Cut Loose! (the Chance to Fly #2) A Novel

Cut Loose! by Tony Award-winning actress Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz is the showstopping sequel to The Chance to Fly. This uplifting story continues the journey of Nat Beacon, a theater-loving girl who uses a wheelchair, as she navigates the challenges of eighth grade and her passion for performing.

Nat is thrilled when she learns about a middle school theater competition where the winning production gets to perform on a real Broadway stage. This is her chance to shine and prove she belongs at her new school.

Drawing inspiration from her favorite musical, Wicked, and its empowering anthem "Defying Gravity," Nat lands a role in the school production of Footloose.

However, rehearsals are far from smooth. With dance diva Skye pushing for more complex choreography, Nat's boyfriend, Malik, frequently missing practice for band commitments, and her best friend, Hudson, acting distant, Nat feels the pressure mounting. She begins to question whether she can carry the show to Broadway and if it's worth pursuing theater without the support of her friends.

Cut Loose is a heartwarming tale about embracing your strengths, standing out, and standing up for what you believe in. Perfect for fans of musicals and anyone who has ever dared to dream big, this book celebrates resilience, friendship, and the magic of theater.

Ali Stroker is a Tony Award winner for her role as Ado Annie in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! She made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway in Deaf West’s acclaimed 2015 revival of Spring Awakening. She’s a series regular in the Netflix series Echoes and starred in the Lifetime holiday film Christmas Ever After. Ali recurred in the final season of Netflix’s Ozark and is recurring in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. She cowrote the 2021 novel The Chance to Fly, and she wrote the 2022 children’s book Ali and the Sea Stars. She played Lady Anne in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Richard III. She’s performed her one-woman show all over the country, including at some of her favorite venues, such as Kennedy Center, Town Hall, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. Her mission to improve the lives of others through the arts is captured in her motto: “Turning your limitations into your opportunities.”
Stacy Davidowitz is an acclaimed author and playwright. Her star-reviewed novel The Chance to Fly, coauthored by Tony Award–winning actress Ali Stroker, was named a best children’s book of the year by the Chicago Public Library, Parents, and Bank Street College of Education. It was also selected by the National Education Association as a featured title for Read Across America. Davidowitz is best known for her four-book Camp Rolling Hills series, inspired by her coauthored Camp Rolling Hills the Musical, which continues to have productions across the country. She is also the author of the Hanazuki chapter book series based on Hasbro’s YouTube series. She has written award-winning plays that have been produced regionally and internationally, and are published by Broadway Play Publishing, Stage Rights, and YouthPLAYS. When she is not writing, she teaches creative writing, female empowerment, and musical theater in schools, camps, foster care facilities, and juvenile detention centers. She lives in upper Manhattan with her husband and twin boys. Learn more about Davidowitz online, where in addition to all things books, you can watch clips of her performing as a kid.