Short Story-Brotherly Love
- Cheryl A. Head
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
I'm very grateful to have two, short stories nominated for 2026 Anthony Awards: "Finding Jimmy Baldwin" (which will also be included in the 2026 edition of the Best American Mystery Stories) and "Brotherly Love" (based on the themes in the Stephen Sondheim musical Road Show).
I was thrilled to be invited to write a story for the Sondheim anthology because, hey, I'm a Broadway nerd. And, it was challenging because it was a musical I'd never heard of. I got to do a lot of research. Another favorite thing to do. The musical explores ambition, the American Dream, and one of the oldest wars in humankind. The battles between brothers.
I bought the book: Stephen Sondheim -Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes and Miscellany; and I listened over and over again to the soundtrack from Road Show. Comparing the songs to the lyrics. I grabbed key phrases from the musical to layer into the story as Easter Eggs.
The more I listened, the more I understood the tone of Road Show. I also read about Stephen Sondheim career and legacy. The musical took on many iterations and titles, and was developed late in his career. Road Show is the only Sondheim musical with an openly gay primary character. About the time Sondheim came out of the closet. That was interesting to me as a foundational tether to my story's main character.
It was a joy to write "Brotherly Love". It's historical. Set in the early 1900's the time frame of the musical. Its locale is a place I love--New York City. And the action occurs during the Christmas holiday season when NYC when the city is wrapped in magic. And, in the case of my story, murder.
If you enjoy the story (below), and are a member of Mystery Readers International, I hope you'll nominate the story for the prestigious, Macavity Award. If you're attending Bouchercon in Calgary, I hope you'll give it a nod to receive an Anthony Award. Thank you!
Copyright © 2025 by Cheryl A. Head. Originally published in Every Day a Little Death: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Stephen Sondheim, edited by Josh Pachter (Level Best Books).
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