'Never Mind the Happy': In conversation with Marc Shaiman and Leslie Odom Jr.
SCAD and the Trustees Theater welcome legendary composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman (Hairspray, Mary Poppins Returns, Smash) to the stage for an intimate conversation about his life, career, and new memoir Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner. Shaiman will be joined by Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning performer Leslie Odom Jr., star of Smash and collaborator, as the two reflect on Shaiman's work across Broadway and film, his creative process, and the experiences that shaped his artistry. Expect a candid, hilarious, and deeply human discussion that pays tribute to the power of music, the pull of the spotlight, and the beat that can’t be stopped.
Tickets are $30 and include a signed hardcover edition of Never Mind the Happy. SCAD Card holders may purchase tickets to the event for $8; note that SCAD Card holder tickets do not include a copy of the book. For more information, email [email protected].
About the Book
In Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner, 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 1970s, surviving the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, building an award-winning film music career in 1990s Hollywood, and right up to the peaks (and valleys) of creating Broadway musicals from 2000 on. 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.
About Marc Shaiman
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 for his work on films such as When Harry Met Sally, The Addams Family, Sister Act, City Slickers, A Few Good Men, Sleepless in Seattle, and more. His television credits include Saturday Night Live and he has also recorded with Harry Connick Jr. and Mariah Carey.
Shaiman earned widespread acclaim for co-writing the Broadway musical Hairspray with 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 Award, two Emmy Awards, and two Grammy Awards.
Shaiman is celebrated for his versatile, emotionally resonant music and for blending classic musical theater sensibilities with modern storytelling. Born and raised in New Jersey, he currently lives in New York with his husband, Lt. Com. (ret.) Lou Mirabal. For more information, visit marcshaiman.com.
About Leslie Odom Jr.
Leslie Odom Jr. is a Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning, Emmy Award and Academy Award-nominated actor, singer, and author, best known for his breakout role as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. His acclaimed career spans Broadway, film, television, and music, with recent highlights including Purlie Victorious on Broadway, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, The Exorcist: Believer, and his Oscar-nominated role as Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami. Odom is also a bestselling author and has released five studio albums.