The Audio Book of Drama Oz,
the 14th Nicky and Noah mystery by Joe Cosentino
performed by Brian Cheney
Author Joe Cosentino interviews audiobook performer Brian Cheney at the release of the audiobook of Drama Oz, the 14th Nicky and Noah mystery!
Joe: Hi, Brian. Welcome to our interview for the audio book release of Drama Oz, Nicky and Noah mystery book 14. This is our fourth audio book collaboration.
Brian: Thanks, Joe. I guess we’ve given birth to quadruplets minus the labor pains.
Joe: As Nicky might say, “I’m happier than a priest with an altar boy in the wine cellar” at the terrific job you did performing the audio book of book 14 in this series.
Brian: As Nicky would also say, “They like me. They really like me.”
Joe: As you know, in the 14th Nicky and Noah mystery novel cute and cozy couple (Try saying that three times fast with a tongue ring) Nicky and Noah produce their own wacky musical version of The Wizard of Oz called Friends of Dorothy.
Brian: And Nicky and Noah, and two other couples, get cozy on the Yellow Brick Road to Emerald City.
Joe: Are you a fan of The Wizard of Oz movies? The Oz books?
Brian: OMG, yes! In fact, the first role I performed was the Tinman in high school! It was The Wizard of Oz that set me on the path of becoming a performing artist! I totally related to Nicky and Noah’s son Taavi (who plays the Tinman) and his major crush in this book!
Joe: What do you think it is about the story that has captivated people of all ages for so many years?
Brian: I think it’s the sentiment of the story. That no matter what, where you go or what you do, there’s no place like home!
Joe: You are an incredibly talented actor, singer, and audio book performer. Your sense of comic timing is remarkable. What were some challenges that you faced in performing this audio book?
Brian: Well Joe, you know I love to sing those musical lyrics in your books! I think the most fun and challenging aspect of this book was that there were so many of them! HA! I loved giggling in my recording booth while trying to come up with melodies to song titles like “Going Down on the Farm” and “Home Begins with Ho”!
Joe: This is your fourth Nicky and Noah mystery audio book. Which audio book was the most difficult to perform?
Brian: Can you believe it! Our fourth audio book together! How exciting. This book was the most challenging for sure. For some reason naming a dog Asterisk really tied up my tongue at times! But I love a challenge!
Joe: As you know, each of the Nicky and Noah mystery novels are loaded with humor, mystery, romance, clues, red herrings, and a shocking but happy ending (pun intended). How did you decide on the voices for each of the new characters in this novel, including the hysterically funny role-play characters?
Brian: Well, as always, your descriptions of the characters gave me the direction I needed. It’s like you illuminated the path in my imagination to travel down, and I just had fun with it!
Joe: I marveled at how you performed over twenty different and entertaining voices with such perfect comic timing. Which character in the story was your favorite to bring to life and why?
Brian: Thank you! I really enjoyed giving a voice to Rick Boulder the detective. My favorite was Drew Gateway the Mormon though. The Book of Mormon is my favorite musical, and I think we both tipped our hats to the show in our own ways!
Joe: Which character was the most difficult to voice and why?
Brian: I heard Todd Bright’s voice as very low and bassy in my imagination. It took a few tries to find it, but I think he came out well (no pun intended).
Joe: Without giving away any spoilers, did you guess the twist whodunit ending before reading it?
Brian: NO! Although I was secretly hoping my guess was right!
Joe: Why should audio book lovers buy Drama Oz?
Brian: Just like every other Nicky and Noah Mystery, Drama Oz has it all: all the camp, murder, love, suspense, and silliness listeners could ask for!
Joe: How can audio book fans find out more about you?
Brian: Check me out at www.briancheneytenor.com to see all of the interesting things that I’m up to as a performing artist!
Joe: Thank you for sharing your time and talents, Brian. We make a great team. I hope we continue down the yellow brick road together for more Nicky and Noah mystery audio book collaborations to come!
DRAMA OZ (the 14th Nicky and Noah mystery)
a comedy/mystery/romance novel by JOE COSENTINO
E-book and Paperback: 215 pages, audio book 6 hours
Language: English
Genre: MM, contemporary, mystery, comedy, romance, theatre, musical theater, Wizard of Oz, theme parks, Key West
Heat Level: 2
Cover Art: Jesús Da Silva
Audio Book Release date: December 16, 2023
Hear a sample of the audio book performed by Brian Cheney here:
The Treemeadow College theatre crew stage an original musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, entitled Friends of Dorothy, at a summer theme park in Key West. Quickly cast and crew members melt away like a witch submerged in water. Nicky, as the Wizard on stage and off, must save the show and figure out whodunit. Once again, our favorite thespians will need to use their drama skills to catch the killer before a witch’s fireball sends them up in smoke. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining fourteenth novel in this delightful series. It’s a scorcher! So follow the yellow brick road. The stage lights are coming up in Oz on a girl with a dog who is one hot bitch, a wicked witch who would kill for a new pair of shoes, a sexy Wizard, a Scarecrow sitting on a big pole, a Tinman with a giant can of lube, a Lion with a long tail between his legs, plenty of monkey business, and murder!
Joe Cosentino was voted Favorite MM Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of the Year by the readers of Divine Magazine for Drama Queen, the first Nicky and Noah mystery novel. He is also the author of the remaining Nicky and Noah mysteries: Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle, Drama Dance, Drama Faerie, Drama Runway, Drama Christmas, Drama Pan, Drama TV, Drama Oz, Drama Prince, Drama Merry, Drama Daddy (novelette), Drama King; the Player Piano Mysteries: The Player and The Player’s Encore; the Jana Lane Mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll; the Cozzi Cove series: Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Moving Forward, Stepping Out, New Beginnings, Happy Endings; the In My Heart Anthology: An Infatuation & A Shooting Star; the Tales from Fairyland Anthology: The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland and Holiday Tales from Fairyland; the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories Anthology: A Home for the Holidays, The Perfect Gift, The First Noel; and the Found At Last Anthology: Finding Giorgio and Finding Armando. His books have won numerous Book of the Month awards and Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions. As an actor, Joe appeared in principal roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Jason Robards, and Holland Taylor. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Goddard College, Master’s degree from SUNY New Paltz, and is currently a happily married college emeritus theatre professor residing in New York State.
Web site: https://JoeCosentino.weebly.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/JoeCosentinoauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeCosen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4071647.Joe_Cosentino
Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joecosentinoauthor
Brian Cheney, hailed by KUSC Los Angeles as the “next great tenor”, protégé of legendary tenor Jerry Hadley, has gained international acclaim for his portrayal of characters such as Radamés in Aida, Don José in Carmen, Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, Rodolfo in La bohème, the Duke in Rigoletto, and Canio in Pagliacci. “It is tenor Brian Cheney as the brave painter Cavaradossi who really blew me away. Cheney has that terrific tenor sound: the power, richness, and vocal color of a high baritone combined with ringing, awe-inspiring high notes” (Stage and Cinema.) Highlights from last season include Mr. Cheney’s creation of the role of Victor Frankenstein in the world premiere performance of Gregg Kallor’s Frankenstein in New York to critical acclaim and his National Philharmonic debut as the tenor soloist in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass and West Side Story. “Cheney’s ringing tenor voice carried well in the stone catacombs, conveying the fear that the deep bass sound of the monster summoned. And as the section of the sketches went on, Cheney’s voice bloomed to match the action and threats of the creature.” (Operawire) Recent engagements include Radamés in Aida with Virginia Opera, Antonin Scalia in Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg with Toledo Opera, and Salute to Vienna performances in Miami, West Palm Beach, Nashville, and New York City (Lincoln Center). In audio books, Mr. Cheney performed several Nicky and Noah Mystery novels, All the King’s Men by Scott Leddy, Swarm by Guy Morris, The Last Ark by Guy Morris, and Pressure by Barry Napier. www.briancheneytenor.com
Post a comment on what you love most about The Wizard of Oz. The one that sends us on the Yellow Brick Road will win an Audible gift code for one of the first three Nicky and Noah mystery audio books: Drama Queen, Drama Muscle, or Drama Cruise.
https://www.audible.com/search?keywords=Nicky+and+Noah+mysteries&ref=a_hp_t1_header_search
For me it is the yellow brick road. I want to follow it.
The flying monkeys
My mom has ruby slipper Christmas ornaments! I loved seeing Margaret O’Brien in Paul Lynde’s Halloween special (not in character, but even so)…