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Overview
Every performance needs a little scandal and . . .DRAMA!
Spawned from Hollywood's A-list glitterati, nearly every student at the exclusive Orion Academy is a singer, dancer, model, or actor -- with the ego to match. So how do you fit so many budding stars into one school musical?
Multi-cast, of course. It's a Wizard of Oz like no other: four Dorothys, two Scarecrows, two Glindas, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Every "star" gets a moment in the spotlight.
Meanwhile, Bryan Stark, narrator extraordinaire, needs to shed some light on a more scandalous plot. Dorothys are mysteriously dropping out of the show, one after the other. If Bryan doesn't figure out why, there may be no one left to click her heels by opening night. . . .
Synopsis
Every performance needs a little scandal and . . .
DRAMA!
Spawned from Hollywood's A-list glitterati, nearly every student at the exclusive Orion Academy is a singer, dancer, model, or actor -- with the ego to match. So how do you fit so many budding stars into one school musical?
Multi-cast, of course. It's a Wizard of Oz like no other: four Dorothys, two Scarecrows, two Glindas, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Every "star" gets a moment in the spotlight.
Meanwhile, Bryan Stark, narrator extraordinaire, needs to shed some light on a more scandalous plot. Dorothys are mysteriously dropping out of the show, one after the other. If Bryan doesn't figure out why, there may be no one left to click her heels by opening night. . . .
Publishers Weekly
Ruditis begins his first original series, Drama!, with a bang: "It was a drag queen's worst nightmare. There were four of them onstage... high school girls, that is, not drag queens." Bryan, the "Drama Geek" who narrates, considers himself a "background player" in his own life. But after strange accidents happen to the multiple Dorothys cast in his Malibu high school's production of The Wizard of Oz, he takes on a bigger role to protect his best friend, Sam (short for Samantha), who is playing one of the leads. When one Dorothy (Suze) has an allergic reaction to her lunch, Bryan thinks it may be an accident; but when nude pictures of another Dorothy get posted on the school's Web site, he realizes that someone did it on purpose. He suspects Heather, yet another Dorothy. The book has a wisp of a set-up (under parental pressure, "the headmaster... decreed that every student who tried out would get `a role of substance,' " hence four girls share the lead role), which stands in sharp contrast to the dark pranks (to stop the allergic reaction from killing Suze, Bryan has to inject her with epinephrine). Despite these tonal shifts and a rather meandering plot, the hero's narrative brims with fun touches, such as the stuffed dog emporium he visits to collect four identical Totos. Readers will find Bryan an authentic character, and feel for the closeted gay boy within who is "slowly moving up in the cast list of my life." Ages 12-up. (Feb.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Ruditis begins his first original series, Drama!, with a bang: "It was a drag queen's worst nightmare. There were four of them onstage... high school girls, that is, not drag queens." Bryan, the "Drama Geek" who narrates, considers himself a "background player" in his own life. But after strange accidents happen to the multiple Dorothys cast in his Malibu high school's production of The Wizard of Oz, he takes on a bigger role to protect his best friend, Sam (short for Samantha), who is playing one of the leads. When one Dorothy (Suze) has an allergic reaction to her lunch, Bryan thinks it may be an accident; but when nude pictures of another Dorothy get posted on the school's Web site, he realizes that someone did it on purpose. He suspects Heather, yet another Dorothy. The book has a wisp of a set-up (under parental pressure, "the headmaster... decreed that every student who tried out would get `a role of substance,' " hence four girls share the lead role), which stands in sharp contrast to the dark pranks (to stop the allergic reaction from killing Suze, Bryan has to inject her with epinephrine). Despite these tonal shifts and a rather meandering plot, the hero's narrative brims with fun touches, such as the stuffed dog emporium he visits to collect four identical Totos. Readers will find Bryan an authentic character, and feel for the closeted gay boy within who is "slowly moving up in the cast list of my life." Ages 12-up. (Feb.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.KLIATT -
At Orion Academy, in Malibu, the students have everything: a state-of-the-art school built by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright; a fully functional observatory located on campus; an outdoor cafeteria that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. And this year for the Spring Theatrical Production of The Wizard of Oz, Orion Academy has four Dorothys. Drama unfolds in more ways than one as self-proclaimed drama geek Bryan Stark tells this hilarious tale of the world of the privileged. Each of the four Dorothys is as unique as the next, with only one real standout, Samantha. Sam is not the typical Orion Academy student because her parents are not rich and famous. Instead, because her mother is a teacher there, she is able to attend the prestigious school on scholarship. As the story unfolds, the well being of each of the stars is at risk—it seems as though someone is sabotaging the show. And Bryan is on a mission to figure out who is behind the frequent "accidents," such as a lighting instrument that barely misses the girls when it plunges onto the stage, and the shrimp taco that Suze "happens" to get, which causes an allergic reaction. He will do anything to save his best friend and, thus, save the show. Ruditis cleverly captures the drama that any high school student can relate to: the selfishness, the pettiness, and the competitiveness. With its strong and convincing narrator, this book will have wide appeal.School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up
At exclusive Orion Academy in Malibu, CA, the children of Hollywood's glitterati vie for choice parts in the spring musical. But in the town's social echelon, a phone call from a generous and influential parent can count for more than another student's stellar audition. The result is a cast swollen with four Dorothys, two Glindas, and two Scarecrows sharing stage time in a unique production of The Wizard of Oz . Then, in the days leading up to opening night, Dorothys begin dropping out of the play due to life-threatening allergic reactions, scandalous photos, suspected cheating, and a suspicious stairwell accident. Is the play cursed, or is someone sabotaging the Dorothys in order to maximize her own time in the spotlight? "Snarkastic" narrator and Scarecrow #2 Bryan Stark, a self-described supporting character, chronicles show week with droll observations on his classmates' furious ambitions. Bryan identifies himself as gay but closeted early in the novel, and many teens will appreciate his lighthearted approach to his sexuality. Swift pacing and tightly layered subplots keep pages turning through this refreshing take on some familiar high school dramas. This sequel-ready winner is sure to please both drama devotees and fans of Cecily von Ziegesar's "Gossip Girl" and Zoey Dean's "A-List" series (both Little, Brown) alike.
—Amy PickettCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.