Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life

by Greg Lawrence and Donna McKechnie

Book Overview

A poignant and revealing memoir from a legendary entertainer. Donna McKechnie began her love affair with dance as a child in Detroit. At fifteen, she ran away from home to join a touring dance troupe,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743255208
• ISBN13: 9780743255202
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 289 Pages
• Weight: 1.09 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

excellent..good pictures. stories,etc.

donna has always been a winner..when i first met donna in charles nelson reilly's musical comedy class, 1962, at the hb studio, in nyc/greenwich village, she was already at the top of her game ..broadway dancer."how to succeed", vocal lessons with bob murdoch, also in "how to succeed".pretty,great dancer/singer & actress.............donna alaways has had that qualiy X......hard working, focused on her career...never wavering.....i am so happy for her success....movies,tv,stage, clubs.....she does it all......i will always watch her career with great interest..p.s., a nice gal, too......JACK R. ENGLISH, BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.........actor/singer/film & tv production............je

Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life

This was a gift for a young woman who was studying Theater Arts. She loved it and said it had good quality photos.

The Life of a Professional

Broadway stars don't get the recognition that movie stars get, but so far as Broadway stars go, Donna McKechnie is pretty well up there. After all, winning a Tony goes a long way to separate the stars from the wanna be's. In Broadway acting there's a balance between the capabilities of the star and the play that doesn't seem to be as strong as it is in movies. Every Broadway actor has a series of talents in some combination of singing, dancing and acting. The key to success is for that actor to find a position in a play that exactly matches the mix of these talents. For Ms McKechnie that came together in 'A Chorus Line.' This book has a lot about 'A Chorus Line.' But it's from a personal side. How do you take the talents you have, get them in front of the people making the decision about who to hire and get the job. Then what do you do afterward. How do you handle the problems that life brings you. And why does it seem that those who rise to great heights offten have problems more severe than the rest of us, try to imagine what rheumatoid arthritis does to a professional dancer. After a lifetime of working to be a dancer, to be told you will will never dance again, indeed may not be able to walk. As has been said before, actors don't do acting because they want to, they do it because they have to. Ms. McKechnie probably has to do walk this line, but she's also doing exactly what she wants to do.

one opinion from Italy

a true indispensable treasure of information for a lover of american musical shows. simple in the text, rich in the content

I couldn't put it down.

This is a wonderful read. Broadway and musical fans will be thrilled to hear the insider stories, but also saddened that a woman as talented and driven as Donna McKechnie never became a household name. Unflinchingly honest, almost painful at times. I practically inhaled the book and I recommend it highly.