The Book of Joel

The Book of Joel is the visual life story of one of the world’s most beloved entertainers, Joel Grey: actor, singer, dancer, director, and photographer. This sprawling yet intimate scrapbook-style volume uncovers a kaleidoscope of both famous and previously unseen photographs, family snapshots, playbills, posters, and ephemera from Grey’s personal archive, revealing an encyclopedic and all-absorbing visual romp through one of the last living greats of American entertainment.

The Book of Joel is a captivating collection of photographs, ephemera, and posters that capture the multifaceted life and career of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement in Theatre Award, Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe Award winner Joel Grey.

The components of The Book of Joel are excavated from Grey’s personal archives and the treasure trove of his New York Public Library collection and promise to absorb readers in this entertainer’s world. Become immersed in captivating familial snapshots from Grey’s childhood, images from early El Rancho days, and photographs from the productions of Goodtime Charley, Fiddler on the Roof, and Grey’s original Cabaret. Investigate posters from George M, playbills from Come Blow Your Horn, and correspondences from the Cleveland Playhouse. Spot celebrities including Martha Stewart, Bernadette Peters, Julie Halston, Burt Bacharach, Beverly Sills, and Duane Michals. Each element included has been meticulously unearthed, scanned, and curated to weave together a rich tapestry chronicling Grey’s remarkable journey.

Adding depth to this visual narrative are intimate essays contributed by Academy Award-winning English actor Eddie Redmayne.

Throughout the book, QR codes offer a unique portal to a visual memoir: a filmed conversation between Joel Grey and Andy Snyder providing listeners with a firsthand, meandering journey through Grey’s life and career. A personal odyssey shared between friends. Videos and songs from Grey’s career are also included throughout. This artfully curated book serves as a comprehensive survey of Grey’s singular and glamorous life.

Joel Grey is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer, and theater director born in Cleveland, Ohio. Grey is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical ＂Cabaret＂ on Broadway and in Bob Fosse’s 1972 film adaptation. He has won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award. He earned the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2023. Grey’s photography books include The Flower Whisperer, The Billboard Papers: Photographs, 1.3: Images From My Phone, and Pictures I Had to Take.

Eddie Redmayne is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in The Good Shepherd, Les Misérables, The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. For his role as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, Redmayne won multiple awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor. On stage, Redmayne won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for his role in Red on Broadway. In Spring 2024, Redmayne will be starring in the revival of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club.

Tony Kushner is a legendary playwright, author, and screenwriter. Kushner made his Broadway debut in 1993 with both Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America: Perestroika. Kushner later became known for his numerous film collaborations with Steven Spielberg. He received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2013 and is among the few playwrights in history nominated for an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.