Review: “CONFESSIONS OF AN ACTRESS: From Chorus Girl to Broadway Star”
“The journey you are about to take in this memoir is connected to all of us as artists in the theater” – Forward by Lee Roy Reams to “Confessions of an Actress.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Meredith Patterson grew up dreaming of being a musical theater star. Pushing through difficult experiences by imagining they were “for the book,” she never stopped pursuing her goals with unfettered passion and determination. The arc of her story, as she shares it, is of someone who did ultimately achieve success, but was hit hard by trials along the way, and ultimately had to reconcile her fairy tale dream of stardom, of being special and unique, with the reality of the punishing business that will always go hand in hand with “show.”
But the truth is, Ms. Patterson IS a star. And she is incredibly unique. It’s just that she also happens to be a human being – one who is empathetic, observant, and full of life, all its highs and lows included. And whereas for her this might mean a bittersweet bookend to her fairy tale dream, for us, it simply means her fairy tale is the kind that MEANS something – not one that’s safe, and sparkly and easy, but one with painful, scary forests to be traversed, wolves in sheep’s clothing to survive and a truly happy ending because it cost something to achieve. If you, or anyone you know truly dreams of Broadway, don’t satiate you (or them) with the Tonys and cast albums (not JUST with the Tonys and cast albums,) but with “Confessions of an Actress.” We should all feel lucky to have a kind, charming, honest narrator like Meredith who, though she is too young and too much in the midst of her career to be writing a memoir, fortunately, guides our way through a theater world that is still so close (in years and spirit) to the one we currently occupy. It is a rare boon and one we should use to inspire and galvanize the theater world. Ms. Patterson’s experiences aren’t of the sort of the distant ethereal world most memoirs occupy because the universe they describe is now far away. Unlike the old Hollywood studio systems and the “Golden Age” of Broadway, Ms. Patterson’s story is still in the here and now.
For those who don’t know, Ms. Patterson is most well-known for being Broadways real-life Peggy Sawyer. While still in her early 20’s she was cast in her Broadway musical debut, the revival of “42nd Street,” where she was in the ensemble and understudied Peggy Sawyer (after being down to the final two to play the role flat out.) When the actress playing Peggy left the show three months into the run, Meredith was plucked from the chorus and took on the role full time. At her first performance when Billy says to Peggy: “Go to it…your first notes on Broadway!” Both Peggy and Meredith sang their first solo notes on Broadway. She was so beloved, in fact, that fans started a letter-writing campaign to get her a Tony nomination, citing a previous example where an understudy who took over a lead role early in the run, but technically after opening night (when the Tony cut off happens) was given such an honor. But behind the scenes, Ms. Patterson was having every horrific trial in the book thrown at her and frankly, it’s a miracle she survived in as good and sweet-spirited shape as she did.
Ms. Patterson went on to star in many other wonderful projects, most notably playing the Julie Andrews role in the first revival of “The Boyfriend” since the original production – selected and directed by none other than Julie Andrews herself. That role led to her starring on the big screen as Lady Elissa in “The Princess Diaries 2” this time acting opposite Andrews. She starred in “White Christmas” on Broadway and many other projects in theater, film, and T.V. (This book ends with Ms. Patterson’s exit from “42nd Street” and I’m very glad it’s the first in a planned series which will continue the story of her life and career after leaving the show.)
Ms. Patterson does a wonderful job in her literary debut – something far from true for everyone who sets out to write a book. There are sometimes repetitions of phrases or sentiments, but that is the most critical I can be of what is quite an engrossing page-turner. With an honest, but optimistic open heart she shares her story not to be a salacious “tell-all,” but to give a gift to her readers. Ms. Patterson shares how cruelly she was treated by certain members of the cast and production team when she was understudying and then took over the role of Peggy, and how hard she tried to do the opposite for her own understudy – to welcome her, make her feel appreciated, and taken under her wing. That’s exactly what Ms. Patterson does for her readers through this book.
This is not a generic memoir following a cookie-cutter pattern that by now we’re all familiar with in the seemingly identical adaptations of the lives of famous artists. It is absolutely and entirely unique – and it is in fact through its uniqueness and specificity that it becomes incredibly universal (an adage I find usually holds true.) The antidotes are riveting and hit close to home. And though we all know at the outset that Ms. Patterson arrives at being a lead on Broadway, it’s the journey that we can’t tear ourselves away from. Ms. Patterson has always had big dreams and a fierce work ethic. It’s brought her through everything from abusive directors and potentially career-ending injuries to both manipulative bosses and personal relationships. But most surprisingly it has not left her jaded. Wiser, yes, but jaded and cynical, not a whit. And that’s something beautifully rare in tales of our profession – which is one of the reasons I think this book is so important and worthwhile.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have had the privilege to know and work with Ms. Patterson. I have found her utterly kind, charming, and fantastic in life and I am delighted that these qualities come flying off the page. If you have the pleasure of meeting her after reading this book you will find it a brilliant argument against the adage “never meet your heroes.”
If you have any interest in the theater, or just enjoy memoirs, read this book. If you want to learn the real truths about this industry, read this book. If you want a helping hand to take yours and tell you that you’re not alone in your trials, read this book.
Ms. Patterson is the epitome of a star – any of her many fans who have stage doored her shows and anyone who has worked with her in any capacity can attest to that. But she is the kind of star we should all aspire to be – not just because of what she can do in a pair of tap shoes, but because of her generosity of spirit, and kind but unflinching honesty.
And it turns out, all her struggles, successes, joys, and lessons really were for “the book” after all.
“Confessions of an Actress” is currently available on Amazon.com Kindle and Paperback. Audible coming Winter 2021.