Tamburlaine: A Broadway Revival

by Gregory A. Kompes

Chris Marlowe, a drag queen of a certain age, has kept the failing, New York City show bar, Tamburlaine, open because of a long-ago made promise. When a young man enters her life, Chris reconnects with the world and everything changes. The bar once again enjoys success, crowds flood to Tamburlaine for the gender-bending shows directed by The Great Jericho Taylor, and Chris's impersonations of the famed comedienne, Rusty Warren are once again loved by audiences. So, why is someone trying to kill Christopher Marlowe-again and again?

Genres: LGBT, Fiction, Mystery, M M Romance, Amazon

264 pages, Paperback

Published March 9, 2017

About the author

Gregory A. Kompes (MFA, MS Ed.) has authored 19 books (fiction, poetry, nonfiction), contributed to over a dozen anthologies (including 4 Chicken Soup for the Soul volumes), and written hundreds of published articles and essays on a wide range of topics.

Gregory is the founder and facilitator of The Writer Workshop and teaches for Southern New Hampshire University’s MFA program.

Gregory holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University, New York, a Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning and an MS Ed. from California State University, East Bay, and an MFA in Creative Writing from National University.

Other favorite accomplishments include:

Being a member of the Nevada Arts Council’s Artist in Schools Roster;

Serving as Artist in Residence for the Gibson Public Library funded with National Endowment for the Arts/Nevada Arts Council Grants (2017-2019);

Serving as Artist in Residence for the Gay and Lesbian Center of Las Vegas funded with National Endowment for the Arts/Nevada Arts Council Grants (2018);

Walking the 1000km Via de La Plata route of the Camino de Santiago (2013);

Serving as President of the Henderson Writers’ Group (2013-2017);

Serving as Conference Coordinator for the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference (2006-2007); and,

Touring the US & Far East as a bass player for Broadway tours from 1990-1993 (Hello, Dolly!, 42nd Street, and Annie).

Reviews

[Amanda Skenandore · Rating 5 out of 5]

What really shined for me in this story were the characters. Even the minor characters were textured and interesting, but it was Chris Marlow, the story’s central player, who captured my imagination and my heart. It’s refreshing to read a story told from the perspective of the middle-aged and life-worn rather than the ingénue. The setting was also well crafted. Tamburlaine, the bar where most of the story’s action takes place, is a character unto itself. By novel's end, I felt like a regular at the bar and was sorry to hear last call for drinks and have to leave.

[WhatAStrangeDuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice book with a chatty, frequently somewhat bitchy narrator. It would be four star material except for the ending which was rather convoluted and really a tad to soapy for me.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed in that ending...otherwise I enjoyed Tamburlaine.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

“…..it was nice to have someone in his life again, but old man sex wasn’t a fantasy fulfiller. All that combined wrinkled skin, like two old Shar-Pei fighting under the sheets.”

[Kompes, Gregory A.. Tamburlaine: A Broadway Revival (p. 234). Fabulist Flash Publishing. Kindle Edition]

This book is full of wonderful lines such as the above. It has been a long time since I had as much fun reading a novel. Fun tinged with bittersweet sadness as you would expect from a story centred on an ageing drag artist and his club.

Chris Marlowe, and his club, Tamburlaine, have been in the doldrums for a while. Bourbon and memories and a promise made to a dieing friend are all that keep them going.Then a chance meeting brings Jericho Taylor back into his life and the fortunes of the club take a major turn for the better.

However, this does not please everyone and several attempts are made to kill Chris and put the club out of business. A lot of the past is raked over, somewhat against Chris’ will. There is a resolution of sorts although not a totally happy ending and some threads left loose.

A good piece of writing, easy-to-read, with a cast of fascinating characters.

[Wendell Hennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Marlowe, an aging drag queen, pianist and performer, owns the club Tambulaine which is in decay and losing money. He promised a deceased partner that he would keep it going as a place for those without family to find a family. He partners with Jericho a successful Broadway producer and they breathe life into the club once again. Part of the inheritance from his deceased partner are a number of paintings incluing Picasso's and someone begins to target the club and Chris but the reasons are unclear. A charming story, the characters consuming way too much booze and many references to gay life in the 7os and beyond.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time I was well acquainted with the author who was then a musician. So I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book. I was delighted to discover that his expertise in stage musicals was utilized as well as his years residing in Manhattan. The story takes place in a drag club and nearby 2-story loft residence. I enjoyed the author's sense of atmosphere and was immediately interested in his protagonist, an aging drag queen who has lost too many friends over the decades.

[Angela Washington · Rating 4 out of 5]

To the good ole days

Wonderful . exciting characters more stories. The ones that tell what was really going on the community. Salute to all gone before.

[Emily Alvarado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not wanting to give away any of the surprises and twists, I will just say that I fell in love with the motley crew of personalities in this story and enjoyed the dynamics between them as each character became real to me. I laughed out loud, felt sad, heard the music, appreciated the art, and watched them perform. I really liked not being able to figure out where their lives were heading. It was nice having to wait until the ending for so many answers to be revealed. Such a pleasant and unexpected escape from my usual choice of reading material that I just had to purchase another novel from this author when I finished Tamburlaine.