Authors: Ted Michael
Starry-Eyed
STARRY-EYED
Also by Ted Michael
So You Wanna Be a Superstar?: The Ultimate Audition Guide
Other Running Press Teens anthologies include:
Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance
Edited by Rhoda Belleza
Willful Impropriety: 13 Tales of Society, Scandal, and Romance
Edited by Ekaterina Sedia
Brave New Love: 15 Dystopian Tales of Desire
Edited by Paula Guran
Truth & Dare: 20 Tales of Heartbreak and Happiness
Edited by Liz Miles
Corsets & Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances
Edited by Trisha Telep
Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love
Edited by Trisha Telep
The Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire
Edited by Trisha Telep
Edited by Ted Michael & Josh Pultz
Introduction by Clay Aiken
RP | TEENS
PHILADELPHIA · LONDON
Copyright © 2013 by Peach Productions LLC (unless otherwise noted)
“Introduction” copyright © 2013 by Clay Aiken. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“The Accompanist” copyright © 2013 by Eve Yohalem. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Jesse Tyler Ferguson. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“MC Wax” copyright © 2013 by Josh Berk. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Ian Harding. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Tessitura” copyright © 2013 by Maryrose Wood. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Sierra Boggess. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” copyright © 2013 by Marc Acito. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Ali Stroker. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Echo” copyright © 2013 by Kiersten Brazier. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Greta Gerwig. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Talent” copyright © 2013 by Amy Vincent. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Gavin Lee. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Other Life” copyright © 2013 by Garret Freymann-Weyr First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Andrea McArdle. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“A Midwinter Night's Dream” copyright © 2013 by Jacqueline West. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Anthony Fedorov. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Gravy and Mashed” copyright © 2013 by Tanya Lee Stone. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Lisa Howard. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“A Love Song” copyright © 2013 by Antony John. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Lea Salonga. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Tuesday at Midnight” copyright © 2013 by Nina LaCour. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Bonnie Langford. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Stage Kiss” copyright © 2013 by Cynthia Hand. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Alice Ripley. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“The Artful Dodger” copyright © 2013 by Aimee Friedman. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Lynn Cohen. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Becca First” copyright © 2013 by Alexandra Flinn. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Montego Glover. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Stringbean and Goose” copyright © 2013 by Laura Goode. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“Anecdote” copyright © 2013 by Telly Leung. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
“A Date with Destiny” copyright © 2013 by Josh Pultz. First publication, original to this anthology. Printed by permission of the author.
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Contents
A Note from the Editors: Ted Michael & Josh Pultz
Anecdote: Jesse Tyler Ferguson
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
:
Marc Acito
Other Life
:
Garret Freymann-Weyr
A Midwinter Night's Dream
:
Jacqueline West
Gravy and Mashed
:
Tanya Lee Stone
Tuesday at Midnight
:
Nina LaCour
The Artful Dodger
:
Aimee Friedman
Stringbean and Goose
:
Laura Goode
A Date with Destiny
:
Josh Pultz
FOR YOUNG
PERFORMERS
AND ARTISTS
EVERYWHERE
If someone had asked me when I was a teenager if I ever dreamed of being where I am today, I would have told that person one thing: yes.
Imagine a ten- or eleven-year-old me. Though Mom might say otherwise, like most kids, I wasn't always the cutest or the best dressed or the most popular in school. What I did have, though, was drive, determination, and a passion for singing.
Whether it was a concert with the local boys' choir, a Sunday morning hymn at church, or a role in a community theater production, I always felt most alive when I was performing. The thrill of making music and the artistic friends that I made through my love for the arts made my teenage years enjoyable and planted the seed for my current career. But the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles and the bright lights of Broadway seemed miles away from my front porch in Raleigh, North Carolina, way back when.