R.S.V.P. transports readers to 1958 New York at the grand juncture of the jet set for an addictive, no-holds-barred, gloves-off tale of a New York City dinner party like no other.
It is the golden age of the New York City Ballet. Behind the velvet curtains and the thunderous applause of Lincoln Center lies a world of ruthless ambition, fragile egos, and the intoxicating shadow of one man, Company Director George Balanchine (Mr. B.).
R.S.V.P. is set against the backdrop of a tragedy: Balanchine's wife, the celebrated ballerina Tanaquil LeClercq, has been paralyzed by polio. In an act of defiance against his sorrow, Balanchine organizes a gala dinner, filling his home with the most influential, glamorous and volatile figures of the era.
Tonight, the performance isn't at the theater. It's in Mr.B's NYC penthouse private dining room. The guest list is a delicate choreography of the "Jet Set": the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Truman Capote, Cecil Beaton, Marilyn Monroe, Diana Vreeland, Pat Buckley, Pamela Churchill, and Ghislaine Maxwell's father, Robert Maxwell. The guests appear mostly in their own words, their wit and presence offering a closed door performance never before recounted. R.S.V.P. is not just a biographical novel set in a glamorous world. It is a tightly observed social chamber piece, grounded in real history, real voices, and an environment where power, art, and egos quietly collide. The tension is carried not by action, but by clever dinner table repartee.
All are welcome to this exclusive party, but especially those who appreciate cultural history, New York society and a behind-the-scenes look at the rich and powerful at play. Witticisms overlay the building psychological tension. leading to a clashing, crashing end to the party!
