Broadway Book Birthdays

Donning my Rialto Readers "Chief Bibliophile" hat once again. 

Today we don't have just one singular sensational middle grade book to celebrate, but two.  Crazy.  Thank you libro.fm for bringing the second one to my attention just this weekend. Fearless by Mandy Gonzalez is part of the complimentary audiobooks ALC program for librarians this month. And thank you to Simon & Schuster for answering my desperate call on Edelweiss for a review digital print copy!

CHANCE TO FLY

So...happiest of book birthdays to Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz.  Missed my post about it? Click here.  And even though it's been nearly a month, I'm still very much enjoying my Broadway playlist. Side note: I didn't go full out green, but I did get green highlights last month. Paying homage to Elphaba? Maybe...

FEARLESS

Tween Monica from REEDLEY, CA arrives in NYC with her abuelita to join the cast at the Ethel Merman Theatre only weeks away from opening night. Hold ON--REEDLEY! No one has ever heard of it but can you believe I have! My in-laws live in Kingsburg, my father in law was the director of a Department of Agriculture citrus lab IN Reedley and my half sister works at that lab now! Oh, Mandy, I hope you are reading this--our stars are aligned and we are definitely meant to be friends!

Something is fishy at the Ethel Merman.  Monica ends up the lead (after initially cast as the understudy to the understudy) in Our Time a musical "about four friends--Tony, Froggie, Pax, and Crash--trying to figure out how to save their local arcade, the Tilt, from being bulldozed and turned into a luxury hotel." Hmmm...does this sound like a Tony winner?  Well, maybe not the play but the book definitely is. "One misstep can ruin the whole scene," Monica is told. There are no missteps here.

This will make a great read aloud for both thespians and non-thespians. It's about four friends conquering their fears and working together to solve a mystery and save their show. Of course there are lots of Broadway references (the "Old Broadway" ones make me feel old--yes, I still dress up for a show) but it's filled with so much more--friendship, family, detective work, rats, a trip to the performing arts library, ghosts, telegrams, #legacyrobes, the joy you get from doing something you love, hope... 

"Old Broadway, new Broadway. The entirety of it was mesmerizing. 

It embodied irrepressible optimism, joy, hope. 

When darkness comes, hold it, love it, learn to understand it. 

Let the darkness speak; don't shut it out."

This speaks not only to the novel and the play within the novel, 

but also to our current times.

"Time blurs when you're on Broadway." 

I love this quote because Broadway blurs time for all of us, 

actors and audience.

"...the theater is a place where stories are told and released into the world and given life...Sometimes the messages cross and stir up the energy of a place."  You'll have to read the book to see what kind of "energy" is stirred up and how that energy finally gives life back to the Ethel Merman.

This is being called a series so I'm guessing "the squad" returns for another show in another haunted theatre? Whatever it may be, my Rialto Readers and I will be ready! For now I hope you had a happy book birthday, Fearless! 🎂

Merci Suarez Can't Dance

On a side note, happy book birthday also to Merci Suarez Can't Dance. I love, love, love this book. Who knows, it may even end up on a Rialto Reader list some day. It's better than the first one (which happened to win a shiny gold medal lol). It's a year later and Merci has matured into a typical 7th grade girl. She's got a crush (maybe?); her grandfather's dementia is getting worse; her aunt has a romantic interest; she tries to cover up a mistake and solve the problem herself without her family finding out which we all know isn't the best idea; her little cousins are still annoying; and she can't dance (or can she?). Definitely, definitely put this one on your list.

ICYMI: Meg's Author Fan Face-off

 

 

 

Defying Gravity

I have been binge watching Ali Stroker on YouTube all week. Hold on. Ali Stroker is not a name in your cannon? Inconceivable! In 2019 she won the Tony Award for best actress in a musical. Talk about defying gravity! She's in a wheelchair and incredible! TBH, I didn't know who she was either until her amazing performance with her Oklahoma cast at the Tony's that year. But now she is "part of my world." Next month her debut middle grade novel written with Stacy Davidowitz, perfect for young theatre fans, will hit the shelves.

Theatre loving 13 year old Nat just moved from California to New Jersey leaving life with her BFF, Chloe, and her wheelchair racing world behind. When Dad drops her off for practice with a new racing team, she eyes a flyer announcing auditions for Wicked, her second favorite show only after Hamilton, at the JCC across the street.  The next day she skips practice, heads over to the Center and ultimately lands a role; her first ever! Instant friendships, a crush, drama with Savannah, the lead, misunderstandings with Chloe, an adorable dog aptly named, Warbucks, an unexpected fire, karaoke, Pinterest cupcakes, an overabundance of Broadway references (especially Hamilton with a special shout out to my personal number from the play, "Dear Theodosia") that only the serious theatre lover will appreciate...I wasn't surprised when I smiled often and got "Defying Gravity" stuck in my head, but that moment that I shed a tear kind of threw me.

Group chats between the Broadway Bounders theatre kids is a big part of the book.  I absolutely LOVE all their names, each referencing a show or song.  Nat's is "NatThrowinAwayMyShot." How can you not love that? Do the promotional items for the book include a t-shirt or a sticker for my computer with the chat names? Speaking of swag, I wonder about a playlist.  I thought about it too late into the book but started making my own "Chance to Fly" on Spotify.  Please don't judge me.  I tried to pick songs I could remember from the book and also just my favorites. What would Nat's playlist look like? And while you are cueing up songs, make sure the Wicked soundtrack is ready, especially for the end.  My chills were literally multiplying during that part.

"'I don't want to be the next anyone...I want people to want to be the next me.'" Nat tells her dad.  I couldn't help thinking was that 13 year old Ali speaking? What aspiring actress wouldn't want to be her now? 

Dear theatre gods can you please let Ali and Stacy know that I have an Annie story to tell, too, and would love to hang out and be their friend (I'll let it go that Stacy doesn't spell her name correctly). When I was in 4th grade, I was Miss Hannigan. I know! Kind of unbelievable considering the source lol. It was the only lead in a play I ever got.  I wasn't in it 17 times, but we can still be friends, right? PLUS--Ali and I share a birthday! So one a birthday and one a name. The three of us were meant to be!

Check out this video with Ali and Stacy. It's 30 minutes long but worth it!

PS: This was one of those "G-d-I-Hope-I-Get-It" moments and I did! I'm the "Chief Bibliophile" for Camp Broadway's Rialto Readers book club! Although we are still in our infant stage, it's going to be big! Readers can sign up here.  I'll be curating lists filled with books like Chance to Fly and so many others that kids like Nat and her Broadway Bounders friends will love. (PPS: Ali is a Camp Broadway alum--It was all meant to be!)