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Average customer rating:

A great ending to the trilogy
Good piece of writing
Shelley Peterson has done it again
Shelley Peterson has done it again

Stagestruck
Shelley Peterson
Manufacturer: Key Porter Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Abby Malone
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ASIN: 1552635015

Book Description

Sixteen-year-old Abby Malone is out for a ride on her favourite horse, Moonlight Sonata. When a flash thunderstorm hits, Abby and Moonie take refuge in what appears to be an abandoned barn. Inside, Abby discovers a wooden stage, velvet seats and an orchestra pit. What on earth is a theatre doing in old barn? And what is that blur of bluish light in the second row from the back? From the author of the bestselling books Dancer and Abby Malone comes Stagestruck-a new story chock-full of adventure, mystery and romance. Featuring a familiar cast of characters-including Hilary 'Mousie' James, the evil Samuel Owens, Cody the coyote and Dancer, Mousie's champion show-jumping horse-Stagestruck begins a few years after Abby Malone left off. With Hilary off at university, Dancer is restless and in need of exercise. Abby jumps at the chance to train this magnificent horse, but soon finds herself caught in a tangle of mysterious events. As Abby prepares Dancer for the prestigious Grand Invitational-and the community comes together to mount a production of Pinocchio at the old theatre-strange things begin to occur. Is someone out to hurt Abby, or is Dancer once again the target of Samuel Owens' wrath? For those familiar with Peterson's earlier work, or for new readers, Stagestruck is an unforgettable story. Shelley Peterson was born in London, Ontario--the second of six children. She was trained in Theatre Arts at the Banff School of Performing Arts. Dalhousie University, and the University of Western Ontario. She has worked as a professional actress, on stage, film and television. Peterson has had a lifelong love of animals big and small, with a particular interest in horses. She has ridden since she was a girl. Peterson divides her time between Toronto and Fox Ridge, a horse farm in the Caledon hills, which she shares with her husband, three children and the family dog.

Customer Reviews:

A great ending to the trilogy.......2004-04-20

Shelley Peterson has once again created a masterpiece. It is the third book in her series about Dancer, and Abby Malone. This book has a good bit of horse to keep the horse enthusiast happy, yet ventures outside horses to the world of acting. Ghosts, and other suprises abound as the local acting troupe puts on Pinnochio. Of course Owen still wants to get his hands on Dancer, and we find out what happens to Mousey (now that she is grown up - from the first book Dancer). I would reccomend these well written horse books to anyone - they are simply amazing.

Good piece of writing.......2003-03-11

This is the first of Shelley Peterson's novels that I've read, but I must say I enjoyed it, not having read the first two books. It is full of suspense although sometimes, this is my opinion however, the author drifted away from describing the finer details such as the horse's movements, or the forest scenery. Overall, though, it was a good read. Recommended for horse lovers ages 10 and up.

Shelley Peterson has done it again.......2002-09-02

As the third book written by this woman, I must say that with each book her writing gets better and better. In this compelling novel, Abby Malone is out riding on Moonlight Sonata 'Moonie', bringing Moonie's baby Moon Dancer 'Leggy' along. When a thunderstorm hits, they take refuge in an abandoned barn which has old theater inside, as well as a mysterious tenant who 'lives' there.
Because Hilary is off at university, she has asked Abby to ride and excercise Dancer for her, but soon Abby finds herself caught in a tangle of mysterious events as Samuel Owens has been recently released. As Abby prepares Dancer for the Grand Invitional and the community comes together to mount a production of Pnocchio at the old theater strange things begin to occur.
I truly recommand this book to whoever has read Dancer and Abby Malone as this is another of Shelley Peterson's masterpieces that should not be missed.

Shelley Peterson has done it again.......2002-09-02

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2 1/2 Not DePaulo's Best

Stagestruck

Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399243380

Book Description

Tommy is so excited. His first grade class is putting on a play of Peter Rabbit and he's sure to get the starring role. But in his enthusiasm, Tommy talks too much in class, and so his teacher decides that he should play Mopsy instead-and Mopsy doesn't have any lines! Tommy is disappointed, but he decides to use what he has learned about "stage presence" in Miss Leah's tap dance class. By reacting to everything Peter does, Tommy ends up stealing the show. It's clear to everyone that he's stagestruck!
Like his bestselling picture books drawn from his own childhood such as The Art Lesson, The Baby Sister, Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs and Tom, Stagestruck is full of the warmth and humor of Tomie's memories, and kids will identify with this hilarious school play based on a favorite story.

Customer Reviews:

2 1/2 Not DePaulo's Best.......2005-05-24

When his teacher announces the kindergarteners are going to perform "Peter Rabbit" for the entire school, young, tousle-haired Tommy hopes he gets the lead. After all, he played John Alden in the Thanksgiving play and takes weekly tap dance lessons. However, Peter's excited and repeated classroom whispers annoy his teacher:

"Since you cannot pay attention, you will not play Peter Rabbit." (Ouch!)

"You will be Mopsy!" "But Mopsy is a girl bunny!" Tommy said.
(Double Ouch!) "Not in our play..."

Tommy seems to take ths setback professionally. He remembers that what his tapdance instructor told him: Onstage performers should react to what their fellow performers do. FOr example, if they do something funny, act like a member of the audience and laugh.

However, Tommy overdoes it during "Peter Rabbit." In veteran author/illustrator Tomie De Paola's acrylic illustrations, Tommy looks so surprised, sad, sick, etc. that he's basically just mugging for his young audience, and they eat it up. His teacher smilingly tells Tommy he's a ham; However, his mom informs him that he stole the show. He is to tell Johnny (who played Peter) and the teacher that he is sorry, and he does. He pauses and seems to agree. However, in a too-quick conclusion, Tommy remembers the audience's attention and applause, and he can hardly wait to get back onstage.

That's it? As portrayed in the book, Tommy's apologies seem perfunctory and with insufficient comprehension. His teacher is both too stern and too forgiving; she doesn't respond appropriately to Tommy's unintentional scene stealing. And Tommy, who's only five and did not act (it appears, anyway) maliciously, is treated punitively rather than with empathy and a focus on understanding. The story is too shallow, with one subplot about a shy girl in the play, and the adult "voice" (the "message") is confusing. Illustrations are pleasant and colorful, but, like the story, they lack complexity and dimension.

Stagestruck: Theater, AIDS, and the Marketing of Gay America

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RENT sucks, get over it
This author is crazy!
Entertaining and Cathartic
Witty and insightful
A Revisit

Stagestruck: Theater, AIDS, and the Marketing of Gay America
Sarah Schulman , and Sarah Schulman
Manufacturer: Duke University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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People in Trouble
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ASIN: 0822322641

Amazon.com

While working as a theater critic for Manhattan's New York Press in 1996, novelist Sarah Schulman reviewed the original off-Broadway production of the eventual worldwide hit Rent. She did not particularly like the show and resented what she saw as its easy and simple-minded appropriation of the East Village's gay and alternative cultures. It was only later, when a friend pointed it out to her, that she began to see that the writer and composer of Rent, Jonathan Larson, had "borrowed" a good chunk of his play's plot and detail from Schulman's own 1987 novel People in Trouble. This shock of recognition was transformative, and it ultimately led to the writing of Stagestruck.

Schulman begins with an unhappy account of having her novel ripped off by Larson, but uses this as a springboard to discuss the broader and more complex issues of how gay themes--particularly AIDS--are used and distorted in mainstream culture, focusing her discussion on a wide range of entertainments including the film Philadelphia, Jon Robin Baitz's play A Fair Country, performances by Diamanda Galas, and POZ magazine. As in her best novels, Schulman's observations on culture and politics are astute and startlingly original. Stagestruck is an incisive and important work of social criticism. --Michael Bronski

Book Description

In Stagestruck noted novelist and outspoken critic Sarah Schulman offers an account of her growing awareness of the startling similarities between her novel People in Trouble and the smash Broadway hit Rent. Written with a powerful and personal voice, Schulman’s book is part gossipy narrative, part behind-the-scenes glimpse into the New York theater culture, and part polemic on how mainstream artists co-opt the work of âmarginalâ artists to give an air of diversity and authenticity to their own work. Rising above the details of her own case, Schulman boldly uses her suspicions of copyright infringement as an opportunity to initiate a larger conversation on how AIDS and gay experience are being represented in American art and commerce.
Closely recounting her discovery of the ways in which Rent took materials from her own novel, Schulman takes us on her riveting and infuriating journey through the power structures of New York theater and media, a journey she pursued to seek legal restitution and make her voice heard. Then, to provide a cultural context for the emergence of Rentâwhich Schulman experienced first-hand as a weekly theater critic for the New York Press at the time of Rent’s premiereâshe reveals in rich detail the off- and off-off-Broadway theater scene of the time. She argues that these often neglected works and performances provide more nuanced and accurate depictions of the lives of gay men, Latinos, blacks, lesbians and people with AIDS than popular works seen in full houses on Broadway stages. Schulman brings her discussion full circle with an incisive look at how gay and lesbian culture has become rapidly commodified, not only by mainstream theater productions such as Rent but also by its reduction into a mere demographic made palatable for niche marketing. Ultimately, Schulman argues, American art and culture has made acceptable a representation of âthe homosexualâ that undermines, if not completely erases, the actual experiences of people who continue to suffer from discrimination or disease. Stagestruck’s message is sure to incite discussion and raise the level of debate about cultural politics in America today.

Customer Reviews:

RENT sucks, get over it.......2005-08-29

This is a hard book to read because it makes you confront your own racisism and homophobia. If you can't deal with it, then don't bother reading this book, or any book, because you're probably not willing to think about your place in the world you live in.

This author is crazy! .......2005-07-31

Sarah Schulam relax, Rent is an amazing show and wasn't copyed from you. It was based on the opera la boheme and Jonathons larsons life. I can't belive how she could say such mean things about Jonathon Larson and Rent. To me Rent is one of teh most touching musiclas on Broadway. I'm only fifeteen and when i saw it i cried. I eman theater is my passion but when i saw Rent i thoughtr it was the most amazing thing ever put on earth lol jk. The way this book decribes rent made me want to puke. It was almost as if she hated the gay commuinty. I know she is entiltled to her opion but to say that Jonathon Larson plagorized off her was very dumb thing to say as i metointed be for it was based off the opera La boheme and off of Larson's real life. From what i know he had freinds with AIDS and freinds with drug adtictions. Sarah should have doen her ressearch before writting this.

Entertaining and Cathartic.......2001-03-22

Also, as I've come to expect with her books, Ms. Schulman manages to find the words to explain things I've always sensed but not been able to articulate. The section on marketing to gays (who, as she puts it, are still struggling with post-traumatic stress as a result of being raised in this society) was brilliant, and funny. An instance where she really stopped me in my tracks: when she compared gays and lesbians to a older relative of hers who was freed from a Nazi concentration camp and shortly afterwards had a small breakdown when trying to choose what color drinking glass to buy from a shelf of glassware that came in too many colors, sizes and shapes.

Witty and insightful.......2001-03-22

I often read a book and then, once I've seen the author read from his own stuff, had to go back and read it again with a different tone of voice. That applies to this book. It's much funnier and rueful than I realize the first time.

It's also not recommended unless you have a dark sense of humor, and understand that it's not about Rent or Broadway really, but about some of the subtle ways that history gets revised by the winners. It's a brilliant book and I often had those moments of recognition where I got goose bumps reading a paragraph. Then I would laugh at the next paragraph.

I think that people who read this ONLY because they are fans of Rent will be mystified or offended. Rent is a moving show, but it IS sort of odd for urban gays - it's kind of like reading a Hitler biography devoted solely to his being a wonderful father and compassionate family man. . . It may be true, but you have to scratch your head and wonder how the author managed to completely avoid mentioning the holocaust even once in 1000 pages, and just what was his agenda in doing so.

It is clear that Ms. Schulman's book was completely stolen by Larson. However! As she points out, the theft of the plot is not really a problem, cause plot borrowing and character theft is common practice; what she regards as the sore spot is that, in stealing those elements, Larson inadvertently did the same thing that bigots and the media often deliberately do to gays and lesbians: in the same way that the winning side of a war gets to decide what version of the war goes down in history as the TRUE version, Jonathan Larson's made-up version of the AIDS epidemic will be written on most people's hearts as the true version, when in reality it is a powerful distortion of who and what actually happened - unfortunately wrapped in some excellent theater so it is more likely to burn into people's brains as the truth.

I didn't expect so much humor from a book that makes those sorts of points. I laughed repeatedly when reading this book, starting with the introduction.

My advice to potential readers: Schulman is more like Sondheim than the Sound of Music. If you're a Broadway boy with a good heart and not much critical faculty, don't read it and you'll live happy. If you're a Broadway fan with a brain, you'll find it's not really about Broadway but rather an interesting tap dance on the subject of how things get twisted around. If you've got a political sensibility of any type, and maybe you're much older and wiser -- and you read the book with a tone of voice that's rueful and ironic much more than just angry, you'll love it. It brings out all the humor, which appears on every page, and makes me laugh even in public places.

People in Trouble were not one of my favorite novels of hers, but having read stage-struck, I now enjoyed it much more. Empathy is her funniest novel, but most experimental, and Rat Bohemia a truly angry ranting novel (and I mean it in the best Victor Hugo-if-he-were-a women sense of the word).

I'd recommend Shimmer as a more 'traditional' linear story line sort of novel - it's quite beautiful. I give this book 4 stars not because it's not wonderful, but because I liked Empathy better and so needed to keep one star extra if I ever review that book online. :-)

A Revisit.......2000-11-25

I read and reviewed this book a while back, but more recently I actually found and bought a copy of Shulman's novel "People in Trouble," while working on a chapter about Rent for a book of my own. While I enjoyed the novel to some extent, it's only slightly above average and I really could see no similarities between Rent and People in Trouble, other than the coincidences that are inevitable from the two books being set in similar times and places. Since the similarity between the two is the basis for Stage Struck, I find this book even more worthless than I did before. Having now compared the two works for myself, I now have even less respect for Shulman, and am even more convinced that this book (Stage Struck) is nothing more than an excuse for a rant and a way to cash in on someone else's success.

Stagestruck Vampires: And Other Phantasms

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I love Her Stuff!!
Stagestruck...
More Than Vampires
A Smorgasbord of Weird and Wonderful Treats

Stagestruck Vampires: And Other Phantasms
Suzy McKee Charnas
Manufacturer: Tachyon Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1892391392

Book Description

Themes of transgression, eroticism, and violence thread through this retrospective collection of short stories and essays. A psychotherapist falls under the spell of her vampire patient in "Unicorn Tapestry" and in "Beauty and the Opéra or the Phantom Beast," an evil maestro finds redemption in his lovely pupil, and additional essays "Art Is Long" and "The Stagestruck Vampire" offer autobiographical reflections on the art of writing. Combining lush prose with a biting wit, this terrifying collection will appeal to fans of fantasy, romance, horror, and character-driven suspense.

Customer Reviews:

I love Her Stuff!!.......2005-07-03

My favorite though is the Beauty and the Opera, just FYI that story is also availibla in the Modern Classics of Fantay Collection and it is less expensive there.

Stagestruck..........2005-01-10

From the macabre to the lightly horrific, this anthology has something for almost anyone. The stories delve into the past and then shoot to the future. A psychiatrist whose aim is to change her clients finds herself the one changed. The last survivors of earth's desolation depend on the mercy of aliens, and a young girl finds within herself the power to avenge the wrongs done by those who torment her. One story in particular stands out as especially haunting- the opening story, Beauty and the Opera or the Phantom Beast; as you might guess, it deals with the Phantom of the Opera- leaning more towards what the internet would term Christine - Erik shippers- but be warned- it's not all roses. That story, if no other, makes this a book worth reading.

More Than Vampires.......2004-12-19

I am not particularly a vampire fan, although there seem to be many out there. However, I am a Suzy McKee Charnas fan, ever since I read Motherlines lo, those many years ago.

Ms. Charnas is also the winner of a Hugo Award for her "revenge fantasy" werewolf story called "Something Amazon won't let me print, but is mentioned in the review below" which just happens to appear in the Stagestruck Vampires collection.

This book is primarily a collection of dark fantasy, as well as two excellent essays. One, the eponymous "Stagestruck Vampires", is about the travails of bringing her Nebula Award winning novelet "Unicorn Tapestry" to the stage, the other, "They're Right, Art Is Long", deals with the hassles of writing (and getting published) the four book series starting with "Walk To The End Of The World".

As well as the various "monster" stories that Ms. Charnas has written over the years, the book also includes a new story called "Peregrines" a very fun romp that includes a child-shaman and an old, crusty tarot reader in a New York of a few years hence, when Homeland Security, among other things, requires permits for state-to-state travel, just a little throwaway bit, but indicative of the attention to details that are part of Suzy McKee Charnas' charm.

Read this book!

A Smorgasbord of Weird and Wonderful Treats.......2004-11-14

Stagestruck Vampires by Suzy McKee Charnas is an anthology of both new and vintage works. Included are such favorites as "Beauty and the Opera or the Phantom Beast," the Hugo-award-winning "Boobs" and a trio of tales about Charnas' vampire, Dr. Edward Weyland (of The Vampire Tapestry fame), who evolves toward humanity rather than away from it. A surprise for me was "Advocates," a collaboration between Charnas and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (author of the Saint-Germain Chronicles) in which their respective vampires (Weyland and the Comte de Saint Germain) meet. This was not a combination I would ever have imagined working, yet it does. Each character retains the inimitable qualities that made him so memorable in previous works. Also included in the collection are "Evil Thoughts" (which cannot be kept hidden) and "Listening to Brahms," a post-apocalyptic nightmare in which the beauty and corruption of humankind lives on after our physical annihilation--in a most unexpected way. As for the newest works, there's "Peregrines," appearing for the first time in 2004 as well as "The Stagestruck Vampire" and "They're Right, Art Is Long" published for the very first time in this collection. "Peregrines" is a novella set in a xenophobic near-future New York. This world in which undocumented immigrants are hunted down along with anyone who harbors them becomes a training ground for the holiest of holy. One is forced to ponder how near the world of the spirit may be our dusty, mundane lives. The last two works are essays. "The Stagestruck Vampire" takes the reader step-by-step through the writing and first staging of Charnas' theatrical work Vampire Dreams. They're Right, Art Is Long" documents the author's twenty-plus-year odyssey in creating the acclaimed quartet of novels known as the Holdfast Chronicles. The entire anthology Stagestruck Vampires is an enjoyable read for lovers of fantastic fiction (or for that matter just good fiction) while at the same time providing a depth that rewards repeated readings.

Careers for the Stagestruck & Other Dramatic Types (Careers for You Series)

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Careers for the Stagestruck & Other Dramatic Types (Careers for You Series)
Lucia Mauro
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0071411577

Book Description

The latest data on training and education
Stories of success from each field
Advice on assessing job skills and marketing them well in an interview
Expert advice on finding and getting the job
Resources for further career exploration in each specific field

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The inspiring Careers for You series shows career explorers how to examine the job market through the unique lens of their own interests--and find new happiness in the workplace. Vital information on each job includes: The latest data on training and education Stories of success from each field Advice on assessing job skills and marketing them well in an interview Expert advice on finding and getting the job Resources for further career exploration in each specific field

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Stagestruck Parri
Janet Lambert
Manufacturer: Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

My Davy

ASIN: B0006BNLGI

Stagestruck: The Romance of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne

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Stagestruck: The Romance of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
Alfred and Lynn Fontanne] Zolotow, Maurice [Lunt
Manufacturer: Harcourt, Brace & World
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LQXA46

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Stagestruck: An autobiography
Val Jellay
Manufacturer: Spectrum Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 0867861487

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STAGESTRUCK/ALFRED LUNT LYNN FONTA
ZOLOTOW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GRI52C

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Stagestruck;: Your career in theatre
Burt Hirschfeld
Manufacturer: J. Messner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0007DYCZE

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