Chapter 23

“No, it’s just an expression. Ask me? Come on ... ask me right now?”

“Maurice Lebertain – musician extraordinaire, would you and your synthesizers like to be the entire orchestra for Santa Fe University’s production of DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST?”

I heard over the phone a scream like I never heard before, at least from a guy.

“Hell yes, Randall. I’ve been telling people for years, it could be done, but I never thought I’d get a chance to do it. Have you had this approved of?”

“Don’t worry, Maurice ... you’re not the show keyboardist for ‘Brides’ are you?”

“No, John Mikkelson is doing that ... I’m just the rehearsal guy. Damn, Randall ... Thank you so fucking much.”

“I remembered your work from high school, after I got home and thought about it. Then, after your help at ‘Brides’ rehearsals, I realized that I should give you the chance to shine, the way you play with such care and finesse. Change of subject, Maurice. Could Carol and I come over to your place and rehearse ‘Love Never Goes Away’ before the commercial is filmed tomorrow night?”

“Sure, guys ... I just got finished rescoring the song and was programming my tertiary synthesizer with it. I’ll text you my address and I’ll see you guys in thirty minutes?”

I heard him give another big whoop, just before he disconnected. Within a minute I got his address as a text, grabbed my beautiful sister, and we headed over to Maurice’s.

I knocked and he yelled ‘enter’ ... as soon as we walked in, he started playing the new updated final version of ‘Love Never Goes Away’. It was beautiful ... I’m certain Carol inspired him. He handed us each a set of lyrics, and started to play it over again, nodding to me:

ADAM “Look at me, I was a lost little boy. Who’s now filled with joy, so please me? Now I know, there is only one girl, with a long auburn curl to please me? Love ... never goes away, I feel it in my heart. Oh, love ... never goes away, I’m older, but I’ve loved you from the start.”

MILLY “Love never goes away, I’ll be with you tonight. Oh love never goes away ... I’m smarter now, and I’ll be there by your side.”

BOTH “Love never goes away ... It plays on like a song. Love never goes away, I hold you, and we know, where – we -- belong.”

“That was beautiful, Maurice ... and those lyrics are perfect, absolutely perfect.” I almost cried.

“Not nearly as perfect as you two are for each other. Someone else may have said this to you, I wouldn’t doubt, but your love for each other oozes out of every pore of your bodies,” Maurice said to us, “And your kids will be good-looking too.”

After going back to the car and getting the scores Maurice needed for ‘Beauty’, Carol and I sat down to discuss some things with Maurice.

“First, I need to know if you can sound like a 35-piece orchestra. Can you?”

“I’m sorry, Randall. It’ll be difficult to sound like a 35-piece orchestra, when I can just as easily sound like a 200-piece orchestra.”

I countered, “A 200-piece orchestra? Bullshit -- How could you possibly do that?”

I think I’m being setup, but Maurice is chomping at the bit.

“Let me play something for you both ... close your eyes first.” I heard him power something up and then it happened; he was playing some glissandos and ... music, from in front of me, and in back of me ... from all over ... and I could distinctly hear at least two dozen violins, then the French horns came in en masse, followed by multiple trumpets and trombones. I could hear clarinets, flutes, and piccolos, bassoons, oboes and a harp.

“Amazing, Maurice ... how are you at sight playing?”

“As good as you two are at picking up a song you never heard before and belting it out of the park ... try me?”

“Carol, are you ready for your audition for Belle?”

“What, Rann ... oh, I get it.” She giggled.

“Song number 6, Maurice.” I threw him the score and he feverishly turned the page to number 6, and said, “You want 50, or 200 pieces behind her for this, Randall?”

“Fifty will do,” I said turning to Carol. “You know this entire score already, right honey?”

“Yes, you’re going to have me sing the Belle Reprise, correct?”

“Smart and Beautiful, don’t you agree, Maurice?”

“Yeah, Randall ... she’s got it all, you lucky sonofabitch. Remember Carol, keep it in head voice all you can.”

Carol laughed and blushed, while Maurice started playing,

BELLE “Madame Gaston. Can’t you just see it? “Madame Gaston. His “little wife”, ugh. No sir. Not me. I guarantee it—I want much more than this provincial life.”

Maurice was pounding out multiple layers, sounding like a symphony. Carol opened up into her head voice, or falsetto, and I’d swear I was listening to an angel sing to me.

“I want adventure in the
great wide somewhere,
I want it more than I can tell...
And for once it might be grand,
To have someone understand,
I want so much more
than they’ve got planned”

“That’s enough for me. You’ve got the part,” I bellowed.

“Hearing all of those instruments was really amazing, Maurice,” Carol commented, making him break into a huge smile of his own.

“No problem Carol, I have as much enjoyment playing it, as you have singing it. OK, mister director, how about you show us something?”

“All right, if you insist. How about number 13, ‘If I Can’t Love Her’. Play it once for me, please Maurice,” I followed along as he played it through once. “OK, Maurice ... we’ll take it to the bridge and stop there.”

“Sure, Randall – Remember the beast singing, should have a strong basal tone, so stay out of your head voice at all costs.”