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Donna McKechnie began her love affair with dance as a child in Detroit. At fifteen, she ran away from home to join a touring dance troupe, and in 1961, she was cast in the Broadway smash hit How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She soon won acclaim as Michael Bennett's show-stopping muse in Promises, Promises and Company. In 1975, with her Tony-winning performance in Michael Bennett's masterpiece, A Chorus Line, McKechnie vaulted to stardom as a unique Broadway "triple threat" who could do it all -- dance, sing, and act.

Moving among the circles of artists, dancers, and musicians who inspired and challenged her in myriad ways, McKechnie writes about the trajectory of her career as it intertwined with and influenced her personal life and the lives of those around her. Recounting her dazzling career, McKechnie also reveals the dark side of fame: from her parents' troubled relationship to a searing account of her own marriage to Michael Bennett and her inspiring triumphs over depression and the rheumatoid arthritis that nearly ended her career. With affectionate reminiscences of Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon, Stephen Sondheim, Fred Astaire, and many other well-known friends, McKechnie exhibits all the warmth, sensitivity, and verve that have endeared her to legions of fans over the years.

Filled with behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes, Time Steps is a candid, funny, and deeply personal memoir by a vivacious woman with an indomitable spirit and an illustrious, ongoing career.

Average Customer Rating:

Christmas Gift	Customer Rating:
haven't opened it, but fast sihpment, bought for Christmas gift, can't unseal till then but trust sender.

excellent..good pictures. stories,etc.

Customer Rating:

donna has always been a winner..when i first met donna in charles nelson reilly's musical comedy class, 1962, at the hb studio, in nyc/greenwich village, she was already at the top of her game ..broadway dancer."how to succeed", vocal lessons with bob murdoch, also in "how to succeed".pretty,great dancer/singer & actress.............donna alaways has had that qualiy X......hard working, focused on her career...never wavering.....i am so happy for her success....movies,tv,stage, clubs.....she does it all......i will always watch her career with great interest..p.s., a nice gal, too......JACK R. ENGLISH, BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.........actor/singer/film & tv production............je

A MUST for aspiring performers

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TIME STEPS is dancing star Donna McKechnie's autobiography written with the assistance of Greg Lawrence (who also wrote the Jerome Robbins biography DANCE WITH DEMONS and helped Gelsey Kirkland write her bestselling autobiography DANCING ON MY GRAVE). McKechnie's story is a very interesting one on many levels. She ran away from home as a teenager and managed to carve out a career for herself as a professional dancer. Her big break came when she auditioned for producer Cy Feuer who hired her for the chorus of his new Broadway show HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING when she was still a teenager. For several heady years she went from one hit show to another, including her breakthrough moment in PROMISES, PROMISES and her spectacular turn in Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY, culminating in her triumphant Tony-wining performance in the revolutionary Michael Bennett musical A CHORUS LINE. But that turned out to be her last real hit. The next thirty years would not be so easy. She not only battled a dead-end career, but also struggled with a severely debilitating physical illness, a failed marriage, family problems and emotional misery. It's the story of a survivor, but it's not a particularly happy one. McKechnie obviously wanted to be in the spotlight an awful lot to go through this kind of life. Although the first part of the book is quite gripping, it bogs down in the middle as McKechnie is forced to look inward to solve her unhappiness. Introspection is usually far more interesting to oneself than to others. Even though the book is ultimately more disturbing than uplifting, I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone considering a career in the performing arts. It reveals the grim reality of trying to make a living as a performer, even for someone as beautiful, talented, respected and beloved as Donna McKechnie.

GOOD BUT DISAPPOINTING READ

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MS MCKECHNIE HAS WRITTEN A VERY HONEST BOOK ABOUT HER LIFE AND CAREER, BUT IT COMES ACROSS MORE AS A "CLIFF NOTES' VERISON OF WHAT MUST BE A FASCINATING STORY, AND LEFT THIS READER WANTING MUCH MUCH MORE. SHE OFFERS FRUSTRATINGLY LITTLE IN DEPTH ACCOUNTS OF HER VARIOUS THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF A CHORUS LINE - A SHOW SHE PERFORMED WELL INTO MIDDLE AGE OVER A PERIOD OF 15 OR 16 YEARS. IN ADDITION, HER TUMULTUOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH MICHAEL BENNETT IS, LIKE THE REST OF THE BOOK, AN OVERVIEW MORE THAN AN ACCOUNT. MY OPINION - BUY THE BOOK USED OR TAKE IT OUT OF THE LIBRARY...NOT WORTH THE PRICE, AND VERY FRUSTRATING DUE TO WHAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life	Customer Rating:
This was a gift for a young woman who was studying Theater Arts. She loved it and said it had good quality photos.