Shy

The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers

By: Mary Rodgers, Jesse Green

Narrated by: Christine Baranski, Jesse Green

The memoirs of Mary Rodgers―writer, composer, Broadway royalty, and “a woman who tried everything.”

“What am I, bologna?” Mary Rodgers (1931-2014) often said. She was referring to being stuck in the middle of a talent sandwich: the daughter of one composer and the mother of another. And not just any composers. Her father was Richard Rodgers, perhaps the greatest American melodist; her son, Adam Guettel, a worthy successor. What that leaves out is Mary herself, also a composer, whose musical Once Upon a Mattress remains one of the rare revivable Broadway hits written by a woman.

Shy is the story of how it all happened: how Mary grew from an angry child, constrained by privilege and a parent’s overwhelming gift, to become not just a theater figure in her own right but also a renowned author of books for young readers (including the classic Freaky Friday) and, in a final grand turn, a doyenne of philanthropy and the chairman of the Juilliard School.

But in telling these stories―with copious annotations, contradictions, and interruptions from Jesse Green, the chief theater critic of The New York Times―Shy also tells another, about a woman liberating herself from disapproving parents and pervasive sexism to find art and romance on her own terms. Whether writing for Judy Holliday or Rin Tin Tin, dating Hal Prince or falling for Stephen Sondheim over a game of chess at thirteen, Rodgers grabbed every chance possible―and then some.

Both an eyewitness report from the golden age of American musical theater and a tale of a woman striving for a meaningful life, Shy is, above all, a chance to sit at the feet of the kind of woman they don’t make anymore―and never did. They make themselves.

©2023 Mary Rodgers,Jesse Green (P)2023 Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks

Worth the wait!

From the second the book came out I’ve been checking and checking and checking and checking for the audio version. I finally gave up. And then, all of a sudden, here it is. Worth the wait and the time. What a fantastic broad was Mary Rodgers Guettel. Drink it in.

A Fun, Behind-the-Scenes Treat for Broadway Fans

If you can sing along with original cast albums from the Golden Age of Broadway, then this book is for you. Christine Baranski makes Mary Rodgers' wit, wisdom, and wisecracks come alive, and she perfects a snarky tone that is more delectable than depressing.

Great Listen-To!

Christine Baranski does a great job of making Mary Rodgers come to life. Jesse Green did a wonderful job of interjecting explanations as needed, and at the end, I could have cried, as I felt I lost someone I had known. Very well done!

Wonderful sauciness

This book is a unique combination of autobiography & interview. Mary was the daughter of Richard Rogers of Rogers & Hammerstein fame who was an accomplished musical author herself. You get facts about her father’s productions along with juicy sharp gossip about the era delivered by barbed tartness by Christine Baranski. I can not recommend this book enough for theatre lovers.

Insightful…a delightful cut to the chase.

Clever, interesting and honest to a fault, what a legacy Mary Rogers has left for those who value a life in the arts.

Baranski is a marvelous narrator.

Christine Baranski is perfection. Mary’s story is hilarious, heartbreaking, and admirable. One of the wittiest biographies I’ve “read.”

Unvarnished perception

I enjoyed it because it was full of the tales of theatrical people I was familiar with. Shockingly direct and very unvarnished opinions of a direct lady who was obviously so painfully direct and honest. Wish I had known her.

What a fun book!

Mary Rodgers had such a non-traditional life, and it was told so well through Jesse Green and Christine Baranski’s narration. I felt like Rodgers was telling me the story, while Green’s “back to the real world” side notes punctuated the storytelling. I want more.

Amazing Life

I LOVED THIS BOOK AND THE READING OF IT. I didn’t know anything about Mary Rodgers other that who her father was. I was many times astounded and enlightened with her accomplishments and her relationships. What an awesome human being! And Christine Baranski was pitch perfect, as was the voice of reason and truth, Jesse Green. Thanks so much for this book and Audible.

Most entertaining,thought-provoking and so funny and endearing

The narration was as good as it gets. The storytelling held my interest The disclosures were truly that, and I felt like I knew who Mary Rogers was. Great read