NEVER MIND THE HAPPY: SHOWBIZ STORIES FROM A SORE WINNER

From the award-winning composer and co-lyricist behind Hairspray, Sister Act, Mary Poppins Returns, and Smash comes a wickedly funny, no-holds-barred memoir. In Never Mind the Happy, Marc Shaiman reflects on five decades of Broadway triumphs, Hollywood hijinks, and unforgettable collaborations. He charts the personal highs and heartbreaks that shaped him—from his teenage years in community theater to his decades-long partnership with Bette Midler, surviving the AIDS crisis, building an award-winning film music career in 1990s Hollywood, and creating Broadway musicals from 2000 onward. Candid, hilarious, and deeply human, Shaiman's story celebrates the power of music, the pull of the spotlight, and the creative force of melancholy. Part showbiz tell-all, part love letter to the art form—told with perfect comic timing, a few wrong notes, and plenty of standing ovations. 304 pages | Published January 27, 2026 | Regalo Press | ISBN-13: 979-8895652244