Putting on the Ritz - Softcover

Keenan, Joe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140149899 ISBN 13: 9780140149890

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 1992

Synopsis

The witty duo from Blue Heaven invade the entourage of a tasteless real estate/media magnate, attempt to turn his talentless wife into a chanteuse, and vie for the affections of a suave magazine editor, in this deftly delicious comedy of bad manners, financial skullduggery, and romantic infighting.

About this title

About the Author:

A playwright and lyricist, Joe Keenan received his M.F.A in Musical Theatre from New York University. His musical The Times received the Richard Rodgers Development Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters as well as the Kleban Award from the Ed Kleban Foundation. His first novel, Blue Heaven - which introduced the characters of Philip Cavanaugh, Gilbert Selwyn and Claire Simmons - is also published by Arrow. Mr Keenan spent six years as a writer/producer for the television show Frasier. His work on the show earned him five Emmys and two Writes Guild Awards. He has also worked as a writer on the television series Desperate Housewives along with a number of screen plays. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Mr Keenan lives in Los Angeles with his partner Gerry Bernardi.

From Kirkus Reviews:

In a knockabout sequel to Blue Heaven (1988), songwriter Philip Cavanaugh agrees to write a set of tunes for untalented would-be songbird Elsa Champion--as a cover for spying on her boorish super- rich husband Peter. Peter's latest step in his feud with rival billionaire Boyd Larkin, you see, has been to start Estime, a gossipy magazine whose circulation already tops that of Larkin's Boulevardier; meanwhile, Larkin, his scrumptious aide-de-camp Tommy Parker, and Philip's old pal Gilbert Selwyn (who's thoroughly smitten by Tommy) persuade Philip to sign on with Elsa in order to get the dirt on Peter's nefarious business practices so they can blackmail him out of the business. What Philip actually gets (after masquerades and double-crosses too numerous to count) is much better--an audio tape, hilariously procured, of Peter's S/M session with Elsa's sister Kitty Driscoll. But his hapless attempts to deliver it without delivering himself to Peter or his lawyers lands him in repeated jams only his songwriting partner, improbably straight, unkinky Claire Simmons, can get him out of--and she's not kindly disposed toward him after Elsa's debut in the Rainbow Room, somewhat dampened by her just having heard the tape, makes Claire a laughingstock (along with Elsa) and the codefendant (along with Philip) in a ten-million-dollar lawsuit. Still to come: Philip's long-awaited romance with Tommy, whom Larkin insinuates into the editorship of Estime (and who plans to ``elevate'' it into financial ruin) and a showdown between Kitty, Elsa, and assorted hangers-on on live TV. An ebullient, overplotted tour of New York's brutish high life that's zany, arch, and gay in every sense of the word. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0140149899
• ISBN 13: 9780140149890
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336