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Laura Frankos
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Broadway Revival Kindle Edition

by Laura Frankos (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 105 ratings
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After his husband dies from a Tantalus-3 addiction in 2079, David Greenbaum pulls himself out of despair with an outrageous plan. He couldn’t save Ramon, but he might make a difference in other lives cut short. He hijacks his brother Nate’s time machine, the SlingShot, and jumps to 1934 to save George Gershwin from the brain tumor that killed him at age thirty-eight.

That’s just the start of David’s “Broadway Revival Project.” Gershwin wasn’t the only one who died too young. How much influence can one actor-songwriter have on the Great White Way, armed with a suitcase of modern medicine and advance knowledge of nearly 150 years of musical theatre history?

But David’s actions are causing changes to the timeline that have the Rippers—the international time travel research consortium—very worried. So Nate climbs into the SlingShot, determined to track down his brother in 1930s New York, whatever the consequences.
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  1. Print length
    470 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    November 28, 2021
  5. File size
    2666 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09MR3MPNH
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Swallow's End Publishing (November 28, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 28, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2666 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 470 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1732523924
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 105 ratings

About the author

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Laura Frankos

Laura Frankos

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
105 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Francis Hamit
5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolutely Masterful Work of Fiction
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
This is a unique blend of historical and science fiction that never loses sight of its characters. The lead narrator, David, is one of the most sympathetic Gay characters I've read. Determined to rescue George Gershwin, Lorenz Hart and other creators of classic Broadway musicals he hijacks a time macine and inserts himself into their lives, using his own taents to become part of an alternative universe where his heros survive and he thrives, becoming a powerful composer, director and producer with n uncanny ability to back the right productions.

The depth of research is impressive as the author gives us an intimate insiders look at the Broadway scene of the 1930s,40s and 50s through the eyes of a protagonist who is a fugitive from hs own time, living under a new identity and navigating some very difficult personal and romantic problems. She delivers a genuine page-turner. I could not put it down. I had to see wht happened next. Having recently completed a similar novel of my own I can only applaud hers.

This was turned down by traditional publishers. It deserves to be a best-seller. Buy a copy and help make it so.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I've always wanted to do this
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2024
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I have a whole list of people I'd save, events I'd try to turn. I loved reading about someone trying it. No spoilers.
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rory schwartz
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2023
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This book was absolutely incredible. The research, the knowledge it displays, yet every character whether real or fictional was so developed and were people you wish you knew but felt like you did know. The balancing of all the elements was so masterfully done. I thank you so deeply in giving me the time to live in all the times you created. This would make such a cool miniseries. Hope it finds its network. Bravo and thank you.
2 people found this helpful
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Cogit8tor
5.0 out of 5 stars Broadway Revival deserves its own Tony Award!
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2023
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I'm a big fan of Broadway AND of science fiction, particularly time travel and alternate history stories, so I am VERY pleased to report Laura Francos' "Broadway Revival" is good enough to earn a Tony award if one were given for best "book." A man from the 2070s uses time travel technology to go back to the 1930s and help prolong the lives of famous Broadway composers and lyricists, creating a parallel timeline in the process. The book was absolutely delightful and pulled me along as the protagonist not only changes history, but becomes part of it as a theatrical producer with a knack for predicting hits.

Well researched and full of obvious love for the history of the theatre, this book was a gem. My wife and daughter, both theatre fans, will be reading it now that I've finished reading it myself. Thanks for a delightful trip through time, with songs, dancing, and insights into the character of Broadway legends.
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars What a fun romp!
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2022
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Nice delightful time travel story about Broadway, Musicals and the characters behind the scenes. Well researched and an enjoyable read, especially for a theatre and history buff…
One person found this helpful
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PlayWizMe
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific time traveling fantasy to alter Broadway history by saving its great Golden Age songwriters
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2022
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I really loved this novel in which writer Laura Frankos has created a time traveling hero, who 50 years in the future, mourning the death of his beloved performer spouse, actively decides to take measures to go back in time as a time traveling outlaw to the 1930s Broadway era to save George Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter, and other great Broadway writers from death, depression and other disasters and keep them turning out great songs and Broadway musicals. Things get more complicated as another, accredited and lawful time traveler sets off in pursuit of the first. Ms. Frankos creates vivid personalities to match the legends of many of these Tin Pan Alley Broadway greats as well.

Ms. Frankos has done her homework in balancing a futuristic world where possibilities to time travel exist, along with a painstakingly accurate and wonderful recreation of 1930s and beyond of Broadway and Hollywood, including details on actual major shows, songs, places and famous people of those periods, and how the lead character decides to try to alter history for the better. Ms. Frankos has woven a tale which I found to be so delightful in its premise and its execution, that I rather took my time reading it, as I frankly didn't want it to end. Highly recommended!
One person found this helpful
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Hank Graham
5.0 out of 5 stars What an absolutely WONDERFUL book
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2022
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If you love Broadway musicals, if you like time travel stories that manage not to trip over themselves getting to their ends, and if your heart rises as you see an already good writer manage to level up in her writing, turning a light-weight concept into something that'll stick with you, ohmygod, read this book.

Now, routinely, this is the part of the review where the intrepid reviewer starts pointing out how the writer performed their magic, giving away punchlines and touchs that the reader should be allowed to discover for themselves, and I don't play like that. Laura Frankos has managed to craft a wonderful tale around the Broadway theater that she clearly loves (as do I), highlighting not just that, but also a great deal of insight into the 1930's, when the Broadway scene that has defined musical theater for this last century arose.

The only thing she couldn't do is dip into Morpheus's CD library, and play for us the additional music Gershwin wrote, although reading this book, I found it possible to imagine it playing somewhere, out there, unfortunately just past the limits of our hearing.
3 people found this helpful
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Tom in Texas
5.0 out of 5 stars A surprising book
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2022
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I picked this up primarily because I've enjoyed a number of books by the author's husband (Harry Turtledove), and I also have a fondness for time travel stories. I picked this up despite the fact that I'm largely indifferent to Broadway musicals.

But this book is very good -- the historical figures come to life and as a reader I came to care about them and their careers. As for the time traveler...he gets the chance to make his dreams come true, but he also has to pay a price for it. Because let's face it; the time period from the thirties through the sixties wasn't a great time to be a gay man, not even on Broadway. But the author makes it all work in a way that makes this novel a compelling, moving experience. I'd highly recommend it to those who are interested in mid-twentieth century Broadway, those who enjoy time travel stories, and those who enjoy alternate histories even if that history isn't going to change the course of nations.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Canadian
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended: An excellent read, and a novel take on alternate histories.
Reviewed in Canada on August 23, 2023
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What do you get when a writer of fantasy & science fiction has an encyclopaedic knowledge of American music and theatre? You get Broadway Revival, by Laura Frankos.

Frankos’ first full-length SF novel is an alternate history with a difference. She doesn’t deal with alternate world wars and empires and alien invasions. Her “what if” deals with The Great White Way: Broadway.

In the year 2078, time travel is a Thing. The use of the SlingShot to send travellers into the past is expensive and riddled with political intrigue. Messing with history doesn’t create grandfather paradoxes. Instead, you create Splinterverses, which develop in parallel to our own.

The protagonist is David W. Greenbaum: actor, writer, and composer. His brother is a Ripper – a time travelling historian. The McGuffin is not as world-shaking as trying to stop a World War. His target is George Gershwin, who died from a brain tumour in 1937 at the age of 38.

Gershwin composed for Broadway, films, and for the classical repertoire. What if Gershwin had lived for another 40 or 50 years? More Broadway shows and popular tunes, plus more operas and more contributions to the classical repertoire?

It’s believed that Gershwin had either astrocytoma or glioblastoma. Both are brain cancers that even today have poor survivability. How does David provide Gershwin with effective late 21st century anti-cancer drugs?

Step one – hijack the SlingShot and have himself sent back to the 1930s. Step two – establish an identity for himself, and head for Broadway. Step three – try to get close enough to Gershwin to give him late 21st century anti-cancer drugs.

And so, David W. Greenbaum becomes Joseph David Cohen, whose birth records were conveniently lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. He becomes an Angel of Broadway – one of those brave souls who risk their money backing new shows. Naturally, he fits into the Broadway establishment of the time, and meets up with an awesomely name-dropping collection of writers, actors, producers, composers, and more. No politicians and statesmen and great scientists here!

In its own way, the book addresses an issue in alternate history stories that some authors fail to examine: the basic idea that you can’t just change one thing. You stop a World War – how does that affect history beyond? In this case, if you save the life of a composer or writer, what do they write? What doesn’t get written? If an actor appears in a different play than our history, how does that affect their life? If a new Gershwin show is a hit, does it displace another show that might have been a bigger hit? If you save someone’s life, how might they die in the new timeline?

An excellent read, and a novel take on alternate histories.
One person found this helpful
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Ms. Roz J Kaveney
5.0 out of 5 stars Charm, wit, scholarship
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2021
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I loved this to pieces, because it's a favourite fantasy - use time travel to save your favourite artists and all the work they might have written...oh, and Laura Frankos knows everything there is to be known about Broadway musicals between 1934 and the 60s...
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a crappy pirate
5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyed it so much that i bought a physical copy to keep on the bookshelf.
Reviewed in Australia on August 2, 2022
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there is so much joy in the writing of this book. if you're looking for some nice, gentle escapism that keeps you interested without too much action then this is a fantastic pick.
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CLEMOWBOOKS
5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to be enamoured of Broadway to enjoy this book.
Reviewed in Canada on July 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
Moves quickly especially considering that the traveller is around for over 20 years. The people, real and imagined, are fully formed.
I especially liked the "villains" Oscar Levant and Professor Seagull. Real people presented as a stranger would percieve them.
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Ronald Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars Broadway Reival, simply amazing
Reviewed in Australia on January 26, 2022
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Took a little time to get into it, but it then warmed up brilliantly.
The characters, places and themes all became not only real, but endearing.
The Idea for the story and the use of broadway characters, taught me a little about broadway, of which i am largely ignorant.

More Please. Harry should be proud.
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