Audiobook Review: Playing With Myself by Randy Rainbow

Audiobook Description

An intimate and light-hearted memoir by viral sensation and three-timeEmmy-nominated musical comedian Randy Rainbow that takes readers through his life—the highs, the lows, the lipstick, the pink glasses, and the show tunes.

Randy Rainbow, the man who conquered the Internet with a stylish pair of pink glasses, an inexhaustible knowledge of Broadway musicals, and the most gimlet-eyed view of American politics this side of Mark Twain finally tells all in Playing with Myself, a memoir sure to cause more than a few readers to begin singing one of his greatest hits like “A Spoonful of Clorox” or “Cover Your Freakin’ Face.”

As Randy has said, “There’s so much fake news out there about me. I can’t wait to set the record straight and finally give people a peek behind the green screen.” And set the record straight he does. Playing with Myself is a first-hand account of the journey that led Randy Rainbow from his childhood as the over-imaginative, often misunderstood little boy who carried a purse in the second grade to his first job on Broadway as the host at Hooters and on to the creation of his trademark comedy character. In chapters titled “Pajama Bottoms” (a look back at the days when he wore pajama bottoms on his head to pretend he was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz), “Yes, It’s My Real Name, Shut Up!” (no explanation necessary…) and “Pink Glasses” (a rose-colored homage to his favorite accessory), Playing with Myself is a memoir that answers the question “Can an introverted musical theatre nerd with a MacBook and a dream save the world, one show tune at a time?”

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58977365-playing-with-myself?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ICouJJPw6o&rank=1

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My Audiobook Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

PLAYING WITH MYSELF by Randy Rainbow is an entertaining and heartfelt audiobook memoir with the author himself narrating, because who else could do it justice? If you want to laugh and deal with the occasional tissue worthy tears, then this is the memoir for you.

Like many people, I discovered Randy Rainbow, yes that is his real name, on my social media feed during the previous administration and pandemic and was immediately addicted. He made me laugh and sing along to his videos through the scary and unbelievable. This audiobook is his life story to date narrated by himself. He tells stories of his grandmother always believing in him, his difficulties with his father and his unconventional path in the entertainment industry.

There are many ups and downs that are both humorous and heartbreaking and I felt it was all told from his soul. There is also plenty of name dropping and stories of Randy himself being a crazy fan as he meets his all-time favorite Broadway and entertainment stars. I enjoyed listening to him tell his story to date.

The glitter and glasses did not happen overnight.

I highly recommend this audiobook memoir.

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