Tony-nominated playwright and lyricist Chad Beguelin came home on Saturday to talk about his debut novel, Showmance, at a Q&A and book signing at the Centralia Cultural society. Beguelin’s novel released on October 1 to positive reviews. Dozens of people were in attendance on Saturday to hear Beguelin talk about his book and the life experiences, both growing up in southern Illinois and writing for shows on Broadway, that served as creative fuel. Beguelin said it was a pleasure to return to a place that means a lot to him.
“It’s been great to be here at the cultural society,” Beguelin said. “It’s where I found my love of theater, and this place meant so much to me growing up because I didn’t really fit anywhere, but here I sort of found my people. I loved doing shows here, and one of the reasons I wrote the book, Showmance, was to honor the Centralia Cultural Society.”
Showmance is the story of Noah Adams, an aspiring Broadway writer, who returns to his southern Illinois hometown after his show is an opening night flop. Beguelin says readers from the area will enjoy some of the connections between the fictional town of Plainview and the real region it’s based on.
“Hopefully they’ll recognize a lot of the Midwestern Easter eggs… I think the Midwest is always known for colorful characters, so hopefully they’ll get a kick out of that, too.”
When asked whether his novel would have a sequel, Beguelin said that it was possible, but he was happy with where the story currently ends. Beguelin’s next project is a new musical being written with the creative team behind his most recent musical, The Prom.
Tom Hawkins and organizers at the Centralia Cultural Society thanked Beguelin for his contributions, including the Chad Beguelin Fine Arts Scholarship. Every year since 2015, Beguelin has awarded a $5,000 scholarship to a student or students who have been involved with the Cultural Society.
Audience in attendance for Beguelin at the Cultural Society.
Chad Beguelin with a signed copy of his novel.
