Beyond the Bio — TEDxBroadway Speaker Michael Riedel
- DATE: January 22, 2018
- POSTED BY: Jessica Koslow
- CATEGORY: News
Photo Credit: Anne Wermiel
- He has covered Broadway for 20 years — 10 of them for the New York Post.
- He’s the author of Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway.
We asked Michael …
Q: What’s the first show you ever saw?
A: “Annie — I saw it in 1977 when I was 10. Andrea McArdle was great, but I was knocked out by Dorothy Loudon as Miss Hannigan. Tom Meehan, who wrote Annie, told me Dorothy was perfect for the part because she hated children. So do I.”
Q: What are you reading right now?
A: “The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch. I’d never read her, but I came across a clip of Jeremy Irons reading from the book on the BBC and was riveted. I proposed it to my book club and we’re plunging in, so to speak. It’s about an old actor who’s had it with the theater and retires to a remote corner of England to write his memoirs. He’s as much of an egomaniac as I am.”
Q: What’s your idea of the perfect meal?
A: “A glass or three of a good New Zealand sauvignon blanc with a dozen Sydney rock oysters and a fresh green salad with a wedge of blue cheese. And one more sauvignon blanc for dessert.”
Q: What’s the last song you listened to?
A: “Donna Summer’s version of ‘MacArthur Park.’ I wrote a snippy column about the Donna Summer musical coming to Broadway this spring. The producer emailed to say that I was being a little unfair since I hadn’t seen the show. That led me to YouTube and Donna Summer singing ‘MacArthur Park’ live at the Proms in London. Sensational. I can’t wait for the musical.”
Q: What’s your personal motto?
A: “‘Life’s a funny old thing. Man’s lucky if he gets out of it alive.’ –W.C. Fields”
Learn more on Twitter @MichaelRiedelNY and Facebook.
See Michael and more amazing speakers at TEDxBroadway 2018! Grab your tickets here, before they sell out.
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