. Well, but.

[Alison Stewart]

But you must have had a show.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

You really believed in that didn't make it.

[Alison Stewart]

What do you do then?

[Jeffrey Seller]

It's so painful. You have to walk in that theater and tell that company on Tuesday before the show that we're closing. Maybe we're closing on Sunday. Maybe we're Closing in two weeks or in four weeks. And that's part of the job, too.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

We're coming up on the 10th anniversary of Hamilton.

[Progressive Insurance]

When did you.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

I've got a kid who's 17. He's a Hamilton kid. Like, he went like 7, 8 years old. He went as Lafayette, you know, because he thought David Daveed Diggs was cool. You know, that was, like, a cool thing to do.

[Jeffrey Seller]

Daveed Diggs was cool and is cool, just for the record, and cooler than I'll ever be.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

But when you think about it, it was a cultural phenomenon. Hamilton was. When did you realize it was going to be a cultural phenomenon, not just a great show?

[Jeffrey Seller]

When we. When I'm working on a show and when a team of artists, writers, directors, choreographers are working on a show, all we're trying to do is make a good show. And Lynn laughs at me because sometimes I can be caught saying, can we do better? Which is one of the jobs as the producer, cheerleader, nurturer, and sometimes critic. And sometimes the guy who says, can you do better? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so we were just trying to make a good show. What was happening is every time we would invite a few people to watch a reading of a workshop, the responses were getting stronger and stronger to the point where we did our final workshop. And two people who meant something to me and had nothing to do with each other said, well, that's the best thing I've ever seen. And I was like, what? I'm just trying to make a good show. I'm just trying to figure out how can We Compress Act 2 a little bit more? And they're like, it's the best thing I've ever seen. So we never know at the time. Only when we put it in front of the audience does it start to reveal itself. We don't know. It is the magic of adding the audience to the play, to the musical. And what we certainly saw as soon as we started performing in front of an audience is that it was affecting people in a much bigger way than a normal good musical.

[Alison Stewart]

I did want to say this before we wrap. I want to talk a little bit about how you helped Rush tickets come about.

[Jeffrey Seller]

Oh, it's probably my favorite topic.

[Alison Stewart]

It's an important topic because Broadway can be so expensive for people, and it can really move people if they could just see a show. And you saw a way to help people see a show.

[Jeffrey Seller]

Well, once again, it kind of started with the notion that when my then business partner, Kevin McCollum, and I were producing rent, I was 31 years old, I was a booker and I could barely afford a full price ticket to a Broadway show at that moment. So I'm like, if I'm going to go put a show on Broadway, I gotta take care of my people, of young people, of all people who can't afford that ticket. So we said we're going to have to have some sort of a cheap ticket. We knew that and then and there had been some student tickets and stuff like that on Broadway at that time, but they were like only for students, like if you had an id and they were like always putting them in the back of the balcony or the second balcony or you know, the heavens. And we thought, well, number one is it has to be for everybody because you get to New york at age 22 and you still have no money or maybe you're a retired librarian at 65 and you don't have enough money to go to a Broadway show. So it's everybody. And then we thought, what if we said it's 20 bucks cash only, first two rows in the orchestra. And that group of $20 ticket buyers is going to create an enthusiastic wave that starts in row A and goes all the way to the back of the last row in the balcony. And the fact that they're lining up at 6pm means we'll have people outside the theater align and a great marketing tool. And what is so amazing is that the first performance of Rent that we ever did was on April 15, 1996 and we sold all 34 seats, but there were only like 34 people there to get them. And of course a year later, on a Friday night there would be three lines and there would be one for Friday night, one for Saturday matinee and one for Saturday night. And kids were sleeping overnight on West 41st Street. And it was that point that Kevin and I said, someone's gonna get hurt, we need to change this. And then we converted the stand in line policy to the lottery. And that's what we've lived with ever since. And of course, every single one of my shows has used the lottery. When we got to Hamilton, Lynn said, well, it's gotta be an Alexander Hamilton. So now we took it down from 20 bucks to 10 bucks.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Perfect.

[Alison Stewart]

There are so many good stories in this book.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Theater A Broadway Memoir it is by Jeffrey Seller.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you for coming to the studio today, Alison.

[Jeffrey Seller]

It's so nice to be down here with you. My pleasure.

[Progressive Insurance]

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