In Never Mind the Happy, musical dynamo Shaiman looks back on five decades of Broadway triumphs, Hollywood hijinks, and unforgettable collaborations. Along the way, he charts the personal highs and heartbreaks that have shaped him—spending his teenage years in community theatre, starting a decades-long collaboration with Bette Midler in the '70s, surviving the AIDS crisis of the '80s, his award-winning film music career in the Hollywood of the '90s, right up to the peaks (and valleys) of creating Broadway musicals from 2000 on.

Shaiman said, “Never mind the happy,” my mother always says, but how could I not be happy about nearly 50 years in show business, where I have been blessed with startling successes (and yes, a few dire disappointments). So I figured it was time to write my memoir before I completely forget what I’ve done – or worse, before everyone else forgets! Whether movies, television, or on Broadway, I guess my longevity actually proves that…You can’t stop the beat!”

Candid, hilarious, and deeply human, Shaiman's story is a tribute to the power of music, the pull of the spotlight, and the beat that never stops. Part showbiz tell-all, part love letter to the melancholy that fuels creativity, Never Mind the Happy is told with perfect comic timing—along with a few wrong notes, and plenty of standing ovations.