We have a real estate tycoon who still thinks he can be president, and New York remains a great place to write a first novel, get discovered in a one-act play, or play guitar outside in your underpants.
Originally conceived by composer Richard Strauss and librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal as a blend of genres, the original, first staged in 1912, began with a ballet-spiced play, followed by a different version of the one-act opera.
Allowing your friend to believe that you too think her six-act play about the invention of the cotton gin is bound for Broadway and of course Hugh Jackman would be an excellent choice to play Eli Whitney is not an act of mercy, but one of cowardice (albeit well-intentioned).