By some miracle of coincidence, YA novelist Cecil Castelluci (Boy Proof, Queen of Cool and the spankin'-new BEIGE, which I strongly recommend AND the new comic book series Plain Janes) was
just like me
and
just like Sadye in Dramarama
cast as a dorky, minor and probably male character
in a high school production of
A Midsummer Night's Dream, when
really she wanted to be Hermia.
Me, I wrote a book about it.
(It was really traumatizing! And funny! And bad. We had to wear electric blue unitards.)
Cecil, she got over it.
As you'll see below in the Dramarama Musical Theater Interview.

We also both saw Andrea McArdle and Danielle Brisbois in Annie on Broadway, back when we were young.

Miss Cecil went to the High School for the Performing Arts! She's in a band! She is way punk rock and musical theater, too, and I really like her books.
Below, she channels her inner Carol Channing for us.
(Also, check out the netflix links below for some awesome movie musical fun)

The Dramarama Musical Theater Interview
questions by me, answers by Cecil Castelluci

1. You were in a play in high school, weren't you? Tell me all about it.

I wasn't just in one play in High School! I was graded on being in them!

I attended the LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York City. Yes. It's the school that the movie (and TV show) FAME were based on. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, go netflix it!)

The senior play I was in was A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM and I was cast as a Cobweb, the Fairy. I'm not going to lie to you E. I cried, because I wanted to be Puck or Hermia and I blame my drama teacher who said that I was "not a mature enough actress to play those parts." Which really meant that he couldn't see my absolute brilliance and was a loser!

I ended up being the Assistant Director of the play, which pretty much meant that I got to get my chops up on directing, which was what I really wanted to do anyway, so maybe in retrospect it was OK that I played a Fairy. Also, Jennifer Elise Cox, who is a great actress, whom I'm sure you recognize, was Mustardseed, the fairy. So, just FYI, sometimes, it's OK to not be the star in the High School play.

By the way, Fairies Rock!

2. Give me song lyric that makes you laugh. Preferably from a show, but I'll cut you some slack if whatever you quote is funny.

We'd Like To Thank You (Herbert Hoover) from Annie

In ev'ry pot he said "a chicken"
But Herbert Hoover he forgot
Not only don't we have the chicken
We ain't got the pot!
Hey Herbie

I Cain't Say No! from Oklahoma!

I cain't resist a Romeo
In a sombrero and chaps
Soon as I sit on their laps
Somethin' inside of me snaps
I cain't say no!

3. If you've seen a show on Broadway, what was your first one? Whom did you go with, who was the star, what did you think of it?

I think the first Broadway Show I remember seeing was ANNIE (original cast) I went with my parents and our family friends David and Celina Kupferman.

Andrea McArdle was Annie. I think Sarah Jessica Parker and Danielle Brisbois were orphans in the one I saw. Pretty much it was AWESOME! And I sang tortured versions of Tomorrow for many years after that, probably much to the chagrin of my parents dinner guests.

4. What's your showbiz fantasy?

I know I'm mostly a writer and director and performance-arty kind of person, but I do know how to act, and I think it would be really cool to be in a Broadway play one day.

So, you know, I'm just putting it out there, cause I could do it. And it'd be hella fun. Pick me, Broadway!

5. Which Broadway diva are you, deep inside? And why? Ethel Merman, Carol Burnett, Nell Carter, Kristin Chenoweth, Bernadette Peters, Julie Andrews, Bebe Neuwirth, Audra McDonald, Carol Channing, Mary Martin, Barbra Streisand? Or someone else?

I think we can safely say that I am a bit of every single one of those Divas. But I'll go with Carol Channing because I met her once.

They were showing Thoroughly Modern Millie at the American Cinematheque and her autobiography JUST LUCKY I GUESS had just come out and I was the bookseller at the event. I got to sit next to her and we got along like gangbusters. She kept introducing me to everyone that came up to get their book signed as "Miss Cecil, if you please!" She even introduced me to Tippi Hedren! Le swoon!

6. Write me a nice little song lyric for the book you're promoting right now. Please.

from THE PLAIN JANES

Our names are Jane
Jane, Jayne, Jane and Polly Jane.
We're not the same
I like Sports!
I like Drama!
I like Science!
I like Art
We're glad to be plain
We're Janes

from BEIGE

In Los Angeles
Looking out the window of a room that doesn't feel like it's my home
I'm like a wallflower
when I look down at you in the blue swimming pool
Everyone here is so loud
Like the color red
I'll be quiet
for now
and stay in my head