The Understudy

"She is a stunning new writer, and certainly for anyone in the creative arts/especially live theater, it’s a MUST read. I laughed, I cried, and I reminisced for hours because her whole story is so incredibly real, and without even being aware, you become a part of it. I, literally, was there…and because of her, I have had no sleep for the last two days. She is, now, a national gem and to be treasured! "
—Peter White, Actor, played Lincoln Tyler, All My Children

"There are so many things to enjoy about this book. The story of what really goes on in theater…at auditions, opening night, rehearsals, backstage, wardrobe fittings. It’s all just like it really is. Breathtaking! Also, the true fellowship actors have for each other as the play gets closer to opening. And falling in love. It’s all there—witty, funny, and deeply touching. "
—Joyce Van Patten, esteemed American stage, film and television actress

"The very PITH of a life lived in the theater! "
—John Glover, Tony, Obie and Drama Desk Award-winner

" I absolutely loved it! I didn’t want it to end! "
—Harrison Hulé, artist

"Ellen Tovatt Leary clearly and lovingly lays out the high wire act of a woman struggling to balance her acting career ambition with a life fully lived. This well-told story should be read by anyone who wants to get behind the mystique and tabloid clichés of a profession that few outsiders truly understand. "
—Andrew Robinson, Stage, film and television actor

"The Understudy is a heartfelt love letter to actors and the New York theater scene of the ’70s. —Will Mackenzie, American actor and five-time Emmy award-winning television director Have you ever secretly dreamed of being a Broadway star? If so, then this terrifically entertaining novel, The Understudy by Ellen Tovatt Leary, will become one of your favorites. Ms. Leary’s debut novel, about the pain and the hilarity of being a part of the “fabulous invalid,” as the theater is called, truly knocks it out of the park! "
—Karen Kondazian, actor and author of the award-winning novel, The Whip

"I loved it! It took me back to my early days of auditioning and performing and my going on for Betty Hutton in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes! "
—Patsy Mackenzie, Broadway actress, singer, dancer

"Anyone who loves the theater will want to read The Understudy. Anyone who loves New York will want to read The Understudy. Anyone who loves love will want to read The Understudy—an irresistible, truthful, sensual, insightful novel. "
—Allan Leicht, Emmy award-winning writer and playwright

"I took so long reading this lovely book because I never wanted it to end!! "
—Renee Lippin, Stage, film and television actress

"Ellen Leary’s The Understudy brilliantly conveys the essence of what it means to be an actress working in the theater! As a reader, we become totally absorbed with the trials and tribulations of Nina Landau with her loves, her losses, and her ultimate triumph in coming to terms with who she is! It is a must-read for all lovers of theater and artistic expression! "
—Stacy Keach, Stage, film and television actor

" In her second book The Understudy, Ellen Tovatt Leary tells a story revolving primarily around Broadway and the fascinating world of the theater. She writes of this arena with authenticity, accented with fascinating characters, insightful revelations of an actor’s triumphs and rejections, and wraps it all up with a cocktail of sparkling humor. I loved this book! "
—John Schuck, Veteran actor of stage, screen and television

" In The Understudy, Ellen Tovatt Leary delivers something wonderful: a vivid, funny, and moving look at life and love set against the backdrop of 1970s Broadway. Leary knows the territory, and her memorable novel takes you deep inside a world where actors put everything on the line as they pursue their personal and professional dreams. Note to Hollywood: The Understudy would make one hell of a movie. "
—Scot Safon, Emmy-winning former Executive Vice President at Turner Broadcasting’s CNN and TNT

" The true thrill of a life in the theater!"
—Val Meyer, Broadway actor, stage manager, and TV director

"The sweet, sweet feeling I get while reading The Understudy is nostalgic. I revisited the early part of my own career with the familiar rooms, the smells, addresses, situations, nausea, ambience, the romance of a NYC neighborhood during snowfall, the shock of transitioning in an instant from backstage to onstage by merely opening a door, and the terror and joy of being in front of a crowd. "
—Peter Friedman, American film, television and Tony-nominee Broadway actor

"The Understudy was very nostalgic. It’s the way it really was for me and so many others. And, a terrific read! "
—Judy Kaye, Tony award, Obie award and Drama Desk award-winning actress/singer

" If you’re a theater lover, you are in for a treat. This book brought me right back to the theater scene in NYC and post-performance cocktails at Joe Allen. And that’s a pretty great place to be! Ellen Tovatt Leary has created a wonderful character in Nina. She’s smart, ambitious, and lovable while dealing with the work/life balance so many of us struggle with. What an enjoyable read!"
—Pamela Fahey, Casting Director and founder of Pamela Fahey Casting.

"An exuberant tour of Broadway in 1970s told with the insight and enthusiasm of one who lived it. The joys of theater are evident in these pages—as are the complex webs of love, ambition, and friendship. One leaves The Understudy deeply appreciative of an actor’s devotion to craft, and how life and the stage can be so closely intertwined. "
—Daniel Mason, physician and author of The Piano Tuner (2002), A Far Country (2007), The Winter Soldier (2018), and A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth (2020)

"Ellen Tovatt Leary’s The Understudy is wonderful. An evocative, nostalgic, charming, and loving love story about the theater, about acting, and all else that goes with it. You will fall in love with Nina Landeau. "
—Nancy Dussault, Emmy winner, two-time Tony nominee, Theater World Award, and teacher

"Nina is a terrific character, full of dimension, surprises, emotion, and a delicious smattering of irony. Her battles with confidence really pull you along."
—Nancy Meckler, Stage Director, (Broadway and the Royal Shakespeare Company), and film director