Understatement of the day: Seth Rudetsky is a talented guy.

Our paths crossed only a couple of times in New York. He was playing in the pit for Grease at the same time that I was, and we were also both involved in Hearts and Voices, an organization that provided entertainment for AIDS patients in local hospitals.

He’s played piano on and off-Broadway, recorded scores for TV (including Angels in America), done stand-up comedy (Stand-Up New York’s Funniest Gay Male), produced, music directed and conducted the 10th Anniversary Benefit Concert of Dreamgirls, written for the Rosie O’Donnell show (three Emmy nominations), and written the opening numbers for the 2000 and 1998 Tony Awards –when does this guy sleep?

 In addition to his long list of credits, Seth is probably most well-known for his Thursday night show, Seth’s Broadway Chatterbox at Don’t Tell Mama, during which he interviews sassy Broadway celebrities and helps them relive at least one mortifying moment in their performing careers.

He can currently be seen sporting a terrycloth robe in the Roundabout’s revival of The Ritz, he writes a column for Playbill.com about his myriad theatrical exploits:

“I saw some [Ritz] reviews, and the only one that sent me spiraling was one that said the bathhouse patrons were a mix of boys with washboard abs and trolls in towels. Okay, people. I don’t have washboard abs, so by process of elimination, I’m devastated.”

and he hosts a a daily radio show on Sirius Satellite radio.

Oh yeah, he also starred in an auto-biographical one-man show called Rhapsody in Seth, as well as in an off-off-Broadway revival of Torch Song Trilogy.

Oh, and he’s published two books: a novel, Broadway Nights: A Romp of Life, Love, & Musical Theatre (available to your left at the Theatre Geek Mall) and The Q Guide to Broadway: Stuff You Didn’t Even Know You Wanted to Know…about the Hits, Flops the Tonys, and Life upon the Wicked Stage.

Believe it or not, this post only scratches the surface Seth’s accomplishments and passions. I’ll leave you with a video and some links so you can find out more at your leisure. He’s definitely a personality worth knowing more about! And he definitely raises the bar for anyone who calls themselves a theatre geek.

Seth riffs on Barbra’s ballsy use of occlusive consonants. (This KILLS me every time)

Seth’s Broadway Chatterbox
2001 Talkin’ Broadway Interview
2007 Talkin’ Broadway Interview
Seth’s Hilarious Video Blog

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