LIGHTS UP.
Enter LIBRARIAN from STAGE LEFT, wrapped in a woolly cardigan, and clutching a mug of tea with both hands.
LIBRARIAN: Welcome to our production of “Book Recs Based on Your Favorite Broadway Musical.” At this time, please turn off all cell phones, eReaders, and book lights. Photography and dog-earring pages are strictly prohibited. Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
Hamilton
You like history, but it’s gotta be lively—it’s gotta be young, scrappy, and hungry. Hence, you enjoy a dynamic cast of characters rapping their way through the American Revolution. If you’re ready for another fresh take on early British-American history, look no further.
Wicked
Antiheroes are your kind of heroes—especially when they’re not very popular. When the lines are blurred between good and evil, that’s where the good stuff is. You read books with an open mind; after all, each character has their own version of the story.
Hadestown
You’re not here for the books—you’re here for the bards. There’s nothing better than a lyrical retelling of an ancient, yet profoundly relatable myth. You can’t help but root for the hero every single time—despite knowing how it ends. Then again, maybe it will turn out this time…
In the Heights
Urban fiction is your jam—especially when it’s culturally rich. You can’t help but move to the beat as the vibrant characters of Washington Heights chase their sueñitos—or "little dreams” in a big city. Here’s to the stories that celebrate community, heritage, and aspiring for more.
Phantom of the Opera
If you haven’t read Gaston Leroux’s original masterpiece, well, that’s all I ask of you. You’ll laugh, you’ll weep, you’ll finally know the whole story. Then, allow yourself to be swept up into another dark, twisted, Victorian Gothic tale.
Chicago
A part of you has always wondered if you were meant to live in the roaring twenties—the golden age of detective fiction. You’re a fan of murder mystery, true crime, and all that jazz. For the classy, suspense-loving reader, these books will give you the ol’ razzle dazzle.
Les Misérables
RENT
No matter how much sorrow there is, you can always find the good in every moment, every person, every season of love. Maybe that’s why you’re drawn to realistic, ensemble casts—no hero, just a group of humans weaving their beautiful, bittersweet lives together.
LIBRARIAN downs the cup of tea before exiting STAGE LEFT.
BLACKOUT.
END SCENE.