How to Survive a Killer Musical

When the young composer Douglas Cohen first secured the musical rights to the novel No Way to Treat a Lady by William Goldman—the acclaimed author of The Princess Bride and Marathon Man—he hoped it would be his big break, the first step on a gilt path to artistic triumph and commercial success in the form of a hit Broadway musical.

What happened after that, while memorable, was anything but.

How to Survive a Killer Musical chronicles Cohen's decade-long quest to bring that musical to the stage—writing, re-writing, and shepherding it across the US and Europe amidst all manner of adversity and plain rotten luck. It's a fascinating portrait of passion, persistence, and resilience—a coming-of-age story populated with famous mentors and formidable adversaries, told with refreshing honesty and humor.

On Cohen's journey, he introduces us to an indelible cast of characters including a two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter who invites Cohen to his personal screening room for a marathon midnight brainstorming session; a Tony Award-winning director making his comeback after a horrific accident renders him a quadriplegic; and a celebrated, volatile British director who inspires a fruitful collaboration in London, only to later leave carnage in his wake. Catastrophes abound, including the near-fatal stabbing of a female lead in rehearsal and an onstage accident incapacitating another leading lady—leaving only the author to go on in her place! Throughout, Cohen’s attempts to keep his optimism and his cool are offset by the cynical, cheerfully profane Goldman, who regards the show’s travails with bemusement even as he remains one of the composer’s most reliable supporters.

Whether you’re a fan of musicals or just someone who’s suffered trying to bring a passion project into the world, this tale of fortitude in the face of obstacles, personalities, and egos will make for an eye-opening and frequently hilarious journey.