"No! Begin again!" Moe ordered with a stomp of her foot. The Corps de Ballet groaned as she marched over to Skittery.
"Say 'girl'." She crossed her arms.
"Goil," Skittery complied.
"No. Girl."
"Goil."
Moe glared at him. "Guh-err-luh." She didn't wait for him to try again, just turned heel and marched back to her spot at the front of the stage. She gave a nod to the conductor.
The Corps de Ballet began to dance as Skittery and Socks sauntered out amongst them. They got to their places just as Moe yelled "Early!" to them. Soon after their cues came and Skittery stepped forward and belted:
"Vain! In vain to I call through my vigil weary,
On Creation and its Lord!
Never reply will break the silence dreary!
No sign! No single word!"
An interlude of music began as Socks and Skittery moved to the side of the stage and the dancers began their routine.
Denton and Kloppman, the current managers of the Opera house, wandered up the stairs to the stage absentmindedly, being followed by David and Specs, their successors. "This is our Corps de Ballet," Denton started to explain.
"And we are in the middle of a rehearsal!" Moe shouted out, interrupting him. Specs' eyes got wide.
"Is that Socks O'Connor?" he asked, seemingly in awe. He rushed over to where she was. "It's a pleasure, really," he gushed, and bowed deeply, causing Fool Walker to trip.
"Stop!" Moe ordered and the Corps de Ballet halted their dance, and huddled into little groups, talking quickly as young girls tend to do.
"What is it you gentlemen want, exactly?" Moe asked haughtily.
"Perhaps you'd like to hear her sing," Kloppman suggested to Specs. Specs nodded ecstatically and stepped away. The Corps de Ballet talked excitedly among themselves.
"She's going to sing for us!" Tunes O'Connor hissed into Illusion's ear. "How exciting! She never sings when I ask her to!"
Socks sauntered to center stage and conversed with the conductor quietly, then nodded at him, and two bars cue was played before she began to sing.
"Think of me, Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye!
Remember me; every so often promise me you'll try!
When you find, that once again you long, to take your heart right back with me,
If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me…"
Socks got no further, because at that moment, a background came crashing down from above. Socks was fortunate enough to be standing in the spot where there was a doorway cut into it. The lights flickered and a low growl escaped from Socks' mouth as she glared straight ahead of her.
"It's the Opera Ghost!" Fool yelled and ran over and attached herself to RiffRaff McColley. Some of the stagehands ran out from the wings, looking about worriedly. Martini went and looked at Kid Blink frightened. He put her arms around her, trying to soothe her.
"Opera Ghost," Socks scoffed.
"I'm sorry, Socks, but sometimes these things happen," Denton explained.
"These things happen," Socks repeated, her voice sounded amazingly and deceivingly calm. "Well, until you stop these things from happening, I can assure you that this thing," she pointed to herself, "will not happen!" She let out a "humph!" and stalked off the stage, grabbing her coat and pulling it on as she went. Skittery took one look at the scene before him and followed suit, muttering "Amateurs," as he ran out of the opera house.
"Terrific, gentlemen, terrific," Moe said flatly. "Perhaps next time you will think again before interrupting a rehearsal? And a dress rehearsal, at that? The performance will have to be cancelled until we can get Socks and Skittery to come back. I'm sure if someone talks to Skittery, he'll come around, but you know how Socks is. There's no other choice. We'll have to cancel the performance."
The managers looked at one another and shrugged.
"Sirs?" Autumn Jenkins stepped forward and said, somewhat timidly. "Sarah Jacobs could sing it." She stepped back next to Moe as the managers looked at one another.
"The chorus girl?" they murmured, turning and looking at her. "Have you had any training?" Kloppman asked her.
"Yes, sir," she answered promptly.
"Who is your teacher?" Denton quizzed.
Sarah looked helplessly at Autumn. "I… don't know," she admitted.
Denton scratched his head curiously and Kloppman was about to berate Sarah and Autumn when Moe broke in.
"Let her sing," she instructed, giving no other options to any of the parties involved. The managers shrugged and stepped back allowing Sarah to come forward.
Sarah came forward and closed her eyes nervously as the music cues began.
"Think of me, Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye!
Remember me, once in a while; please promise me you'll try!
When you find, that once again you long, to take your heart right back with me,
If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me…"
"Weak," one of the men muttered as she sang timidly. Sarah ignored this and continued to sing, getting stronger with every word.
"Think of me, think of me waking silent and resigned,
Imagine me, trying to hard to put you from my mind,
Think of me; please say you'll think of me, whatever else you choose to do,
There will never be a day when I won't think of you…"
Sarah stopped singing and looked around. Many of the members of the Corps de Ballet had their mouths hanging open, and were gawking at her. Autumn just grinned at her and gave her a thumbs-up.
"Well, then, someone talks to Skittery, and we're on for tonight's performance," Denton said, smiling. He nodded at Kloppman, and Kloppman nodded back. "So, Sarah will sing tonight, and, Sirs," he looked to David and Specs, "I think we have some things to go over right now. Ladies, gentlemen." They excused themselves and took the soon-to-be managers of the opera to the office they shared.
Moe sighed. "Alright then, I guess that'll do. Be here at five to get ready for open. Warm up at six." Moe clapped her hands once and the cast started to talk among themselves.
"I'm scared for tonight!" Princess confessed to Cats as they started getting their things together.
Cats shrugged. "Don't worry about it. You'll do fine." She stopped and looked to make sure Moe was out of earshot. "Besides, she works us like mules, until it's beaten into our heads. I can understand wanting a good show, but give me a break!" Cats shook her head and slipped her coat on, then picked up her bag. "Let's go," she said and linked her arm in Princess's, and the two of them walked out of the building.
"Hades! Wait for me!" Mush called from up by the flies. "I'll be down in a minute."
"If you aren't down here in 60 seconds I'm leavin' without ya!" She tapped her foot impatiently, shifting her bag on her shoulder. Mush came flying down the stairs in no time flat and skidded to a stop right next to her.
Kid Blink laughed at him, and took Martini's hand, walking out with her, as well as Singer Morris, his little sister, and her boyfriend Chester McCoy. They were followed by Mush and Hades, and the other assorted chorus members.
"Say 'girl'." She crossed her arms.
"Goil," Skittery complied.
"No. Girl."
"Goil."
Moe glared at him. "Guh-err-luh." She didn't wait for him to try again, just turned heel and marched back to her spot at the front of the stage. She gave a nod to the conductor.
The Corps de Ballet began to dance as Skittery and Socks sauntered out amongst them. They got to their places just as Moe yelled "Early!" to them. Soon after their cues came and Skittery stepped forward and belted:
"Vain! In vain to I call through my vigil weary,
On Creation and its Lord!
Never reply will break the silence dreary!
No sign! No single word!"
An interlude of music began as Socks and Skittery moved to the side of the stage and the dancers began their routine.
Denton and Kloppman, the current managers of the Opera house, wandered up the stairs to the stage absentmindedly, being followed by David and Specs, their successors. "This is our Corps de Ballet," Denton started to explain.
"And we are in the middle of a rehearsal!" Moe shouted out, interrupting him. Specs' eyes got wide.
"Is that Socks O'Connor?" he asked, seemingly in awe. He rushed over to where she was. "It's a pleasure, really," he gushed, and bowed deeply, causing Fool Walker to trip.
"Stop!" Moe ordered and the Corps de Ballet halted their dance, and huddled into little groups, talking quickly as young girls tend to do.
"What is it you gentlemen want, exactly?" Moe asked haughtily.
"Perhaps you'd like to hear her sing," Kloppman suggested to Specs. Specs nodded ecstatically and stepped away. The Corps de Ballet talked excitedly among themselves.
"She's going to sing for us!" Tunes O'Connor hissed into Illusion's ear. "How exciting! She never sings when I ask her to!"
Socks sauntered to center stage and conversed with the conductor quietly, then nodded at him, and two bars cue was played before she began to sing.
"Think of me, Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye!
Remember me; every so often promise me you'll try!
When you find, that once again you long, to take your heart right back with me,
If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me…"
Socks got no further, because at that moment, a background came crashing down from above. Socks was fortunate enough to be standing in the spot where there was a doorway cut into it. The lights flickered and a low growl escaped from Socks' mouth as she glared straight ahead of her.
"It's the Opera Ghost!" Fool yelled and ran over and attached herself to RiffRaff McColley. Some of the stagehands ran out from the wings, looking about worriedly. Martini went and looked at Kid Blink frightened. He put her arms around her, trying to soothe her.
"Opera Ghost," Socks scoffed.
"I'm sorry, Socks, but sometimes these things happen," Denton explained.
"These things happen," Socks repeated, her voice sounded amazingly and deceivingly calm. "Well, until you stop these things from happening, I can assure you that this thing," she pointed to herself, "will not happen!" She let out a "humph!" and stalked off the stage, grabbing her coat and pulling it on as she went. Skittery took one look at the scene before him and followed suit, muttering "Amateurs," as he ran out of the opera house.
"Terrific, gentlemen, terrific," Moe said flatly. "Perhaps next time you will think again before interrupting a rehearsal? And a dress rehearsal, at that? The performance will have to be cancelled until we can get Socks and Skittery to come back. I'm sure if someone talks to Skittery, he'll come around, but you know how Socks is. There's no other choice. We'll have to cancel the performance."
The managers looked at one another and shrugged.
"Sirs?" Autumn Jenkins stepped forward and said, somewhat timidly. "Sarah Jacobs could sing it." She stepped back next to Moe as the managers looked at one another.
"The chorus girl?" they murmured, turning and looking at her. "Have you had any training?" Kloppman asked her.
"Yes, sir," she answered promptly.
"Who is your teacher?" Denton quizzed.
Sarah looked helplessly at Autumn. "I… don't know," she admitted.
Denton scratched his head curiously and Kloppman was about to berate Sarah and Autumn when Moe broke in.
"Let her sing," she instructed, giving no other options to any of the parties involved. The managers shrugged and stepped back allowing Sarah to come forward.
Sarah came forward and closed her eyes nervously as the music cues began.
"Think of me, Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye!
Remember me, once in a while; please promise me you'll try!
When you find, that once again you long, to take your heart right back with me,
If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me…"
"Weak," one of the men muttered as she sang timidly. Sarah ignored this and continued to sing, getting stronger with every word.
"Think of me, think of me waking silent and resigned,
Imagine me, trying to hard to put you from my mind,
Think of me; please say you'll think of me, whatever else you choose to do,
There will never be a day when I won't think of you…"
Sarah stopped singing and looked around. Many of the members of the Corps de Ballet had their mouths hanging open, and were gawking at her. Autumn just grinned at her and gave her a thumbs-up.
"Well, then, someone talks to Skittery, and we're on for tonight's performance," Denton said, smiling. He nodded at Kloppman, and Kloppman nodded back. "So, Sarah will sing tonight, and, Sirs," he looked to David and Specs, "I think we have some things to go over right now. Ladies, gentlemen." They excused themselves and took the soon-to-be managers of the opera to the office they shared.
Moe sighed. "Alright then, I guess that'll do. Be here at five to get ready for open. Warm up at six." Moe clapped her hands once and the cast started to talk among themselves.
"I'm scared for tonight!" Princess confessed to Cats as they started getting their things together.
Cats shrugged. "Don't worry about it. You'll do fine." She stopped and looked to make sure Moe was out of earshot. "Besides, she works us like mules, until it's beaten into our heads. I can understand wanting a good show, but give me a break!" Cats shook her head and slipped her coat on, then picked up her bag. "Let's go," she said and linked her arm in Princess's, and the two of them walked out of the building.
"Hades! Wait for me!" Mush called from up by the flies. "I'll be down in a minute."
"If you aren't down here in 60 seconds I'm leavin' without ya!" She tapped her foot impatiently, shifting her bag on her shoulder. Mush came flying down the stairs in no time flat and skidded to a stop right next to her.
Kid Blink laughed at him, and took Martini's hand, walking out with her, as well as Singer Morris, his little sister, and her boyfriend Chester McCoy. They were followed by Mush and Hades, and the other assorted chorus members.
