Mitchell Maxwell is the visionary producer behind the rollicking Broadway revival of Damn Yankees featuring the legendary Jerry Lewis – which was nominated for multiple Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical – and the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Dinner with Friends. He has produced the Broadway musicals Play On! Bells are Ringing (Tony-nominated for Best Revival of a Musical), Blues in the Night (Tony Nominated as Best Musical), Brooklyn, and the percussive theatrical wonder, Stomp!
Bea: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Mitchell: YES BUT I CAN ONLY TELL YOU AFTER YOU HAVE READ THE NOVEL OTHERWISE IT WILL GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY
Maxwell helped bring these original and groundbreaking productions to life through a combination of audacious vision, bold creativity and the ability to spot potential that others missed. By embracing his dream, Maxwell actually lived it as he worked his way up from summer stock neophyte to Tony Award-winning producer. He has recreated those heady, by-gone days in his new book LITTLE DID I KNOW (Prospecta Press, October 5, 2011) written in classic roman รก clef style. This is a coming-of-age tale filled with romance, laughter, heartbreak and applause about a young entrepreneur who sets the stage for fledgling artists while living a life so many aspire to but never realize.
Maxwell is the president, CCO and director of MCrew Media LLC, who has produced seven Broadway shows, more than 30 off-Broadway and regional productions, four national tours, three West End productions and six major motion pictures, including the Drama Desk winner Marvin’s Room, and the Tony- and Olivier-nominated international hit Blues in the Night. His productions have been nominated for – and won – every major theatrical award including the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Obie, Olivier and Ovation awards.
Please welcome Mitchell Maxwell to the Nook. Bea: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Mitchell: YES BUT I CAN ONLY TELL YOU AFTER YOU HAVE READ THE NOVEL OTHERWISE IT WILL GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY
Bea: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Mitchell: SURPRISE AS TO WHERE MY CHARACTERS GO HOW THEY REACT TO SITUATIONS AND HOW THEY GROW IN WAYS I NEVER IMAGINED. I ALSO LIKE TO FIND NEW WORDS TO SAY THINGS IN A FRESH FASHION.
Mitchell: SURPRISE AS TO WHERE MY CHARACTERS GO HOW THEY REACT TO SITUATIONS AND HOW THEY GROW IN WAYS I NEVER IMAGINED. I ALSO LIKE TO FIND NEW WORDS TO SAY THINGS IN A FRESH FASHION.
Bea: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Mitchell: A BASEBALL STAR BUT I COULDN’T HIT A CURVEBALL. TO FOLLOW MY PASSIONS. TO LEAVE MY FINGERPRINT ON THE PLANET. TO LISTEN AND TO CHANGE LIVES. OFFER HELP PUT MY BELIEFS AHEAD OF MY WANTS. TO SUCCEED. TO FIND RESPECT RATHER THAN BE LIKED –IF I HAD TO CHOOSE. TO FIND A FEW SPECIAL PERSONS WHO BELIEVED IN ME AND NOT DISAPPOINT THEM. BE ME BUT WITH A LITTLE LESS ANYST, PERHAPS MORE HAIR AND A BIGGER SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
Mitchell: A BASEBALL STAR BUT I COULDN’T HIT A CURVEBALL. TO FOLLOW MY PASSIONS. TO LEAVE MY FINGERPRINT ON THE PLANET. TO LISTEN AND TO CHANGE LIVES. OFFER HELP PUT MY BELIEFS AHEAD OF MY WANTS. TO SUCCEED. TO FIND RESPECT RATHER THAN BE LIKED –IF I HAD TO CHOOSE. TO FIND A FEW SPECIAL PERSONS WHO BELIEVED IN ME AND NOT DISAPPOINT THEM. BE ME BUT WITH A LITTLE LESS ANYST, PERHAPS MORE HAIR AND A BIGGER SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
Bea: How much, and what kinds of, research went into creating this novel?
Mitchell: VERY LITTLE, DATES, EXACT NAMES A BIT OF HISTORY BUT THIS BOOK IS MY EARLY COMING OF AGE DAYS AND WAS INSPIRED BY TRUTHS SO MY RESEARCH WAS TO REVIST MEMORY
Mitchell: VERY LITTLE, DATES, EXACT NAMES A BIT OF HISTORY BUT THIS BOOK IS MY EARLY COMING OF AGE DAYS AND WAS INSPIRED BY TRUTHS SO MY RESEARCH WAS TO REVIST MEMORY
Bea: Is there a specific element in your writing that you find most challenging?
Mitchell: TO SAY THINGS TO THE READER THAT I FIND OF VALUE WITHOUT SOUNDING DIDACTIC. TO KEEP THINGS FRESH AND HUMOROUS AND DESCRIPTIVE. I AM NOT WRITING ABOUT BIG THINGS BUT IT IS THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE EACH LIFE SPECIAL AND MEMEORABLE. I HOPE MY READERS WILL REMEMEBR SOMETHING A CHARACTER SIAD AND USE IT IN THEIR JOURNEY. THAT WOULD BE SPECIAL.
Mitchell: TO SAY THINGS TO THE READER THAT I FIND OF VALUE WITHOUT SOUNDING DIDACTIC. TO KEEP THINGS FRESH AND HUMOROUS AND DESCRIPTIVE. I AM NOT WRITING ABOUT BIG THINGS BUT IT IS THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE EACH LIFE SPECIAL AND MEMEORABLE. I HOPE MY READERS WILL REMEMEBR SOMETHING A CHARACTER SIAD AND USE IT IN THEIR JOURNEY. THAT WOULD BE SPECIAL.
Thank you Mitchell for taking the time to stop by and answer some questions.
Great interview!
ReplyDeleteI've heard other writer's say this too...that they like to see where their characters will go and what they'll do...I guess I don't give mine so much freedom...I know exactly what they're thinking ;-) lol...after all, they do reside in my brain!
I've seen both responses from authors and am intrigued by both. How much control does someone have over their creativity? At what point do stop doing what you want versus what your creativity wants and is there really a difference?
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