Part 3

'Deck the halls with bows of holly, fa la la la la, la la la laaaaaaa,' Marty Crane sang off-key as he sat down in his infamous chair with a beer.

'Dad, please,' Frasier said, annoyed.

'Well geez, sorry. I was just gettin' into the Christmas spirit, it is Christmas Eve you know,' Marty replied.

'Sorry Dad. I guess I'm just nervous about tonight. If this opera doesn't go well, I don't know what we'll do,' Frasier said, confessing his worries.

'Don't worry Frasier,' Niles replied, 'we've been working hard at this thing for a year.'

'I don't know. Just maybe we should have rehearsed more, or, or something.'

'Oh dear, maybe you're right,' Niles panicked, 'what if we haven't rehearsed enough? What will we do?'

'Oh, come on, relax. If anyone's rehearsed enough, it's you two. You've been down at that theatre every night for the past four months,' Marty reassured.

'Hey Dad, you're right. Everything'll go fine. We'll get a good review, a…' Frasier was cut short by Marty.

'Of course there is such a thing as being too confident. I'd just concentrate on getting through tonight,' he suggested as the Frasier and Niles put their coats on over their tuxedos.

'Oh, Dad, I've left tickets for you and Daphne on the table,' Niles informed his father, 'it starts at seven.'

'You know what?' Frasier asked, 'everything will be great tonight. Just great. I mean what can possibly go wrong?'

Niles' cellphone started ringing as soon as Frasier had started up the car.

'Niles Crane,' he said. 'Who? Excuse me? Pardon? I, I…'

'Oh for God's sake, give it here,' Frasier said, taking his brother's cellphone. 'Frasier Crane.' Frasier was slightly alarmed by the rasping that met his ear, and frowned. He now understood why Niles hadn't been able to make anything out. 'Hello?' He tried again. 'Err, pardon? Oh, I see. So you won't be able to make it tonight. No, no, you rest. Yes, we'll try and make do. Yes. Bye.' Frasier gave Niles his cellphone back with a heavy heart.

'That was our Christopher. He's got laryngitis! So he obviously can't come.'

'But he's our lead singer and actor! What are we going to do?' Niles questioned frantically.

'I don't know Niles. I don't know,' Frasier replied.

'Frasier,' Niles said.

'Yes Niles?'

'You're going to have to do it. There's no other alternative.'

'Yes there is. You could do it. You're a great actor,' Frasier praised.

'Yes, but you're a great singer,' Niles pointed out.

'Well… are you sure?'

'Positive. It's the only thing we can do. I mean you wrote most of the songs, so no one is going to know them better than you,' Niles said in a convincing manner. 'Come on Frasier. It's either you do it, or we shut the show down until we can find someone else.'

'Oh, alright,' Frasier gave in as he pulled up outside the theatre. 'But I'm going to need a script. Just because I helped write it doesn't mean I know the whole thing.'

'Here,' Niles said, handing him a script. 'Now we've got to go in there and tell everyone about the changes. And we might have just enough time to go over a few of the key scenes.'

'Come on then.' They got out of the car, and headed into the theatre, but were stopped by a man standing by the box office.

'I'm sorry, but the opera doesn't start for and hour and a half yet. You're only allowed here half an hour early,' he said. Niles looked at Frasier, puzzled.

'But you don't understand. It's our opera,' Frasier explained. 'I'm Doctor Frasier Crane, and this is my brother, Doctor Niles Crane.'

'Can I see your passes please?' The man asked.

'Passes? What passes? This has never come up before,' Niles said, confused.

'I'm afraid without passes, I can't let you in.'

'But we've been practicing for a year, and there has been no need for passes,' Frasier pointed out.

'Yeah, well I'm afraid opening night is different. Now I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave.'

'But…' Frasier began.

'Frasier, look at the size of him. We'll find a different way in,' Niles said quietly. 'Ok,' he said to the man, 'Sorry to waste your time.' The brothers headed towards the main door, and braved the blizzard that was raging outside.

'What do you suggest we do now?' Frasier had to shout to be heard over the wind.

'We find a back way in,' Niles replied simply. So they set off around the theatre, and found the stage door. Frasier tried to open it, but failed.

'It's frozen shut,' he told Niles grimly.

'Are you sure?' Niles questioned.

'Would you like to try for yourself?' Frasier asked.

'No, no thank you. Well, there must be a window we could get in...' Niles trailed off as Frasier shot him a look that said 'bad, bad idea'.

'Well, what else do you suggest?' Niles defended in an exasperated tone. 'There's nothing else we can do.'

'Ok, ok,' Frasier gave in. He walked forward, until he came to a window. Luckily, it was open.

'I'll go first,' Frasier offered, then looked around for something to stand on. He found a box, and placed it under the window. He pulled himself up, and landed with a thud inside.

'Ok, come on Niles.' Niles stood on the box, and pulled himself up like Frasier had. But then something the pair had been dreading happened.

'Frasier,' Niles said. 'I'm stuck.'

'But, but you can't be! Here, left me help.' Frasier grabbed Niles' hands and pulled him through. Niles fell to the floor with a loud thwack.

'I hope you're happy,' Niles said, getting up and brushing himself down, 'that's a three hundred dollar Armani tux you've ruined.'

'Well you're the one that said "let's go through a window!"' Frasier pointed out.

'Well you didn't have to pull me through like that – and you could have offered me the chance to go first. I am your younger brother.'

'Oh Niles, fighting isn't going to get us anywhere. Need I remind you that we have an opera to put on in...' Frasier looked at his watch, 'one hour! And I have to suddenly take on the lead part! Come on, we've gotta find the rest of the cast and get ready!'