Theatre
buffs and Leon fans will no doubt find this memoir an inspirational
one. It was a long road for Kenny Leon to become a Tony award
winning director. Leon lets the reader in on his background,
being raised by his grandmother after his 19 year-old mother
left him. His grandma Mamie was a definite influence on Kenny.
After college, he abandoned his law degree pursuit to become
an actor in theatre and later directed his way to Broadway
with numerous hits. One of his most well-known hits, which
he directed on Broadway and television, is “A Raisin
in the Sun”. His memoir talks of a life far from his
humble upbringing to an acclaimed director in the arts.
Yet because
of, not in spite of, being raised by two amazing women, he
gained a perspective and character that built a career spanning
decades. His humility will inspire others to follow their
dreams as well. Anyone who is an aspiring actor will certainly
relish his insight.
As a
side note: Let me start by saying how much I admire Samuel
L. Jackson as an actor. What I didn’t like about this
narration is that it left me a little flat. It didn’t
take me to a high or put me in a low, it just moved along
at a slow and even pace. Jackson's voice is smooth and methodical,
which lends much to the opening translation initially. As
the story progresses, some of the interest and intrigue of
the story was lost in narration for me. I would suggest listening
to an excerpt before purchasing the audiobook, as the book
may make for a better performance.
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