I, Rhoda is a memoir from Valerie Harper. Although Valerie is known the best for her portrayal of Rhoda Morgenstern for 4 years on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and another 5 years of the spin off Rhoda, she has done so many more things of interest I didn't know.
She started out as a dancer, and landed roles in the Radio City Music Hall review, as well as on Broadway in Lil' Abner, among other shows. The first part of the book has fascinating backstage Broadway stories from the 60's, with lots of show biz folks. She also joined the fight to present black actors on the stage and in industry shows. They didn't go as far as integrating, but the white wash of the white way was becoming a thing of the past. She continued to work in theatre when she and her husband moved out to LA for a film role for him. She was seen at a small theatre, got a call to audition for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and was hired, a virtual unknown, for the part of Rhoda.
After Rhoda ended she had her own sitcom, Valerie, and it was nice to hear the story of its demise told completely. It was a messy ending beginning with the network firing her unjustly and the court case that followed. Her settlement was a landmark and opened the way for others who were fired unfairly. There were many film roles and pilots, but the second half of the book is highlighted by her award winning work on the stage. She starred in a successful one-woman show as Pearl Buck, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Another one-woman show followed as she played Golda Meir in Golda's Balcony, for which they won a Tony Award.
Her latest stage role was as a foul mouthed, inebriated Tallulah Bankhead in Looped, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Actress.
It was a fascinating and entertaining read; an eye-opener to know how much stage work she accomplished when we just know her as Rhoda Morgenstern. I love the backstage scene of TV and the ins and outs of producing plays and starring on stage. This was a great read, and if you also like theatre, you'll enjoy it!
2013 / Hardcover / 307 pages
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