Wickedauthor Gregory Maguire will appear at the Chelsea Barnes & Noble (675 Sixth Avenue at 22nd Street) on September 28th for a 7 PM reading of selections from his new novel Son of a Witch. Released in stores on September 27th, the book chronicles the adventures of Liir, the son of Elphaba.Set
10 years after Elphaba's death, the novel recounts how "The young man
Liir is discovered bruised, comatose, and left for dead
in a gully. Shattered in spirit as well as in form, he is tended by the
mysterious Candle, a foundling in her own right, until failed campaigns
of his childhood bear late, unexpected fruit," states Maguire's
official website. "Liir is only one part of the world that Elphaba left
behind. As a boy
hardly in his teens, he is asked to help the needy in ways in which he
may be unskilled. Is he Elphaba's son? Has he power of his own? Can he
liberate Princess Nastoya into a dignified death? Can he locate his
supposed half-sister, Nor, last seen in shackles under the Wizard's
protection? Can he survive in an Oz little improved since the death of
the Wicked Witch of the West? Can he learn to fly?"
The musical Wicked, based on Maguire's book,opened
at the Gershwin Theatre on October 30th, 2003. Directed by Joe
Mantello and choreographed by Wayne Cilento, the show features a score by
Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. Currently, Shoshana Bean and Megan Hilty star as Elphaba and Glinda, while Rue McClanahan plays Madame Morrible and Ben Vereen appears as The Wizard. A successful national tour stars Stephanie J. Block and Kendra Kassebaum while Ana Gasteyer and Kate Reinders headline the smash Chicago production.The plot of Wicked
varies in some ways from that of Maguire's book. The author, who
delights in re-telling familiar stories and fairy tales, also penned Lost, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Mirror Mirror, and such children's books as The Dream Stealer and The Good Liar.While the list price for Son of a Witch is set at $26.95, it is now available for $17.26 at Amazon. For more information on Maguire and Son of a Witch, visit www.gregorymaguire.com.
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