Chapter 6

[Disclaimer: This story reads best in LANDSCAPE MODE on a smart phone or any other mobile device.]

I went over to Jenn and said, “I would personally like to ask you to perform the role of Lily St. Regis?” She screeched a little.

I found Joan and said, “Would you please take the role of Miss Hannigan?” Her response was to kiss me on the cheek. I wandered through the boys and said, “No Kisses, OK?”

They laughed as I walked over to the Mitchells, all sitting together. “John, would you play the role of Rooster Hannigan for me?”

He replied, “Rich is much better than me, Michael.”

“Today, John ... you were best. Besides, I have plans for all of you boys over the next few years. Maybe a similar production of OLIVER, BYE BYE BIRDIE, or GREASE. Rich, will you be your brother’s understudy, I promise you one performance?”

He said ‘Yes’ before I was through asking.

Turning to their sister, “Mary, would you be the understudy for Lily?” She accosted me giving me a smooch on the lips.

Everyone looked over at Jenn, who broke into a marvelous smile.

I found and said, “Shirley, would you be available to be Miss Hannigans’ understudy?”

“Sure,” she said. “Exactly, what is an understudy, Michael?”

I ran back up on the stage. “Everybody, listen up! Understudies are performers who have learned the songs, dialogue, and blocking just like the person they are understudying. All of this show’s understudies will perform on Saturday night, giving the main actors a day ... and night of rest. You will need to be here every rehearsal necessary for your part. If the person you are understudying gets sick or can’t go on for any reason, you must be ready to go on at a moment’s notice.”

“All right, I want all of my Annie’s up on stage, please?”

As suspected, there were over seventy girls on stage.

“I need my Miss Hannigan on stage, please?”

Taking a little walk of pride, Joan came up.

“Joan, please stand by the piano for me?”

She did.

“Girls, my first cut will be of those who are too tall, begin by walking up to Miss Hannigan and stop for me.”

Mom got up as did Alice, and they took the girls offstage whose head was above Joan’s bust line. That trimmed the seventy-three down to thirty-nine.

These thirty-nine each got to sing something from the show. Mostly, it was “Tomorrow,” but a few sang “Maybe.”

“Go home and those who are performing tonight get a good rest please? All decisions will be posted on the window of the Administration office on Monday morning. Thank you for your patience.”

I took my own advice and dropped for a nap, after Jenn and Alice left for their place.

I had a marvelous dream. I was a visiting conductor to the London Symphony orchestra. It was Christmas time and the music in front of me was to all the classics, until I turned the page and saw only the title ‘New Michael Thomas Symphony,’ but nothing else?

I woke up in something of a cold sweat. Did I learn to write a symphony?

I got back to sleep until I heard a rap on my door.

“Come in?”

Jennifer came through the door and gave me a really powerful kiss. That woke me up. I took off my shirt to change into something nicer.

“Look at my boyfriend? Isn’t he a hunk?” she said causing me to blush a bit. As I found an appropriate shirt, her hands both went all over my chest. It felt really nice, until I started to button my shirt. She slapped at my hands and took over the buttoning until her hands were near my crotch. She just grazed her hand over me.

“Jennifer, no touching, please?”

“I am sorry. You look so yummy,” she said.

I believe I just blushed and got even harder.

Our second performance was also magnificent. Again, we used “I Dreamed a Dream” as an encore piece. Wow, people seemed really hungry for this kind of entertainment around here.

I was so glad that the following day was Sunday, a day of rest.

At noon, the Guthrie’s came over, and we made the final decisions on the rest of the ANNIE cast. I got with Mom telling her what music we would use and what we wouldn’t, trimming down excessive amounts of dance music.

After that, Alice and I decided on which scenes we would use in whole and, which would be cut or just trimmed down a bit. We had all the scores and librettos at our house.

We worked so late my mom looked at her watch and said, “My goodness, it’s two am.” She saw Jennifer asleep against my shoulder and Alice yawning really big.

“Alice, why don’t you stay here tonight? You look too tired to head home?” she said.

“Do you have a place for us all to sleep?” my girl’s mother asked in return.

“I have a big king ... we can share,” Jan said to Ally. “Michael, would you be a gentleman if Jennifer slept in your bed?”

Stifling an honest yawn of my own, I said, “Sure, we can put up a Wall of Jericho, like in the movie IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT.”

Janice looked at me strangely.

“Or,” I said. “I could sleep on the sofa downstairs. Noblesse oblige.”

She helped Alice up to her room. Jennifer was slight enough for me to pick her up and carry her upstairs. I had a large queen bed. I slid her over against the wall, put up the Wall of Jericho, took off my shirt, belt and shoes and climbed in.

“Good night, my fair princess.” I said turning over to fall asleep.

“Where am I?” Jennifer said waking up.

“Next to me,” I answered.

“Did you put these blankets up to protect me from you?” she asked with a giggle.

“And I from you,” I responded in kind.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“Five am,” I answered. “Go back to sleep, it’s too early still.”

“Who brought me up here, you?”

“Yes, I did. Go back to sleep, Jenn. I have only slept for three hours. I need my beauty sleep.”

She pulled the blankets completely down, and I saw her beautiful smile. She scooted over next to me. She was smiling at me, and took my arm in hers.

“What?” I said.

“You are so adorable, thinking we needed to be separated from each other.”

“My mother would have never let us be in the same bed otherwise. She doesn’t trust me.”

She leaned over me and gave me a fabulous kiss. I was so into it I failed to notice her hand getting inside my pants. I was instantly hard, which she must have felt.

“Jenn, don’t?”

“Don’t what? Touch it? Play with it? Suck on it?”

“We can’t do anything ... your mother is here.”

“So?”

“I am losing control of this situation, aren’t I?”

“Yes,” she said softly.

“I need some more sleep, please?”

“That’s fine. I will pull the covers over us so no one can see what I am doing. It feels so big.”

“It isn’t that big. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“You never have disappointed me,” she said. “Let me suck on it, please, Mikey-poo?”

“NO,” I said pulling her hand away. “Let me sleep, please?”

She put her head on my chest, and we both fell asleep.

“WELL! Don’t you two look adorable? What happened to the Wall of Jericho?” my mother said walking into my room. “You didn’t do anything, did you?

“Yeah,” Alice said coming up behind her, “Did you?”

“Ladies, as I have said many times before, we are staying celibate with each other, for now. After I turn sixteen, however, all bets are off. I plan to ask this young lady to marry me the day I turn fifteen and exactly one year later with your approval, we can be married.”

“Wait a minute, Michael,” Alice said. “You won’t be engaging in any form of sex with each other, until you are married?”

“I don’t think I can completely promise that, Alice. She is too beautiful for me to not be able to kiss and cuddle with. I do promise that we will be responsible when we do begin to make love with one another. Neither will either of you be informed when that happens. That is what a gentleman must say in this situation.”

Jenn took the moment to wrap her arms around me from behind. “I love you, Michael.”

“That is awfully romantic, isn’t it Alice?” mom said to her.

“Yeah, it reminds me of me and her father back in the day. How I loved being in love.”

I got up and gave her a big hug. “I love you too, Alice.”

“Oh, Michael. You will make a wonderful son-in-law ... someday.”

“Thanks,” I remarked.

“Jennifer,” my mother said, “Could you clean up his face a little? Your lipstick left its mark.”

She pulled me into my bathroom, where I saw my face practically covered with her lip-gloss. She took a picture with her smart phone before she began to clean me off. She used a moist washcloth, and she stuck her other hand back inside my pants.

“I think he likes me,” she said.

I placed my left hand under her bra. It did feel nice. “Jenn, what size breast do you have?”

“I am a 32B. Do you know what that means?”

“Not really, but they look incredible all covered up. I can only imagine, and believe me I have, how they look ... unencumbered. Jenn, are you done?”

“Done?”

“Playing with my ... penis. We need to get out there so they don’t come in here.”

“All right,” she said pulling out her hand. “You go first. I need to wash my hands, lover.”

I walked out to see them both with their hands on their hips and smiling. Jenn came out and grabbed my arm.

“Let’s finalize our cast list for ANNIE, ladies?”

After discussing it for a while, we came up with this.

MISS HANNIGAN
Joan Prefontayne
Shirley Wickes (Understudy)

OLIVER WARBUCKS
Paul Planck
Richard Mitchell (Understudy)

GRACE FARRELL
Cece Crabtree
Jennifer Guthrie (Understudy)

ROOSTER HANNIGAN
John Mitchell
Richard Mitchell(Understudy)

LILY ST REGIS
Jennifer Guthrie
Lily Rogers (Understudy)

BERT HEALEY
James Allen

ANNIE
Anna Prefontayne
Mary Mitchell (Understudy)

MOLLY
Rose Newman
Olivia Moore (Understudy)

PEPPER
Nancy Newman
Emma Morris (Understudy)

DUFFY
Karen Rodriguez
Shirley Neff (Understudy)

JULY
Tina Michaels
Rose Michaels (Understudy)

TESSIE
Katie White
Isabella Murphy (Understudy)

KATE
Julie Adams
Natalie Morgan (Understudy)

Bonnie Boylan – Rebecca Minder
Connie Boylan – Zoe Prefontayne
Ronnie Boylan – Megan Roussé

Drake (the butler) – Justin Hill
Lt. Ward/Mr. Bundles – Paul Case
Apple Seller/Dog Catcher – Greg Scott
Cecille (maid) – Tiffany Rivera
Annette (maid) – Anna Taylor
Mrs. Greer (housekeeper) – Linda LaRosa
Mrs. Pugh (cook) – Emily Clarke
Star to be – Sally Brown
Radio man/Louis Howe – Stanley Morse
Sound Effects person – Randy Johnson
Franklin D. Roosevelt – Randy Johnson
Justice Louis Brandeis - Scott Nelson

Sandy (the dog)– Not yet cast

Jennifer, having heard that she was the understudy for Grace, went and sat upon my lap and grinded on me while giving me a super kiss.

Alice pulled her off and got on my lap instead. She gave me a rather chaste kiss and said, “This is a very nice lap you have got, Michael.”

Janice pulled her off me.

Jenn got back on and said, “Get your own fella, Mom. He’s all mine.”

I had happened to twitch beneath her butt, turning her toward me and giving me another nice kiss.

Alice took Jennifer and I to school on Monday morning to get us there early to post the casts lists. I thanked her, giving her a kiss upon the cheek as we left.

We walked in and found Clara there. I asked for six copies of what I had handed her. After she got the copying going, she turned to Jennifer and said, “I played Miss Hannigan myself in a community theatre production back in the early ‘80s. I can’t wait to see what you have planned for this, Mr. Thomas.”

The copies were done, so she handed them all to me. We brought our own tape dispenser this time. We put up the Cast List and kids were crowding around them the instant we walked away.

I saw Cece taking a look and coming over to us. “I see I have an understudy. Are you expecting me to drop out, Michael?”

“Ma’am, I am only doing my job as producer and co-director of the show. That is to make sure all the bases are covered. Certainly, you understand the concept of an understudy. I found out about your star turn at USC, that included playing Velma Kelly in CHICAGO, after the original gal named Stella Washburn got a bad case of the flu.”

She lightly blushed to that remark. “How in the world did you find that out, Michael?”

“Once on the internet, forever on the internet,” was my answer.

“If something were to happen to me, I noticed your girl would be playing opposite my guy. That could get interesting, don’t you think?”

“You could be my date on opening night then, couldn’t you, Cece?”

She turned and giggled as she walked away. I never noticed the way she walked before.

“Hey, why did you slap my shoulder?” I asked Jennifer.

“I saw how you were looking at her butt. Be careful Michael. Paul is also rather cute.” She left for her first class of the day. I saw an extra sway in her backside as she left.

Everywhere I walked, kids who I cast in the smaller parts thanked me. Best friends and fellow second-graders Rebecca, Zoe, and Megan were cast as the Boylan sisters. They usually walked everywhere together like a posse. They each gave me a kiss on the cheek giggling the whole time.

After casting all of these people, I realized I didn’t have enough musical scores and libretti. The following day, after getting there early again with Jenn, I walked into the Admin office with a stack of original scripts and scores. I explained what I needed and why, causing Clara to get Principal McGowan to come out and approve.

“It says clearly ‘NOT TO COPY,’ doesn’t it, Michael?”

“I understand that, but I need additional copies for more understudies than tradition dictates, causing a shortage. I could get my mother to call MTI again, but I need her contact there for something else. She might only have one good payback left with the gentleman she went to school with. Is there a stamp that could be placed on all the copies made, something like ‘Property of Jackson Heights?’ I do plan to get them all back when this project is over.”

“And how do you intend to do that?” he said with a smile coming to his face.

“When I hand them out, I might say something like ‘Principal McGowan expects everyone to return what you have been given.’ Those who don’t may learn of his dark side, like I have.”

“I have never shown you my dark side, Michael?”

“You and I know that, but they don’t. A threat, even an empty one, can get results.”

Breaking into a chuckle, he said, “Well played. Clara, give him all the copies he needs. I approve.”

After he had left, Clara said, “Mr. Thomas, you have become quite the schemer, tell me exactly what you need?”

I did, and then my girl and I left.

Everyone who was cast began coming up and wondering when they would be getting materials. I told them tomorrow, which appeased them.

We kissed and went off to our different wings of the school.

Let me explain a little about Jackson Heights Elementary School. We have first grade (six-year-olds) through eighth grade (fourteen-year-olds) on the premises. It is private, so they quasi-control the student population by capping each grade separately. There is a soft total of 1,100 students, broken down like this...

First grade - 140 students
Second grade - 140
Third grade - 160
Fourth grade - 160
Fifth grade - 160
Sixth grade - 160
Seventh grade - 90
Eighth grade – 90

We typically lose sixth graders to the public schools, which is the reasoning behind that drop. I have a hunch many more of the fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students will be sticking around, due to the reinvigorated choir and orchestra programs. If we added The Performing Arts to the curriculum, an interesting problem could possibly occur. By that I mean new classrooms may need to be built.

I got that information from Clara a few years back, when I was still short and invisible. It’s likely already out-of-date.

I left all my schoolbooks at school, due to the fact I had a shit-load of stapled copies in my backpack, courtesy of Miss Clara Jepson.

Jennifer coming home with me became a regular thing these days. We had our own regular seat on the bus, which was cool.

We got to my place and walked directly into our kitchen. I got us our water, first thing. Then, we got out the copies.

Jenn had a marvelous idea. Number everything with the characters’ name plus a number, all in pencil. We made a record of who had what. If something got lost than found, we would know whose it was, in theory. We were working on that when mom walked in.

“Hey guys, looks like quite the project. How did you get all those copies made?”

“We made a promise with the principal,” Jennifer answered.

“Sounds good, can I help?”

“We’re good, I figured you would have been working with someone,” I remarked.

“I have scaled back a little. I must say that this new and improved Michael is much more settled than the previous version.”

“Just call me Michael Thomas version 2.0.”

That made Jenn titter.

“Michael, can I talk to you about something?” mom said.

“Sure, but anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of Jennifer.”

“Well, since they are alone, like us, Alice and I have had the conversation that we should find a bigger place and all move in together.”

Looking at Jenn, I asked, “How many bedrooms would there be? I guess we could get along with three, couldn’t we?”

Jenn’s eyes got real big, and she giggled.

“Four would work better; I think,” my girl said, slapping the back of my head.

That was new!

“Would there be locks on the doors?” I asked, this time not looking at her as we went forward on our project.

“For keeping people out or in?” Mom questioned.

“Either, I assume.”

“Jennifer,” my mother said, “What is your response to this question?”

“As much as I love your son, I would do my very best to sleep in my own bed at night. I can’t promise that I wouldn’t cry myself to sleep every night knowing he was only one room away,” she answered breaking into tears.

“Are you proud of yourself, Mother? Making my future wife cry like that? You can leave if you would like. I would appreciate it, if you did.”

“Buck up Jenn, we need to finish this tonight,” I said.

Janice left the room, quietly.

Thirty minutes later, we were done. I put it all in my backpack. She called her mother who came to get her.

Mom and I had a quiet dinner, after which I went up to my bedroom.

Sometime later, there was a knock and mom came in, sitting on the bed.

“Have you two done anything besides kiss?”

“That’s none of your business,” I said in an even tone.

“Fine. Do you need an early ride to school again tomorrow?”

“Yes, please.”

“Goodnight Michael.”

“Goodnight ... Janice.” I said, stopping her in my doorway.

Without turning back to face me, she pulled the door closed.

The next morning breakfast was quiet, and she picked up Jenn taking us to school together.

“Can we talk after school, Michael?” mom asked.

“If we must,” I answered curtly.

Once at school, Jenn posted a notice to everyone to get his or her materials from us. She got out her laptop; I pulled out the copied materials. We had a steady line of both choir and orchestra, along with our cast and their understudy’s ... all getting their pre-assigned copies. Over half of the people got their stuff before school. After my visit to choir and orchestra, there were only a few who hadn’t.

Every time I handed the materials out, I reminded them that we needed everything back after the show had ended. No one argued about it.

At home, with Jennifer by my side, mom and I talked for a while about sex and the ramifications of not being safe. Jenn held my hand, but stayed quiet during our discussion. Mom and I gave each other a big hug and things seemingly had gotten back to normal.

By the following day, I expected things to begin in earnest.

I went into orchestra class and first made sure everyone had their ANNIE music. From my backpack, I handed out the four sets of music to those who hadn’t yet gotten them from me. I silently walked up to each of them and each said, “Sorry, Michael.”

“Here are the cuts to the music,” I said. For about five minutes, I mentioned each piece of music and gave them the measures being cut. I saw everyone, including Paul, writing down everything. When that was done, I wanted to hear both the overture and the entr’acte.

I raised my baton...

The horns started with the main musical theme from “Tomorrow,” then segued to “Hard Knock Life.” Next was “Fully Dressed” which sounded marvelous, moving right into “Herbert Hoover.” Then it was back to “Tomorrow” by the piccolos and strings. It moved to the final buildup and ended.

“Damn, you guys are good.” I said to them all. “Mr. Bell, great trumpet lead on the opening measures.”

“Let’s do it again.” I said. They did and it got crisper. We moved on to the ‘Entr’acte.’ “It’s A Hard Knock Life” began it, and it segued into the radio station version of “Maybe.”

We did it one more time. After that, I turned to Paul and said, “Ready for your fifteen minutes of fame, Percy?”

“I have been ... ever since the auditions. How about the hardest piece Warbucks sings, “Why Should I Change a Thing?”

“Excellent,” I said going to open all the doors like I did before.

I started up the orchestra...

PAUL PERCIVAL PLANCK
Life’s overflowing
Why should I change a thing?
Love how it’s going
Got the world on that string
Why disturb the peace?
Why not let things be?
Why risk getting close?
Close – Just isn’t me

(Wow! He’s got a wonderful baritone voice. A nice vibrato to boot!)

I’d say I am happy
Why am I tempting fate?
Who needs more happy?
Anyway, it’s too late
Who needs the clatter that
A little girl would bring?
Why change a blessed...
(Rhythm and Key change)
Damn! What do I know about children?
Except they usually come small
They read, but not the Wall Street Journal
They write with crayons on the wall

Does one have
breakfast with them often?
Take them to movies and to school.
Why don’t you get some clear instructions?
Like when you buy a set of tools.
Damn! What do I know about children?
Could they just possibly be fun?
I think the thing that’s most disturbing
I don’t remember being one!

(There was a musical break, going back to its original key and rhythm. Cece rushed into the room just out of his reach)

... Why should I change a thing?
Got the world on that string

Why disturb the peace
Why not let things be?
Why risk getting close
When close ... just isn’t me
(Another key change!)
Not a thing stays the same
Now, when I send Christmas cards
Add a name
It’s a mistake to take her
Underneath my wing
Why change the mailbox
Redo the bedrooms
Undo vacations
Learn to love corn flakes

Why change a bless-ed thing!

Everyone who could applaud, did.

Cece ran to him, and they clinched. “I didn’t know you could sing like that?” she said to him as everyone else cheered him. She gave him a quick tender kiss.

“I have got to keep some secrets before we get married, don’t I?”

“OK, everyone back to wherever you are supposed to be,” I said, closing the doors I had opened.

“Let’s practice the different versions of ‘Tomorrow,’ next?’” I suggested.

We went through the version that Annie sings to Sandy, the dog. The first flautist had a blast.

They all had a good sound ... our trumpets were getting so very good.

The other version included FDR and his cabinet.

The flute follows Annie until everyone joins her. The actor playing FDR kowtows his cabinet to sing, including a solo for the himself.

Paul and I sang to help the orchestra get to the end of it.

Musically, after that was Oliver’s lament, specifically called “Something Was Missing.” I opened the doors again, and a clarinet began this piece of music. Mr. Planck took a step and began. This is a waltz tempo...

DADDY WARBUCKS
I’ve made me a fortune
that fortune made ten
been headlined and profiled
Again and again
But something was missing
I never quite knew
that something was someone
But who?
My speeches are greeted
with thunderous acclaim
at two universities bearing my name
Yes; something was missing
each time I got through
that something was someone
But who?
Who could that someone be?
How could she make it known?

Who would need me for me?
Need me for me alone?
The world was my oyster
But where was the pearl?
Who dreamed I could find it
in one little girl

Yes something was missing --
But dreams can come true
That something is
no one, but you...

(He hit the note!)

There were twenty-four measures, before he comes back in. We may have a waltz ... between Annie and her Daddy.

Who would need me for me?
Need me for me alone

The world was my oyster
But where was the pearl?
Who’d dream I would find it
in one little girl?
Yes, something was missing
but dreams do come true
that something is no one ... but you!

They kissed again ... as she left she mouthed to me, ‘Thanks!’

I sent for Anna Prefontayne. Then, asked the orchestra to get ready for playing “I Don’t Need Anything, But You.”

Anna burst through the crowd and said, “You needed me for something, Michael?”

“Yes,” I said. “Knowing you, you probably already know most of your songs, correct?”

“A few of them,” she grinned in response.

“How about “I Don’t Need Anything, But You?”

“Sure.” she sounded so excited.

“Paul, here is your chance to show us your dancing chops, if you have any.”

“I resemble that remark. I took ballroom plus a little tap when I was younger. I may have to buy new tap shoes, but I can muddle through.”

Flipping the score over to it I said, “Everybody, musical number #25 – Get ready. We’re going from the pickup to measure 83 and stopping at measure 148.”

PAUL AND ANNA
Together at last!
Together forever!
We’re tying a knot,
they never can sever!
PAUL
I don’t need sunshine now,
To turn my skies to blue

PAUL - ANNA
I don’t need anything but you!

They had a real blast to the very end of the music! Anna had even started tapping, and Paul followed her lead. It looked pretty good, but would clearly need some definition and choreography.

When it was all over, those who could, applauded. Paul and Anna gave each other great big hugs.

The bell rang for everyone to get on to the next class. I put my baton away and walked to the next class, with an idea for “Something Was Missing.”

At the end of the school day, Joanie and John Mitchell approached me. I was with Jennifer and heading for the buses.

“What’s up guys?” I said.

“We are supposed to go home with you, so Mrs. Guthrie can give us some dance moves, and we can learn “Easy Street,” John said.

“All right then. Don’t worry, this isn’t expected to be a big production number. Just a little choreography to help sell the song.”

“I am hoping that your mom can help me with ‘Little Girls,’” Joan added.

“Shouldn’t be a problem, come on let’s go.”

On the bus, Jenn called her mother to find out where they should show up for this rehearsal. It would be at our place. Alice would meet us there.

Our gang showed up all together. Mom directed John and me to move a few pieces of furniture out of the way.

Alice was of the school that said to acquire the dancing before learning the song, so with mom playing for her, she put them through their paces. They were getting it rather quickly. That helped.

I pulled Jenn away from them, and gave her some character advice. She gave me a kiss. They did what Alice gave them one more time. They looked ready to me.

“Ready to layer the song on top of that, you guys?” I asked.

“Sure,” they each said.

“Janice. Number 13, from Rooster’s cue “Aw Aggie.”