Showmance - by Chad Beguelin (Paperback)

About the Book

"A down-on-his-luck Broadway playwright is banished to rural Illinois for a last chance at reviving his career in this hilarious queer rom-com about second chances, in love and in life Noah Adams's career as a playwright is circling the drain, thanks to a scorching New York Times review of his first Broadway musical. So when a family emergency sends him back to his Podunk hometown of Plainview, Illinois, he figures he'll hide out for a day or two and lick his wounds. But to Noah's absolute horror, his agent has secretly arranged for him to stage an amateur version of the career-ruining musical at the Plainview community theater. As if trying to work with a bunch of unsophisticated amateurs on his high-art production weren't enough, Noah seems to run into Luke, the bully from his high school years, everywhere he goes. Even worse, Luke has grown up to be downright gorgeous and beloved by all. But as rehearsals begin, Noah is surprised by the cast and crew's insightful suggestions, the deep care and warmth of the town he'd dismissed, and the reality of what happened with Luke all those years ago. Filled with a colorful cast of Midwestern characters, SHOWMANCE is a queer rom-com about the humility, love, and humor that come with a second chance"--

Book Synopsis

"Showmance is ready for the big time....Beguelin crafts a story you never want to end." --Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Celebrants

A down-on-his-luck Broadway playwright is marooned in rural Illinois in this sharply funny queer rom-com

Noah Adams's career as a playwright is circling the drain, thanks to a scorching review of his first Broadway musical. So when a family emergency sends him back to his Podunk hometown of Plainview, Illinois, he figures he'll hide out for a bit. But to Noah's horror, his agent has secretly arranged for him to stage an amateur version of the career-ruining musical at the local community theater.

As if trying to work with a bunch of artless amateurs wasn't enough, Noah runs into Luke, the jerk from his high school years, everywhere he goes. Luke somehow grew up to be beloved by everyone in town...and undeniably gorgeous. As rehearsals begin, Noah is surprised by his cast's insights, the warmth of the town he'd dismissed, and the reality of what happened with Luke all those years ago. Just how much has Noah misjudged?

Review Quotes

Praise for Showmance

"Showmance is the most fun you'll have off-off-off Broadway! The zingers fly, the romance sizzles, and the dialogue sparkles like the best Dom Perignon. A novel so charming it somehow bursts into song. What more could you want? Patti Lupone? She's in here too!"
--Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Less and Less Is Lost

"No out of town tryouts needed here -- Showmance is ready for the big time. Stage of Fools, the show within the novel, might open and close in one night, but Beguelin crafts a story you never want to end. Showmance sings."
--Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Celebrants

"Peppered with witty one-liners and many musical theater references, this charming, zippy romance hits all the right notes."
--Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

"Truly entertaining...with well-drawn characters and bouncy dialogue... [the] chemistry leads to a happy ending that readers--especially those who catch all the musical references--will grin over."
--BookPage

"A sweet, romantic and very funny page-turner."
--Paul Wontorek

About the Author

Chad Beguelin is a six-time Tony Award nominee. His Broadway works include The Prom, Disney's Aladdin, Elf and The Wedding Singer. Chad also co-wrote the screenplay for The Prom, currently available on Netflix. Chad is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Dramatic Writing Program. He currently lives in Bridgehampton with his husband Tom and their dog, Tucker.