The singing actor will discuss his newly released memoir, Master of Ceremonies, with Drama Book Shop events manager Steven Carl McCasland, including a Q&A with the audience. The event, in the Arthur Seelen Theatre downstairs, will be followed by a book signing on the main floor of the shop.
Admission is free to the public, but those who have purchased Grey's book from The Drama Book Shop will be given priority admission. (Those who purchased the book in advance to the event should bring their receipt.)
Master of Ceremonies, according to press notes, is a “memoir of a life lived in and out of the limelight, but it is also the story of the man behind the stage makeup. Coming of age in a time when being yourself tended to be not only difficult but also dangerous, Joel has to act both on and off the stage. He spends his high school years sleeping with the girls-next-door while carrying on a scandalous affair with an older man. Romances with to-die-for Vegas Showgirls are balanced with late night liaisons with like-minded guys, until finally Joel falls in love and marries a talented and beautiful woman, starts a family, and has a pretty much picture perfect life. But 24 years later when the marriage dissolves, Joel has to once again find his place in a world that has radically changed.
“Drawing back the curtain on a career filled with show-stopping numbers, larger-than-life stars and even singing in the shower with Bjork, Master of Ceremonies is also a portrait of an artist coming to terms with his evolving identity. When an actor plays a character, he has to find out what makes them who they are; their needs, dreams, and fears. It’s a difficult thing to do, but sometimes the hardest role in an actor’s life is that of himself. Deftly capturing the joy of performing as well as the pain and secrets of an era we have only just started to leave behind, Joel’s story is one of love, loss, hard-won honesty, redemption, and success.”
The Drama Book Shop, now celebrating its 99th year, is located at 250 West 40th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues. For more information on this and other events, visit Dramabookshop.com.
