How “Hamilton” and demisexuality inspired Thien-Kim Lam's new romance, “Something Cheeky”

Plus, get your exclusive first look at the cover.

For many, Hamilton changed what was possible in a Broadway musical — such was the case for romance novelist and sex educator Thien-Kim Lam.

After seeing Rent as a college student, Lam was inspired to pursue a career in theatrical costume design. Though it's now her former profession, Lam pays tribute to the artistry of costume design and the world of musical theater in her forthcoming novel, Something Cheeky, a behind-the-scenes romance of a rock musical based on the Vietnamese version of Cinderella (a notion Lam devised only after seeing Hamilton). Entertainment Weekly has your exclusive first look at the cover below.

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The romance, which hits shelves March 4, 2025, follows designer Zoe Tran and director Derek Bui. Zoe is now a successful business owner, winning awards for her clothing boutique where she designs and sells plus-size lingerie. But when her college bestie, Derek, reenters her life, he offers her a shot at a lost dream — designing costumes for a musical they conceived of years ago.

Derek has loved Zoe since college, but he's never been able to confess his true feelings. So, he can't resist the opportunity to get her back in his life when his role directing the Vietnamese Cinderella rock musical they dreamed up together. But the stakes are high — it's the first production with an all-Asian cast and creative team at Washington D.C.'s largest theater. And if all goes well, they'll transfer to Broadway.

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As a proud demisexual, Zoe has only ever seen Derek as her best friend. But when they start to collaborate on their dream project, they grow closer than ever. When the theater's artistic director pressures Derek to make the musical, "less Asian," he and Zoe clash over staying true to their original vision or compromising to keep the production alive. Can they set aside their creative differences long enough to let their relationship take center stage?

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Check out the cover below and read on for more from Lam.

'Something Cheeky' by Thien-Kim Lam
'Something Cheeky' by Thien-Kim Lam

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Where did you get the inspiration for Something Cheeky? Are you a fan of musical theater or did you work in that world yourself?

THIEN-KIM LAM: I have a slight obsession for angsty, character driven-musicals: Rent, Spring Awakening, Into the Woods, Six, and Assassins. The first musical I ever saw was a touring production of Rent and I only went to spend time with my then boyfriend (now husband). I was already a theater major but seeing a professional production sealed my love for musicals. As a former costume designer, I wanted to give readers a different perspective on producing a musical. Theater is collaborative art. While the audience only sees the actors performing, there’s a huge team working closely to make the magic happen. It’s the perfect forced proximity, with Derek as the director and Zoe as the costume designer, for my fantasy Vietnamese Cinderella rock musical.

A Vietnamese Cinderella rock musical. Tell me more about this concept.

Tấm and Cám was my favorite childhood Vietnamese fairytale. It’s way more exciting and violent than the western version. Tấm — Cinderella — meets her emperor through the help of a god and a magical talking fish. What I loved most was that the story didn’t end at the wedding. Tấm’s stepsister Cám is so jealous that she attempts to kill her multiple times, but Tấm reincarnates as different things until she’s reunited with her beloved. I’d fallen out of love with musicals until Hamilton redefined what a musical could look and sound like while having commercial appeal. When I asked myself what a musical retelling of Vietnamese Cinderella would look like, I immediately thought of Rent, Six the Musical, and current Vietnamese pop music. Tấm and Cám has all the elements of an angsty musical, so rock was the perfect genre for it.

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I don't think a lot of people realize that most musicals have tryouts in other cities before they ever go to Broadway. Why did you choose to set it in that world rather than just going straight for NYC?

I moved to the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia metro area) over 20 years ago partly for its large theater scene. Many people think of Broadway for musicals, but there are so many great theaters producing musicals all over the United States. We’re lucky to have many new musicals workshopped here. I’ve been able to see early productions of Dear Evan Hansen, Beetlejuice, and Dave (which never made it to Broadway). I’m still sad I missed out on Once Upon a One More Time before it moved to NYC. I didn’t think NYC would be ready for aTấm and Cám musical. When I first started writing Something Cheeky, there had never been a Broadway musical with an all-Asian cast and creative team. We’ve gotten close with Here Lies Love and K-Pop, who had majority AAPI creative teams, but neither musical was commercially successful. The stakes are high for Derek and Zoe if they want to succeed in NYC, so DC is their testing ground for both their production and their relationship.

Zoe is demisexual. Why was it important to you to represent a person who identifies as such?

I recently came out as demisexual and wanted to highlight this part of the asexuality spectrum. When I learned of this term, everything clicked for me. It explained things like why I pretended to crush on Jordan of NKOTB to fit in, or how I didn’t fantasize about people I didn’t know. (A demisexual is someone who only develops a sexual attraction once they’ve emotionally connected with a person). Something Cheeky is my first friends-to-lovers romance, so making Zoe demisexual allowed me to explore what love and sexual attraction can look like for her. As a spicy romance writer, my first inclination is to have the characters bang as soon as the story allows. Since Zoe had friend-zoned Derek years ago, it takes her some time to realize her true feelings. There’s still plenty of spicy scenes, so don’t worry!

The cover — love the bright colors. Was there a specific reason for choosing those?

I love it so much! Credit goes to the Avon team and my cover designer Andressa Meissner. I only asked for two things: to show both characters and Mr. Bobbins, Zoe’s orange tabby. I sent my team pictures and Playbill covers of Six and K-Pop for the vibes I wanted for the cover. They nailed it!

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Did you have particular models or references in mind for the way Zoe and Derek look here?

Of course! Researching hot celebrities is a perk of being a romance writer. Since Zoe is plus-sized, I immediately chose Vietnamese American actress Kelly Marie Tran of Star Wars fame as a reference. She’s not plus-sized, but not skinny by Hollywood standards. I love her energy and she’s a musical theater nerd. You have to see her performance of “You and Me (But Mostly Me)” from The Book of Mormon for Miscast 2021 (on Youtube). She also shows off her amazing pipes in “Democracy” in Soft Power at the Kennedy Center 50th celebration. How can anyone not fall in love with her after that?

Derek is a sensitive guy raised by a single mother in a small town, so finding a model for Derek was a bit trickier. Being demisexual means I need to connect with celebrities on a deeper level than looks. I settled on Australian actor Desmond Chiam, but with glasses. He hasn’t gotten the notice he deserves as an actor and as a sexy celebrity. Check out his hidden gems Five Blind Dates, Joy Ride, and the Reef Break series (a little cheesy but he takes his shirt off — a lot).

Zoe is wearing pants, woot. What led to that?

Zoe is wearing one of her own designs: a modern take on the Vietnamese áo dài. The outfit traditionally includes a high-necked, close-fitting long tunic that’s slit up to the waist on both sides that’s paired with loose white pants. It was important to me that Zoe represents her Vietnamese heritage on the cover. I remember kids making fun of áo dài by calling them pajamas and laughing that someone would wear it out of the house. Now that I’m older and proud of being a Vietnamese American, I wanted to show how beautiful (and comfortable) they are. I even designed and made my áo dài-inspired wedding dress.

Tell me about this cat in the background.

The opinionated, but adorable Mr. Bobbins might be my most favorite thing on the cover! Let’s just say that he’s very protective of Zoe, and Derek makes a terrible first impression on the cat. You’ll have to read Something Cheeky to see how their rocky feline friendship evolves.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.