Two New Books by Theater People
Among the latest publications by artists of the New York stage are a book for young readers on the development of an exuberant ballet student and the autobiography of a Tony-nominated musical-theater writer, lyricist, and director.
Nancy Paris, It’s Me, Lilly McKee! (Windsor, CT, Vellamere House, 2026, paperback, 120 pages, $7.99, ISBN 979-8-9974599-0-1) –
Following the publication of her first two delightful picture books in the children’s series The Adventures of Lilly Nilly in 2022 and 2023, NYC-based professional dancer, choreographer, instructor, and author Nancy Paris, a Julliard School alum, has expanded her story. The eponymous budding ballerina is now an eight-year-old third-grader and dance student, in this first installment of Lilly McKee and Friends, a new series of longer chapter books, illustrated by Penny Weber.
Designed for ages 7-10, it’s equally appealing to readers of any age, including adults who love to laugh and to relive the joys and challenges of growing up. Inspired by her own real-life journey, Paris’s writing displays her perfect knack for capturing the rambunctious behavior, spunky personality, and irrepressible spirit of the young girl, in spot-on language that befits her age and inquisitive nature. As Lilly experiments with different hobbies, considers what she wants to be as an adult, and becomes increasingly enamored of ballet, she experiences relatable clashes with her family, friends, and teachers. In the process, she learns invaluable life lessons, and shares her funny, entertaining, and meaningful insights with all of us.
The ebullient first-person narrative is followed by a brief history of ballet, a glossary of terms, questions raised in the themes of the story, and a sneak peek at the next installment in the series.
Bill Russell, Still, Bill: Gay Adventures from Cowboyland to Broadway (New York, Tugboat Press, 2026, paperback, 329 pages, $18.99, ISBN 979-8-9972511-2-3) –
In his new memoir, librettist, lyricist, and director Bill Russell (Side Show; Pageant) traces his personal and professional path from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the lights of Broadway and London’s West End. Chock full of revealing stories, Russell’s reflection on his life and times begins with his family background and childhood on a western ranch, his early love of music and theater (including his 5th-grade announcement that he wanted to be a playwright), his desire to leave an environment where he wasn’t accepted, and finding his voice, gay identity, and love of NYC, where he immediately felt, “I’m home.”
With humor, honesty, and emotion, Russell (born in 1949) openly discusses his sexual encounters and use of recreational drugs, the process and evolution of the shows he created, the artists he worked with and the personalities he met, his travels around the world and the successes he enjoyed (as well as the disappointments he endured), and his relationships with his closest friends and nearly 50 years with his husband Bruce. It’s all set in the context of the decades of change through which he’s lived, from the traditional restrictions of the mid-century to the liberating movements of the ‘60s and ‘70s, and the devastating pandemics of AIDS and Covid (when he began writing this book).
His recollections are interspersed with photos, and with poems and lyrics he wrote, which express his innermost feelings and capture the people and places, themes and experiences that touched his life and contributed to his story.
