Seth Rudetsky

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan is a fun, frothy, frolic that reminded me of some of my favorite “chick-lit” books. Justin finds himself in embarrassing/funny/awkward situations ala Becky Bloomwood and Bridget Jones. You can see that our hero is making bad decisions that will only lead to trouble, but it’s so much fun to see how he’s going to get out of it.

I’ve been a fan of Rudetsky (better known for his Broadway resume) for years. He hosts a couple of my favorite Broadway talk show more shows on Sirius/XM’s Broadway Channel, writes regular features for Playbill and has been in several Broadway and Off-Broadway productions himself. With that in mind, I knew that Broadway musicals were going to feature in his debut novel and, as a fan, I relished the references, although they might not be for everyone.

This is the first YA romance I’ve read that features a homosexual hero. I loved that it wasn’t preachy or deep. It just was. Justin is funny, sassy and awkward all at the same time and his BFF, Spencer, is a perfect foil to all of his half-baked plans.

In the end My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan wasn’t so much about the differences between people with different sexual preferences, it was a testament to how similar their situations actually are. First crushes and first love are strange territory for any teenager and Rudetsky has shown just how funny it can be too. show less

I’ve just returned from my third New York theatre trip in seven months. Seth Rudetsky's Broadway Nights: A Romp of Life, Love, and Musical Theatre was the perfect guilty pleasure to enjoy leading up to and during my trip. And enjoy it I did. It's the story of Rudetsky alter-ego Stephen Sheerin, a musician who makes a career of subbing in Broadway pit orchestras. His dream is to conduct on Broadway, and the novel is the story of his big chance to do just that. It's told in Stephen's own show more voice thought the journal he's been keeping at the suggestion of his therapist.

I had the pleasure of listening to the amusing Mr. Rudetsky read his own work in the audiobook version of Broadway Nights. Am I the only one who thinks it's hysterical that he complains about Dr. Phil's accent and constant name-dropping? While some of his humor may be unintentional, most of it lands right where it's supposed to. This is a man who describes eggs being "drier than a Noel Coward one-liner." It's a New York, Jewish, gay sensibility that Rudetsky brings to his fiction--perhaps not everyone's cup of tea--but it is funny.

Rudetsky is a real Broadway insider, and half the fun of this book is all the backstage stories he tells. (As well as trying to figure out who the loosely-veiled characters might be based upon.) The other half of the fun is that he was joined on the audiobook by an A-list cast of Broadway veterans. Kristin Chenoweth, Jonathan Groff, Richard Kind, Emily Skinner, Billy Porter, Andrea Martin, and three of the four [Tossers] are just a few of the talents lending their voices to the endeavor. I'm sure this is a fun read for any theatre geek like me, but if at all possible get hold of the audiobook. You'll be so glad you did.

And should Mr. Rudetsky return to the world of fiction, I'll be the first in line for his continuing adventures. show less

Broadway, New York. The shows, the neon lights . . . the cute chorus boys! It's where Justin has always wanted to be--and now, with a winter internship for a famous actor, he finally has his chance to shine. If only he could ditch his kind, virtuous, upright, and--dare he say it?—uptight boyfriend, Spencer. But once the internship begins, Justin has more to worry about than a cramped single-guy-in-the-city style. Instead of having his moment in the spotlight, he's a not-so-glorified errand show more boy. Plus, Spencer is hanging out with a celebra-hottie, Justin's best friend Becky isn't speaking to him, and his famous actor boss seems headed for flopdom. Justin's tap-dancing as fast as he can, but all his wit and sass might not be enough to switch his time in New York from nightmare-terrible to dream-come-true terrific.

Seth Rudetsky's second YA novel is endearingly human, laugh-out-loud funny, and for any kid who's ever aspired to Broadway but can only sneak in through the stage door. show less

I come from a long line of musical theatre junkies. Some of my earliest memories are of listening to my parents' original cast recordings of various musicals and I was taken to see musicals from a very young age. Although these days I see much more straight theatre than I do musicals, I retain a fondness for musical theatre generally and for Broadway productions in particular.

This is a novel which is lots of fun for someone who loves musical theatre and of no interest whatsover to anyone show more else. Narrated by the author, with guest appearances by a number of Broadway stars (the only ones with whom I am familiar being Kristen Chenoweth, Jonathan Groff and Ann Harada), it's clearly a roman à clef. This means that Broadway insiders (who presumably all read the book when it was first published) would get more out of it than the average Broadway fan. It's also a fairy tale, a romantic comedy and a vehicle for the author to share his views on a range of subjects. Added to that, it imparts lots of interesting information about the way in which a musical gets from audition stage to opening night. And it's genuinely funny, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

That said, the work is rather too long for its content. It's also predictable and not terribly original. In addition, I hope that the author doesn't have the issues with his mother that the fictional narrator has. If he does, I really feel for the mother whose self-centredness is displayed for all to read about.

In spite of the novel's shortcomings, this was just what I needed after listening to an audiobook of the wonderful but very depressing [b:Jude the Obscure|50798|Jude the Obscure|Thomas Hardy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328863934s/50798.jpg|2011241]: a silly bit of fluff which makes me want to head straight to New York to see another show or three. A solid 3-1/2 star read. show less