Read Online Showstopper by Lisa Fiedler - Free Book Online Page B

here,” I said, an idea forming in the back of my brain. “I think we can use that to our advantage, financially.”
    â€œHow?” asked Susan.
    â€œWell, one of the things on Mom’s grocery list for Nana was baking ingredients. Flour, shortening . . . chocolate chips.”
    â€œI’m listening . . .,” said Austin.
    â€œBroadway theaters sell refreshments, right? Well, what if we held a pre-show bake sale? We can set up a table right under the tree there. Look at all these people walking by! I bet they’ll be happy to buy a few cupcakes and cookies tosupport the arts.”
    â€œI like it,” said Susan. “Of course, I’m always up for anything that includes frosting.”
    â€œLet’s do it,” said Austin. “How about Tuesday, after rehearsal?”
    I had Susan text the actors about my idea, and everyone responded that they thought it was a good one. Jane, Maddie, and Elle offered to bake brownies; Nora promised a batch of lemon bars. Spencer said his mother made the world’s best Rice Krispies Treats. Gracie promised us a whole tray of baklava, and Gina informed us she had an uncle who owned an Italian bakery in Armonk; she’d see if she could get him to donate some pastries.
    When Susan went inside to run the bake sale plan by Nana and Papa, Austin and I got down to business.
    The Sirens were a no-brainer. Jane, Maddie, and Elle would play the mythical seductresses with a sassy sixties spin.
    Casting the role of Penelope was equally simple. Austin and I agreed that Nora would be perfect.
    â€œSophia’s gonna flip,” Austin predicted.
    â€œWhat else is new?” I sighed. “But Nora is the better choice. I was thinking we could give Sophia the role of Athena . . . until I saw Travis.”
    Austin grinned. “Yeah, he was excellent! I think he’ll havethe audience in stitches.”
    So Travis was cast as Athena. We decided we’d have Maxie get him a better, less itchy wig and dress him in a flowing tuniclike gown with a golden belt. He’d be hilarious. In fact, he would bring down the house. I was laughing just thinking about him playing the beautiful and powerful goddess.
    â€œAnd as long as we’re thinking outside the box,” said Austin, “what about Kenzie as Odysseus? She was terrific.”
    I considered this, then shook my head. “I’d rather see her play a character who does more dancing. It would be a shame not to showcase her talents.”
    â€œYou’re right,” said Austin, tapping his pen against the pad. “Here’s a thought. Sophia as Cyclops.”
    I laughed. “Oh, Susan will love that!”
    â€œI know. But I’m not just suggesting this to get Sophia’s goat.”
    â€œNo pun intended,” I joked, remembering that the Cyclops was, by trade, a goatherd. “But you make a good point. Sophia could really tackle the role. It would be a chance for her to prove she can actually act, and not always be the prima donna or the ingenue. She’ll get to sing a solo, and she sure can’t complain the role isn’t big enough. I mean, the character’s a giant. You can’t get much bigger than that.”
    Austin wrote down Cyclops: Sophia Ciancio , then asked,“What about Poseidon?”
    â€œBrady!” I said without hesitation, picturing him holding our spray-painted trident and dressed in the gnarly swim trunks he’d been wearing at the pool the day we’d met him. “He can do it as a surfer dude, all laid-back and cool.”
    â€œWorks for me.” Austin wrote it down.
    As we continued to cast the show, it became clear to Austin, as it had to me earlier, that we didn’t have nearly enough actors for all the roles in this show.
    â€œI guess we should have paid closer attention to the character breakdown before we chose this play,” Austin said with a sigh.
    â€œWe’re going to have to cast a lot of