Synopses & Reviews
Review
Sterry chronicles his adventures as a struggling comic after he is hired as the host of the popular all-male strip show Chippendales in the early Eighties. He more than delivers on the promise of his title, and readers looking for sex, drugs, and New York-style debauchery will find it in spades. There is a tabloid-level sleaziness inherent in the material, which Sterry utilizes for maximum entertainment value. He avoids providing direct sociological commentary on the sexual power dynamics at play in Chippendales, preferring to let events speak for themselves. There are two underlying love stories, one between Sterry and a coworker, and one between Sterry and his craft; both enrich the narrative with genuine heart. Sterry possesses an engaging writing style, and fans of his earlier memoir, Chicken: Self-Portrait of a Young Man for Rent, will not be disappointed. Recommended for large public library collections and cultural and media studies collections.Katherine Litwin, Chicago Library Journal (07/15/2008)
Synopsis
A rollicking, hyper-fast paced front row seat to the iconic late-night celebrity-studded party of 80s New York, Master of Ceremonies is the compelling and often tender true story of a fledgling actor whose first big break results in a two-year stint at the world's most famous and hedonistic strip club. Acclaimed memoirist David Henry Sterry was at the center of the madness as the roller-skating emcee of the nightly beefcake parade at Chippendales. The wide-eyed boy who dreams of stardom is quickly disabused of his naiveté as he is witness to the nightly tableau of desperate housewives, bachelorettes gone wild, moviestar excess, and shocking sexual shenanigans. Ultimately, though, all great parties must come to an end, and the gangland style assassination of his boss, the man responsible for the phenomenal success of the beefcake boys, marked the beginning of the end of the party-all-the-time 80s in New York City. Master of Ceremonies is resplendent with seedy glamour, dirty little secrets, hilarious backstage madness and an unflinching honesty.
Synopsis
"Master of Ceremonies" is the dizzying, tender, and true story of a fledgling actor whose first break results in a two-year stint as the emcee at Chippendales, in this work that is resplendent with seedy glamour, hilarious backstage madness, and unflinching honesty.