By Matthew Wexler
For theater lovers looking for their summer beach read, powerhouse Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller has you covered. The creative force behind Rent, Hamilton, and Avenue Q offers an insider’s perspective on some of the biggest hits of the past two centuries, along with personal reflections that have informed his drive to succeed.
Seller’s Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir follows a traditional, chronological format, beginning with Seller’s upbringing in Detroit, Michigan, his time at the University of Michigan, and subsequent move to New York City.
Seller learned all aspects of the business, working as a publicist and booking agent before harnessing his multi-hyphenate talents to produce his passion: new works.
Much of Theater Kid focuses on the evolution of Rent, including his first meeting with Jonathan Larson, who was workshopping what would eventually become Tick, Tick … Boom! after the composer’s untimely death. Seller’s perspective offers a bird’s-eye view of the competing aspects of production (creative, logistical, financial), but also peeks into his sixth sense of how to recognize and cultivate a hit.
Given the pages dedicated to Rent, subsequent accomplishments such as Avenue Q, which won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical over Wicked, and Hamilton (which could probably be its own volume) feel somewhat truncated. Nor does Seller mention shows that failed to find an audience, like High Fidelity, based on the book by Nick Hornby, or Sting’s The Last Ship, which sank after 105 performances. Also missing is the quirky but delightful [title of show], a gem of the 2008-09 Broadway season (a filmed version can be streamed on Broadway HD).
Still, there’s plenty to discover, and it’s fun to step into Seller’s world, from his early relationship and longtime friendship with Broadway composer Andrew Lippa to some of the more unsavory characters that crossed his path on his journey to become a lead producer.
When the curtain comes down, and despite his groundbreaking success, Jeffrey Seller is, at heart, still a theater kid.
Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir by Jeffrey Sellers (Simon & Schuster, May 6, 2025).
