Video: Producer Jeffrey Seller Talks Working with Jonathan Larson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, & More on THE VIEW

Tony-winning producer Jeffrey Seller recently visited The View to discuss his new memoir, "Theater Kid." During the conversation, Seller opened up about discovering his love of theater at a young age, why he created the rush and lottery ticketing system, and his experience producing hit musicals like Hamilton. 

He touched on Jonathan Larson, with whom he worked during the original production of Rent. "Jonathan was ferocious in his mission, and he had a singular mission," shared Seller. "We did not have a contemporary musical [at that time], and Jonathan used to say, 'I want to write musicals for our characters, for our stories, with our music.' And that's what Rent was."

Seller has also collaborated extensively with Lin-Manuel Miranda. It was at the producer's suggestion that Hamilton's title be shortened from "The Hamilton Mixtape" to simply "Hamilton." Additionally, Miranda wrote "The Room Where It Happened" on Seller's front porch. "[Our work] is the culmination of a caring, wonderful, nurturing relationship that's now been over 20 years," said the producer. Check out the full interview now and take a look at photos from his appearance below.

Photo Credit: ABC/ The View

Theater Kid is a memoir about fighting through a hardscrabble childhood to make art on one's own terms, chasing a dream against many odds and finding acceptance and community. Before he was producing the musical hits of our generation, Jeffrey was just a kid coming to terms with his adoption, trying to understand his sexuality, and eager to escape his dysfunctional household in a poor neighborhood just outside Detroit. We see him find his voice through musical theater and move to New York, where he is determined to shed his past and make a name for himself on Broadway. 

But moving to the big city is never easy—especially not at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis—and Jeffrey learns to survive and thrive in the colorful and cutthroat world of commercial theatre. From his early days as an office assistant, to meeting Jonathan Larson and experiencing the triumph and tragedy of Rent, to working with Lin-Manuel Miranda on In the Heights and Hamilton, Jeffrey pulls back the curtain on the joyous and gut-wrenching process of making new musicals, finding new audiences, and winning multiple Tony Awards.     

Jeffrey Seller is one of the successful American producers of our time. He produced the Tony Award-winning musicals Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights, and Hamilton. His shows have garnered 22 Tony awards, including four for Best Musical, and his Broadway productions and tours have grossed over $4.6 billion and reached more than 43 million attendees. Jeffrey is the only producer to have mounted two Pulitzer Prize-winning musicals—Hamilton and Rent. He also revolutionized theater accessibility with the $20 ticket lottery for Rent, making theater accessible for many.