Chapter 25

Knowing we all had a busy day ahead of us, we all showered and changed and had a light breakfast, then went off to Lincoln High where Stu was waiting for us with the place already open.

I helped setup the place for the Teachers Concert first thing. People started arriving. I told the orchestra to go directly into the pit area. The percussion equipment had been brought over yesterday afternoon.

I had a cordless microphone in my hand and I got up on stage and explained:

“Today, two different events are going to happen. First thing, is the second rehearsal of the Teachers Concert. We will be stopping occasionally to add some additional singers to a few of their songs. That should take about two hours or less.”

“The rest of you need to be the audience that responds to them. If you like it applaud, if you don’t -- applaud, if you really like it applaud even louder. It’s all right to cheer after a number is over. If you hear something funny, it’s alright to laugh. They need to hear that from you. They deserve your support. Some of the music is well before your time. All the way back to the ‘40s and ‘50s. One piece of music, the waltz aria called “La Boehme Quando M’en vo” is even older, first performed in 1896.”

“Could my Virginti Quattuor, please get up on stage?”

My 24-person choir got up and proceeded to the stage behind me. “Mr. Jeremy Nichols, my assistant conductor, will be leading the orchestra for the first rehearsal of the day. I will stay up here to give some directions to the choir and the performers. Let us do this quickly, especially the time between each performer, so our second rehearsal of LES MISÉRABLES can start as I soon as I release the adults for the day. You are invited to stay and be the audience for their rehearsal that starts immediately after yours.”

“Cece and Jennifer, come on up.”

They eagerly popped up on stage. I quietly went over and said, “Ladies, sex it up a little more. Be less playful, and more spirited. Like you are in a duel over the same guy and the winner gets him.”

“Would that winner be you, Michael?” Cece asked, first covering the microphone.

“If that’s what motivates you,” I said getting giggle from them both,

“Jeremy,” I said speaking into the microphone to be heard.

The music began, and the ladies were doing as I asked. It was much more provocative and competitive this time. I was enjoying their performance.

The audience really loved them, chuckling at the appropriate language while Paul let out a blast a few times as well.

When it ended, everyone applauded quite feverishly. The ladies bowed and rushed off as John Smithson passed them giving them each a high-five, and he landed on stage next to me. I walked over to my twenty-four and gave them some easy instructions on what to sing and when. These kids knew harmonies well enough to learn them on the fly.

“Jeremy -- Please?”

I conducted the choir when it was their turn. They came in when they were supposed to. This seemed to energize John, and he ended up with a fake roll of the dice.

Again, everyone applauded. I told him he could move more than he was. It was all about being comfortable.

He came down and Paul came up, passing on the high-five, started earlier.

I went to him and quietly murmured, “You sound like a Broadway singer, but you look uncomfortable. Move around more, you are telling a story to a bunch of people who don’t understand why Maria’s name and her memory is so important to you. I want to hear your emotion this time, OK Percival?”

“Got it, Boss,” he said, chuckling.

I went to the choir; I gave them mostly echoing lines of what Paul was singing.

I nodded to Jeremy. It began.

This time emotion poured out of Paul, like I knew he could. He hit the F much more clearly than at the first rehearsal.

His final note was crystal clear after the orchestra was done and the crowd stood up for him. He came over to me and we shook hands as he put the mic away and left the stage.

The high-five lovefest continued, and Justin came up. I had the choir simply ‘oooh’ in a few places. Nothing complicated.

“May Each Day” began with a simple clarinet, then Justin began.

The choir added the necessary fullness this needed. Justin’s tenor voice was magnificent. He waved and left, bringing up Dennis.

I went over to him suggesting he let his own voice sing “Misty” without performing it like Johnny Mathis did. He agreed. I added no additional singers to this number.

He still sang it like the old-fashioned singers, in one spot and never moving. If that’s his style, so be it. Our strings helped this song sound so wonderful. I could clearly hear the cellos behind them.

After the applause, the change-off happened again, with Michael Thompson coming up on the stage. He was much more agile on stage, obviously performing many times before. No choir this time either. The 24 did move in place as one.

He needed no help from me; we all applauded ... he teaches geography at Lincoln. I want to take his class myself.

Act after act came up, taking a few suggestions from me. I gave the occasional moments to the choir. Marvelous performances came from everyone so far. Miss Janeway’s aria sounded better than the young lady I downloaded singing it.

I changed the order to end the morning rehearsal with the two principals singing Hakuna Matata. (The number had been edited for the two of them)

Harold was Pumbaa while Richard was Timon...

TIMON Hakuna Matata!
What a wonderful phrase
PUMBAA Hakuna Matata!
Ain’t no passing craze

TIMON It means no worries
for the rest of your days
BOTH It’s our problem-free
philosophy
Hakuna Matata!

IT WENT ON ... to the end...

BOTH
Matata! Hakuna Matata!
Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata!
Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata!

These two gentlemen had a real blast together. You could tell that they had worked on it since their first time through it. Both schools’ teachers and students gave them a standing ovation. I sure do hope someone video-phoned it.

I released my small choir first giving them a big hand, and then I began my spiel.

“Fifteen-minute break for the orchestra. Those who wish to leave, thank you for your time today. We will do this again for the next two Saturdays to keep your evenings to yourselves.”

“I need some big strong boys to bring out our set piece please?”

Stu came down and instructed the half-dozen Lincoln boys to bring out our arched piece of set. Those who hadn’t seen it before ‘Oohed and Aaahed.’ Stu locked it down and hooked up the electricity. I helped him get all the microphone stands in place. He did the cabling by himself allowing me to take a break with my girl.

I walked to far stage left to applause of my own. I bowed and walked down to Jenn, who gave me a kiss kicking her foot up in the air.

That generated a chuckle as I sat down to take a break. I noticed very few people had left.

She gave me a bottle of water, which I drank half and splashed my face with the rest. Katie got out a hanky and wiped my face down for me. Paul and Cece saw it and snickered quietly.

The timer I put on my phone, went off. “Break’s over, People.”

I thanked Jeremy for his help and went to the conductor’s stand. I had my gold baton. People were coming in and settling down. My orchestra was close to complete.

I turned, picking up my microphone.

“Cast, please go to your opening positions, please? Understudies ... pay attention. Next Saturday is yours.”

There was a rustle of noise as most of the audience of students moved to their beginning places, while Little Cosette, Little Eponine and Gavroache walked up on stage and went to the wings. Fabian, who played Gavroache had both girls by the hands leading them off-stage. That was cute.

I began the short overture...

The doors opened, and they all marched together with faces straight ahead as the Prologue began. They were in perfect stride. Stu had dropped the houselights as they began the “Look Down/Work Song” number. The core walked up the stairs and stood still singing, until Javert starts, then they all sat together in a single motion.

Javert and Valjean start their musical conversation facing forward as spotlights came on them.

The transition to Valjean, and then the Bishop went well. Unless you knew it, it was musically hard to tell we cut some music right there.

The next transition to the “What Have I Done?” portion was close to seamless.

Straight into the “At The End Of The Day” occurred with the poor coming out just in time to sing. The core chorus added their voices making a grand sound of musicality.

Again, the transition to the workhouse with the foreman and factory girls was nearly flawless. The microphone cords were a little problem. They weren’t taped down, but most stepped carefully in character over them.

There was a hard stop at this point. The lights went down, and the stage cleared for Jennifer to sing, “I Dreamed A Dream” perfectly.

Our small audience cheered, applauded and stood up at that point, with Paul’s recognizable whistle of approval shrilling through it all. The people on stage who weren’t the leads were staying in character quite well. I had torn into them a few times to remind them they were onstage, so act and react accordingly.

I caught a door opening out of my peripheral vision and saw Jan and Ally coming in to watch.

“Lovely Ladies” was next and they all came in during the applause. When her previous spot went out, Fantine joined them. The sailors started the number.

Bamatabois had his act together and entered correctly to begin the “Fantines Arrest” musical sequence. Javert’s entrance startled everyone correctly.

I cut most of, but not all the “Runaway Cart” music starting at letter C in the music...

VALJEAN
Is there anyone here
FAUCHELEVANT

Another hard stop in the music. The crowd clears just as the “Who Am I?” pre-music begins.

After Valjean vocally pleads to the court and the audience as well, Little Cosette comes in and takes his hand. Fantine sings to her, with the harp beginning the piece.

(The white light appears in the doorway all around the center opening. Fantine walks towards it, turns to the audience and steps back into it. She hides out of sight, and the lights disappear as quickly as they appeared)

There was a collective expression of awe from our audience, exactly as I had hoped.

“LET’S TAKE A BREAK!”

I moved back to where Jennifer’s purse was. I got out my water and took a sip. Harold walked up to me, “Michael, that was superb. I never thought I would hear our orchestra and our students sound so cohesive. It’s all about focus, isn’t it?”

“Damn right it is, Harold. That and very talented students. It took Paul, Cece, Miss Stapleton, my mother and Mrs. Guthrie to help me. I did not do this alone, Sir.”

Each of those I mentioned came up to me giving me a kiss or a handshake. The last to shake my hand was Principal Summers. “Let me say that I agree wholeheartedly with everything Harold just said. You are clearly the catalyst to this surge in the arts both of our schools have gone through. We have over a dozen students coming in mid-year in January ready to join the Michael Thomas revolution.”

Sitting down, Harold said, “So do we, Michael. Our new payment schedule had induced several diverse families joining us after the first of the year. The choir and orchestra rooms will be converted into three classrooms each. You and your team will be able to use our auditorium for classes and rehearsals. It won’t be ready to perform in, but it’s been cleared for classes.”

“That is wonderful news, Harold ... Really fabulous news. Is it ready for public consumption yet?”

“No, that’s why I am keeping it on the down low, Michael.”

I snickered at his attempt at sounding cool, picked up my microphone and said, “Breaks over, we start back up in two minutes with no more breaks.”

I saw Jeremy come back with lipstick on his face. I motioned him to ‘clean it up.’ He used his handkerchief and did.

Oh, to be young and in love!

We went through the rest of the show, with hardly a blip of any kind musically. There was almost a fall, but Marius caught Enjolras as though it was part of the show. Peter is getting very comfortable on stage. I hope I may have had something to do with that.

The complicated number that is the last number of the first act. Many people singing different lyrics in different keys, and tempos, was the best it had been, but it could still be cleaner. I will find some time to work on that before next Saturday.

The teachers loved the final number again standing and applauding while my cast ate up the applause. Stu was doing some additional lighting that was very effective.

Taking just enough time to clear the stage, we began the second act. The appropriate people were in the right place, and it started.

Little Cossette and Eponine came out to watch the rest of the show. They sat with their understudies.

The second act is easier musically, but I had yet to add the Javert coming back to life moment I had written months before. We had time, but I hadn’t even explained it and performed it for my ladies. I needed to do that first, getting their feedback on the matter.

The Death of Gavroache was beautiful, as was Javerts. Peter/Marius really poured his heart out singing “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.”

The “Wedding Chorale” with all those voices was vocally one of the best moments we had. The Epilogue/Finale was somewhat less inspired, but I wasn’t sure what to do about it.

I released everyone to go home and rest. I told the orchestra to take their instruments and check them for tuning. I know I heard at least two out-of-tune violins.

Many of the teachers came up and told me how good the show was. I got a kiss on the cheek from Mrs. Janeway and Mrs. MacArthur.

Stuart came down asking, “How did you think it went today, Michael?”

“My orchestra was tired at the end, but they all came through. I like the added lighting effects. You’re very good at what you do, Stuart,” I said shaking his hand.

“Not as good as you are at what you do, Sir,” he rejoined.

He told us to leave, saying he would shut things down and lock up.

Jennifer went home with Mom and Ally. I got my ride from Katie. We all got home right after each other. We need to clean out the stuff stashed in the third garage, so all three cars can be locked away. Katie parked in front of the closed door and we got out walking arm in arm to the house.