Theatre Tales (Pre-Andrew Lloyd Webber)

It is widely believed that if you mention anything to an actor that happened more than twenty years ago, he or she will either laugh or cry. The point being that events in the show business tend to attain a larger than life quality, at least to the participants, either sadder or funnier than they would be if normal people were involved. I have earned a precarious living in various facets of the profession for nearly forty years, while observing, with wonder, these often bizarre moments. It seemed a waste to have them all disappear when I do. Therefore, in the interest of preserving a record of the antics of my fellow workers, from Ethel Merman to Bernard Wu, I dedicate this book. If you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed living it, I will consider the effort eminently worth while.