In Nothing Like a Dame, theater journalist Eddie Shapiro opens a jewelry box full of glittering surprises, through in-depth conversations with twenty leading women of Broadway. He carefully selected Tony Award-winning stars who have spent the majority of their careers in theater, leaving aside those who have moved on or occasionally drop back in. The women he interviewed spent endless hours with him, discussing their careers, offering insights into the iconic shows, changes on Broadway over the last century, and the art (and thrill) of taking the stage night after night. Chita Rivera describes the experience of starring in musicals in each of the last seven decades; Audra McDonald gives her thoughts on the work that went into the five Tony Awards she won before turning forty-one; and Carol Channing reflects on how she has revisited the same starring role generation after generation, and its effects on her career. Here too is Sutton Foster, who contemplates her breakout success in an age when stars working predominately in theater are increasingly rare. Each of these conversations is guided by Shapiro's expert knowledge of these women's careers, Broadway lore, and the details of famous (and infamous) musicals. He also includes dozens of photographs of these players in their best-known roles. This fascinating collection reveals the artistic genius and human experience of the women who have made Broadway musicals more popular than ever-a must for anyone who loves the theater.

'How did I end up here?' A question Elaine C. Smith asked herself when sitting in the dressing-room of a top theatre in London's West End, about to go on stage with one of the UK's most successful plays. In Nothing Like a Dame, Elaine reflects on a 50-year journey that took her to the peak of the entertainment world. She recounts her long struggle to make it in a male-dominated, working-class society when women were supposed to just shut up and stay thin, especially in the sexist world of theatre and television, where she was told, 'Look, women just aren't funny.' Despite many highs and lows, she proceeded to forge a stellar career in show business, hosting her own TV series and becoming a household name thanks to her comic portrayal of Mary Nesbitt, the long-suffering wife in the award-winning BBC comedy Rab C. Nesbitt. Nothing Like a Dame is a heart-warming memoir: candid, outspoken, hilarious and at times deeply sad.

Dame Phyllis Frost was a remarkable woman who chaired countless organisations, raised millions of dollars for charitable causes, galvanised states into action after natural disasters and shamed countless politicians into action. Far from being ‘just a suburban housewife’– a phrase that she wielded like a weapon in her campaigns – Dame Phyllis was a force to be reckoned with. Nothing Like a Dame, her biography by BERNADETTE CLOHESY, reveals how Dame Phyllis fought for prison reform at a time when prisoners were locked away and forgotten; how she established the Keep Australia Beautiful movement; and how she became the national president of the Australian Freedom from Hunger Campaign. This is an amazing story following one woman’s battle for social reform.

The private and public views of a woman whose zest for life has carried her through most of this century, from the horse-drawn era almost to the second millennium.

In 1944, Muriel discarded her friendship with Sanna and concocted a self-centered plot, which gave her what she wanted: Derek VanHousen. That Sanna and Derek were all but publicly engaged didn't deter Muriel. Blindly she plunged into the murky waters of self-gratification, latching on to everything but a clean conscience and peace of mind. Now it is 1964 and Sanna is returning to Dutchville. With his first-love walking the same streets again, will Derek remain true to his wife? Muriel has a tough row ahead if she's going to make what she knows to be fiction (a happy VanHousen marriage) seem real enough to fool Sanna. Muriel has a two-pronged problem: 1) keeping face in a town that remembers her deviousness, and 2) resurrecting the vivacious Young Muriel who snagged her best friend's true love. Life is in disarray for the VanHousen family-while Sanna is as enticing as ever. Sometimes you just can't escape shadows, even shifting shadows . . .