Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
Lights, Makeup, Scripts, Costumes... Performances! Jet Mykles, J.P. Bowie and Kimberly Gardner entertain us with the magic and mystique of the theatre. From Shakespeare's gender-bending comedies to the glamour of a Musical Revue, we're whisked backstage for an intimate glimpse of the drama, romance and rumors (and maybe even a little mystery) behind the curtain. Find out what it takes for a man to carry off a skirt and heels. Follow the men who wait in the wings for those behind the fake breasts and makeup. BRAVO! BRAVA!

BOOK REVIEW:
Bravo! Brava! is a wonderful new anthology about the exciting world of theatre. Each story shows us a different aspect of stage life and the men (and women) who live, work and play there. In a rather unique twist, the authors also approach the phenomenon of men who dress in women's clothes from three different, yet welcome, perspectives.

Jet Mykles's delightful coming-of-age story, "About Something," delivers a huge dose of heat and charm on a small college campus. Shawn is excited to land the lead role of Benedick in his college's production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and he's even more thrilled to work with Roscoe, the hot young director from New York. He's not at all happy when Roscoe suggests that he switch roles to play the part of Beatrice. You see, Shawn is straight and can't fathom playing a woman.

Mykles does a great job showing Shawn's efforts to come to terms with his sexuality, his growing attraction to his gay teacher, and his newfound proclivity to wear women's attire. As conflicted as he is about other aspects of his life, I really liked how Shawn embraced wearing miniskirts and makeup with glee. His love affair with Roscoe isn't as easily resolved, but it's skillfully written with an ending that is just to-die-for.

J.P. Bowie pens a story so chock-full of twists and turns in "Sometimes, Life's a Drag" that I could barely put my eReader down! Blackmail, murder, lies, sex and backstabbing backstagers all combine in a hilarious send-up of musical revues. Patrick and his friends land singing and dancing gigs in Kenny LaFontaine's very popular drag show and count themselves lucky. It doesn't take long before Kenny's diva antics leave everyone with a sour taste in their mouths.

Despite the less than desirable atmosphere, Patrick finds himself falling for the hot and hunky detective investigating a blackmail scheme at the theatre. Their romance is both sweet and hot, and provides a nice balance to Kenny's venomous personality. This story will leave you laughing at the witty dialogue, rolling your eyes during Kenny's tantrums and sighing over Patrick and Ian's love affair.

The final installment, "Woman's Weeds," is Kimberly Gardner's sensitive tale of a somewhat shy director who falls for one of his beautiful cross-dressing actors during the staging of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. There are many reasons why David should avoid getting involved with Kieran, but the latter's love of dressing in women's clothing isn't one of them. Their relationship is tested by David's sister's misgivings, a wealthy spoiled socialite and a fellow cast member with ill intentions.

I really liked Kieran, a multi-faceted character who quite frankly admits that there are days when he feels more like a woman than a man. I appreciated the internal monologues that revealed the depths of insecurity that many cross-dressers experience. David's responses to Kieran's lifestyle were both revelatory and poignant. I thoroughly enjoyed watching these sensitive men fall hard and fast for each other.

With three stellar authors at the helm, Bravo! Brava! is an anthology not to be missed. Whether you're a theater buff, drag show goer or Shakespeare fan, you'll enjoy these tales of love found among the bright lights.

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