Thursday, June 15, 2023

Book Spotlight: One More Seat at the Round Table by Susan Dormady Eisenberg

 


What if the most conflicted lovers in Broadway’s Camelot aren’t Lancelot and Guenevere?

Set backstage during the out-of-town chaos of Lerner and Loewe’s now-classic 1960 musical, One More Seat at the Round Table portrays the struggles of feisty drama school grad Jane Conroy, who lands a plum Gal Friday job, and Bryce Christmas, a gifted, if insecure, actor on the verge of his big break. When Jane and Bryce fall helplessly in love during Toronto tryouts, their relationship is tested by mistakes they make and endless work woes: Camelot’s four-hour length, poor reviews, the illness of librettist Alan Jay Lerner, and the near-fatal coronary of director Moss Hart who quits.

As Lerner, composer Loewe, and their stars, Richard Burton and Julie Andrews, trudge on to Boston, doubts besiege Jane who hopes to buck convention and skip marriage and Bryce who wants a wife. They also discover hidden strengths as Jane gains agency backstage and Bryce takes charge of his talent. But will Jane’s commitment phobia derail their future? Will Camelot become a glittering hit? These questions create a tense roller-coaster ride to the end of Susan Dormady Eisenberg's wise and witty novel, a story about the transformative power of love and the luminous pull of Broadway as it casts its spell on performers and fans alike.

"A highly entertaining look at a pivotal moment in Broadway history, balanced with a stormy but ultimately delightful romance...it sparkles."-- Stage Buddy 

"...An engaging and entertaining romp through the tribulations of testing out a new show..." --Kirkus Reviews


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Susan Dormady Eisenberg began her career as a publicist-marketeer for Goodspeed Opera House, Syracuse Stage, and the Joffrey Ballet. She formed a promotional writing company in Washington, D.C., creating business publications, and published articles in Classical Singer, Huff Post, and Opera News. A proud member of the Authors Guild, she released her first backstage novel, The Voice I Just Heard, in 2012. Based in Maryland, she’s drafting her third novel about American icon Annie Oakley.

Visit Susan online at https://www.susandeisenberg.com

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