Stephen Dolginoff
Offstage Drama Publishing
2024
312
Paperback
Non-Fiction/Theatre
Xmas Gift
Stephen Dolginoff’s Off-Broadway musical Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story was called “breathtaking” by The New York Times. It was honored with both Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for Best Musical. It then went on to have over two hundred productions spanning twenty-five countries and seventeen languages—and counting!
His thirty-year odyssey with Thrill Me began in 1994 when he first started writing the script and score. Once it was finished, he experienced a series of “thrilling” events that he never could have predicted. From putting on staged readings himself in New York City, to attending opening nights of the show all around the world, he’s collected plenty of behind-the-scenes stories, secrets, and surprises to share.
What was the key to the success of Thrill Me? Determination? Luck? Talent? All three? In Thrill Maker, Stephen takes an honest look back over the past thirty years to help discover how a non-household-name musical—about two notorious murderers—could fly under the radar to become a bona fide worldwide hit. You may have never even heard of the musical Thrill Me—but after reading Thrill Maker, it’s a good bet that you’ll be “dying” to see it!
I have an odd history with Thrill Me because I only discovered the show through foreign language studies. Had I still been in the UK when it first played there, I doubtless would have gone to see it, but I had already moved to Australia by then, so the musical passed me by until recently when I started learning Korean. I found highlights from the Korean production on YouTube and only then learnt it was an English-language show originally. I got to see the Korean production during a visit to Seoul in 2024, so I actually know the songs in Korean but have only heard a couple in English.
Thrill Maker was an interesting read since it took the reader on a journey from the show's initial concept to its ongoing success (up to 2024). I enjoyed learning the background to the creation of the show, and the evolution of the songs and staging. Stephen shared many behind-the-scenes tales from the early days, right through to the work he continues to do licensing various productions around the world. Stephen is clearly passionate about the show, but there were odd times around the middle of the book when he came across as a bit controlling. In some of the scenarios he mentioned, I could understand why he would have been upset at the liberties taken with his work. I am a published author and have had books pirated, so I know the feeling. But in a few of the scenarios, it seemed to me an overreaction. This put me offside now and then, but not in any major way and, as the creator, he is entitled to act in whatever way he finds fitting in relation to protecting his work. The book was fun and entertaining throughout, but the one aspect I thought could have been improved was the lack of pictures. Stephen talked often of great design work and amazing photos taken, but we never got shown any of them. This may have been a cost factor in terms of the book's production, but to see a few colour plates with poster designs and set/cast images would have given that extra shine. For those keen, though, such images are available to view on Stephen's website, as he notes in the book. Overall, I am giving this book four stars. It's a fascinating read whether you are already a fan of Thrill Me or are a fan of musicals in general and want to learn more of the background and work that goes into creating a show.
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