Books by Richard Oberacker

The boys are back, but their war isn't over. Bandstand is a defiant and unflinching original musical that confronts the cost of war and the salvation that can be found in song. Featuring an exuberant jazz score and the modern musical theatre hit, Welcome Home, discover a new musical that plumbs the depths of celebration and suffering in post-war America. Now, the sheet music of Bandstand is available in one volume.This Vocal Selections book contains fifteen songs from the Broadway musical:Just Like It Was BeforeDonny NovitskiI Know A GuyAin't We ProudWho I WasFirst Steps FirstYou Deserve ItLove Will Come And Find Me AgainRight This WayNobodyI Got A TheoryEverything HappensBand In New York CityThis Is LifeWelcome Home

It's 1945. American soldiers return home to ticker tape parades and overjoyed families; Private First Class Donny Novitski, singer and songwriter, returns with the hope of rebuilding his life with just the shirt on his back and a dream in his heart. When NBC announces a national competition to find the nation's next swing band sensation, Donny joins forces with a motley group of fellow veterans, and together they form a band unlike any the nation has ever seen. However, complicated relationships, the demands of the competition, and the challenging after-effects of war may break these musicians. But, when Donny meets a beautiful, young singer named Julia, he finds the perfect harmony in words and music that could take this band of brothers all the way to the live radio broadcast finale in New York City. Victory will require every ounce of talent, stamina, and raw nerve that these musicians possess.