Passion, ambition, and escape in the colorful artistic underworld off-Broadway
Cammie, a dancer in her thirties, has just landed her first part in a show since coming to New York City. Yet the tug of familial obligations and the guilt of what she sacrificed to be there weigh down her dancing feet. The early narrative follows the cast of the show, with a backstage glimpse into the chaotic and colorful world of struggling performers.
Cammie’s lover, Tom, an older piano player, came to the city as a young man in the 1980s with a story eerily in tune with Cammie’s own.
Through their triumphs and failures, both learn the fleetness of glory, the sweetness of new love, and how a dream come true isn’t cherished until it’s passed. The bright lights of the stage intoxicate, while degradation and despair lurk close behind the curtain. Their stories are marred by two viruses, AIDS in the 1980s and COVID-19 today, both of which ravaged the performing arts community, leaving a permanent scar on those who lived through them.
Cammie thinks she finally has her chance in a major show, until COVID forces the unthinkable—Broadway being shut down. The physical, financial, and emotional toll this takes on the dancers and musicians of the story is laid bare. The effort it took to survive even the next day in New York City becomes a stark reality for many of the characters. “It took a lot of lucky breaks to make it here. This pandemic would undo a lot of lucky breaks for a lot of people.”
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“Phillips taps all the senses while reminding us that, no matter what happens in life, the show must go on—especially for those who dare to dream. Want a sensual but poignant romp behind the curtain? This book delivers.”
— Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“A Season in Lights is an intimate, heartfelt ballad to creativity and the passion of the artist.”
— Nicole Evelina, USA Today bestselling author“Gregory Erich Phillips’s A Season in Lights is a heartfelt and moving love letter to New York City and its artistic community.”
— Geoffrey Owens, actor and directorBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Award-winning author Gregory Erich Phillips writes stories with strong characters whose lives resonate with a wide audience. His debut novel, Love of Finished Years, won the grand prize in the Chanticleer Reviews International Writing Competition and was an Amazon bestseller in historical fiction. His second novel, The Exile, won first place in mainstream fiction in the PNWA literary contest. An accomplished tango dancer and musician, Gregory has impressed audiences from the West Coast to New York City with his drama and grace on the dance floor. He lives in Seattle.
Theresa Bakken draws on her experience as an Emmy Award–winning broadcast journalist to bring empathy to every character, and professionalism to every project. In addition to audiobook narration, she produces and hosts the Desideratum podcast celebrating authors and featuring their work.