So here we go, with the plot that will run up to Christmas. It always seemed it would be perfect for the boys, and I just hope you all agree...
The Show Must Go On Part I
The following Monday morning dawned bright and clear, the city basking in the sunshine. It was destined to be another hot and humid day, and so many people were up and about early so that they could complete those chores they had to do in the relative cool of the morning. As a result, the early morning trade at the Spotlight was brisk, as people heading to their work stopped in to pick up a coffee to go, or one of the breakfast sandwiches that had become something of a speciality. In the West Village a group of young men scattered between five houses had also woken early. None of them had any concrete plans for the day, as they had all anticipated that they might be recovering from a hangover they had earned at another epic Warbler party. The majority had agreed the night before that they would pop over to Nick and Jeff's for a spot of brunch, and then they could decide on some group activity; possibly a trip up to Columbia to see The Judging Angel for those that had not seen in it person yet perhaps, and a must at some point for David and Thad.
They had still made no firm plans as they finished off the last of the food, and offered to help Nick with the clearing up. Jeff vanished, and returned with his portfolio case; the one that contained all of his sketches of his friends. He had come to the conclusion that the best way to get the four youngest Warblers to agree to pose for him would be to show them the drawings of the others; if they could see how sensitively he had drawn all of their older compatriots, then posing themselves would be less of a big deal. The others were equally keen to sit and revisit those images, from the sketches he had done for the big group drawing through to those that he had done solely for fun; the ones of Kurt with a halo, Blaine wearing only a bowtie, and Wes clutching his beloved gavel. Those three images made them all chuckle, and tempted most of the others to consider posing for him again. Jeff could see no reason why they couldn't either…
Across town in Murray Hill, Sebastian was also up and about. A Monday was normally his one remaining day he would definitely be working at The Strand, but he had booked a day's holiday, out of fear that he would be feeling like hell, and unable to leave a darkened room without wincing. Instead he felt fresh as a daisy, had a perfect tan, thanks he had to admit to all of Nick's nagging about sunscreen, and the house to himself. Dave had a coaching session to run over in Queens and so had left early, but they had enjoyed a very good night… It wasn't an issue, as it gave Sebastian a chance to start planning something for their wedding anniversary, because strictly it was nearly a year since that fateful night in Las Vegas…
His train of thought was disturbed by his phone ringing. He grabbed it, and on seeing that it was the theatre calling, answered it straight away, rather than allowing it to go to voicemail. He barely had a greeting out before he was interrupted by the voice of the show's director.
"Sebastian, please tell me that you are fit and well…"
Intrigued, he replied, "Never felt better if I'm honest. Had a relaxed day yesterday and now I'm just pottering around…"
"Thank God for that! I need you here yesterday! How long will it take you to get here?"
"I can be there in about half an hour if I walk fast enough."
"Don't walk. Get a cab. Charge it to the theatre. Just get here, Sebastian, ASAP. We need you to go on tomorrow in a named role, and we need to start rehearsing now!"
The line went dead at that, leaving Sebastian open-mouthed. He was going on… He was going on in a named role… He was making his actual Broadway debut tomorrow! In less than a minute he was outside, still pulling his jacket on whilst trying to hail a cab. There was no way he was going to let this moment pass…
By the time that he got to the theatre, he had calmed down just a little. Yes, he was going to be out there on stage, but it would still be in a relatively minor role. Yes, he would have a name, not just be third Mormon from the left in the opening number or something, but he doubted that he would be credited in the Playbill. He'd be lucky to get his photo on a slip of paper hastily shoved inside. However, it was still a foot in the door, a first step on the ladder to the stars. He was still going to be appearing on an actual Broadway stage in front of a paying audience.
After getting a receipt from the cab driver, he headed in through the stage door, and nearly ran in the direction of the green room; there would be someone there that could help him find the director, if he wasn't there himself. Sure enough, his good friend Jenny was sitting there, but he couldn't help but notice that she looked so sad. Before he could speak, she said, "So he called you too? I guessed that he would have done. The thing is, since he did, things have gone from bad to worse…"
Sebastian looked at her, and then on hearing steps, he turned to the door to see the man himself walking in. "Well, that was quick, but alas, pointless as it happens. When I called you it was still a possibility, but now, now it isn't. All of them! Every single Mormon in the cast struck down with food poisoning from that darn party! All of them off sick until Wednesday! I guess that we will just have to cancel the show tomorrow. It's not like I can find a whole group of young men, that can sing and dance enough to replace them overnight! I'm so sorry to have raised your hopes, both of you, but your Broadway debut has been cancelled…"
For a moment, Sebastian was frozen as his heart shattered. He had been so close to achieving something that he had always dreamed of - and then it had been literally snatched out of his hands. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right, but he was determined that he wouldn't burst into tears, however much he felt like doing exactly that right now. It wasn't the poor director's fault in any case; if all of those that had been at that party had fallen ill, then he had no option. After all, where on earth could he find a new group of young men that knew how to sing and dance…
That was when it hit him. He knew exactly where they could find a group of young men that could sing; a group of young men that were used to performing together; a group of young men who could learn the show's simple choreography fairly quickly and with a high degree of accuracy… In the back of his head a voice cried out 'Don't even try, Sebastian! He will never agree to that, not in a billion years.' But he had to try, as he had nothing left to lose by putting it out there, unlike the show. The cost of all those refunds would be well into the thousands of dollars, plus they would be the talk of the Great White Way for all of the wrong reasons. After all, when had a show been cancelled due to cast sickness before? In fact, had it ever happened before? The director had turned to go whilst Sebastian had been musing, and so he had no choice but to blurt it out before he left. "Sir, I think that I could find you a replacement cast for tomorrow night!"
The director turned round, and shook his head. "I'm quite certain that you could assemble a group of students from NYADA, Sebastian, but they would not have the benefit of months of working together. The show works because those guys are a team; a family so to speak. That can't be created in a day, but thanks for the suggestion…"
"Give me an hour. Come back in an hour, and I will show you what I can get you. Please, what difference will one hour make? It won't even be midday, so there will still be time to announce the cancellation of the show tomorrow night if you don't like what you see. What have you got to lose by giving me a chance to do this?" Sebastian stopped, and channelled his best puppy face, and waited.
"Fine. I will give you until midday; so an hour and a half to show me that your idea could work. However, if it doesn't gel with me then…"
"Then it is cancelled; just like that. I'm hoping not though," said Sebastian. The director nodded, then walked away.
"Are you crazy?" said Jenny. "He is right about the team thing…"
"Oh, I know he is. Which is why I am calling on a band of amateurs that I know very well. Jenny, my friend, I think it is time that you made the acquaintance of the Dalton Academy Warblers…" Sebastian grabbed his phone, and after a moment of thought, he decided to call Thad. It was a choice between him and Nick, as he knew that they had been planning a get together that morning. Thad had no sooner picked up his phone than Sebastian shut him down. "Thad, I need help. I need all of you guys to head down to meet me at the theatre right now. As one Warbler brother to another, I have a major emergency, and I need all of you, and I mean all of you, to meet me here."
"Okay, what kind of emergency?"
"I will tell you when you get here. Just come, and now. Once again, I need as many of you as you can get, and particularly Nick, Jeff and Trent. Actually, bring Rory with you too. Please just get here now!" Sebastian hung up, and as a bemused Jenny watched, he placed another call, this time to a fellow NYADA student…
At the table in the kitchen in Niff's house in the West Village, a shocked Thad tried to call Sebastian back, but just got a busy tone. He looked up at the expectant faces around the table. All the people he had named were there, along with Beats, Flint, Ethan, Skylar, Seth, Colin and Edward.
"What's going on, Thad?" asked David.
"I'm not entirely sure. Sebastian says that he has a dire emergency at the theatre, and he needs all of us there yesterday. I am certain by the tone of his voice that he does have some kind of crisis going on that needs all of us, as his bird brothers, to help him out. It can't hurt if we just go up there and see what is going on…." replied Thad.
"Well, it looks like we are all heading up to Broadway guys!" said Nick, and he began to clear the table, assisted at once by the others. They knew what they had to do. After all, Wes had always said that a Warbler had to help out his fellows in their time of need. They all just hoped for Sebastian's sake that his crisis was real…
Back at the theatre, Sebastian had made one more call after telling Mason to get himself down to the theatre right now. He called the Spotlight, knowing that Mike was working there on his final week of shifts. Five minutes later, with Michelle's blessing, the young man in question was also heading north to Broadway, his curiosity roused. Why after all did Sebastian need him, but none of the other honorary Warblers? As he reached the subway, it hit him; Sebastian must have finally got his big break, but needed some intensive help with his choreography - and that made him his first choice.
As the people that Sebastian had called converged on the theatre, Mike was the only one that had guessed what might be going on with any degree of accuracy, and even he was wildly out. He could not have anticipated the scale of the challenge that Sebastian was about to throw at him. His fellow Warblers still had no idea at all as to why he needed them all so badly. If they had, then quite a few of them would not have been heading to his aid…
Sebastian was left to pace the floor of the green room, resisting the temptation to bit his nails, a bad habit that he had had until he had found himself living in Paris, where other bad habits had presented themselves to him instead. Jenny had done her best to get him to sit still, to have a coffee with her and just chat over the mundane stuff they usually did, but to no avail. All that he had said to her in fact was that she had to be ready to play the part of Nabalungi, and to support the guy that would be playing Elder Cunningham with his part of the show. She had to admit that playing the lead female role was a dream come true, but unlike Sebastian, she was not prepared to get her hopes up. After all, what he was proposing just would not work, not in a million years. This was not show choir; it was one thing to sing a few songs together, and another one altogether to perform a successful Broadway show. Still, she had to admit that it wouldn't hurt just to run through those lines. It was all good training for the day all her dreams came true, and she was able to take that role…
Sebastian only stopped pacing when he heard the sound of footsteps, and Mason walked into the room, his cheeks bright red from having hurried at full speed across Manhattan. "Right, I am here Sebastian. What's the emergency? Right now, I see no fire, no dead bodies, no flood or even pestilence," he said breathlessly.
"Trust me when I tell you Mason that there is a big issue here, and you my friend are one of my best hopes at being able to resolve it to everyone's satisfaction," came his reply.
"Flattery will get you nowhere! What is going on…?" said Mason.
"That's what we would all like to know too," came a voice, and Sebastian's face positively lit up as he saw not only the speaker, Trent, but behind him the rest of his group of Warbler friends. "I guess you were stalling in telling Mason until we were all here. So, are you going to speak up now, or are we to expect more people?"
"No, pretty much everyone I need is here; there is still one person missing, but I am certain he will be here very shortly," said Sebastian. "Okay, so short version; this morning I got a call to come to the theatre as there were some issues with illness among the main cast. Implication was that I was about to be making my official debut on the Broadway stage."
"Whilst that is great and all, Sebastian," interjected Thad, "I don't think that classifies as an emergency worthy of summoning all of us here."
"If the Head Warbler would refrain from butting in, I could have told you all what is going on by now," snapped Sebastian. "When I got here it was to discover the issues were far bigger than they had thought. All of the Mormon boys were sick. They all got a nasty case of food poisoning at that party that I wasn't invited to…"
"Ha, ha, now that is what I call poetic justice," remarked Flint.
"Oh, it is, but it also put the kybosh on my big break. You see, you can't really do a show called Book of Mormon without the Mormons, and as it stands, I am the only man standing that can play a Mormon. The only way that I can still get my big break on the Broadway stage tomorrow night is if I could find a group of clean cut young men who know how to sing and are not bad at performing a bit of simple choreography. A group of guys that have sung together in the past, happen to be free tomorrow night, and are likely to stick to their solemn oath that they took; that they would support their bird brothers in any endeavour in which they might come across difficulties…"
Sebastian watched then in silence as slowly, the penny dropped. When it did, it was to stunned reaction.
"Are you suggesting…" began Nick, who then stopped again as he contemplated the magnitude of the notion.
"The way that I see this, guys, is that it is really just like Regionals, but on a massive scale. A few more songs, a little bit more complex choreography. This is probably my only chance to get on that stage this year. I am therefore asking you, as my friends and fellow Warblers, to back me up and help me out…"
"Sebastian, this isn't just 'back up'. It is asking us to become something that most of us have never even contemplated - stars on a Broadway stage," said Beats. "It isn't just a case of three songs were most of us just back up the lead, not really. It is going out in front of a paying audience and baring our souls!"
"It's not that different from what you and Flint were doing in Princeton, Beats; you were just baring something else then!" Sebastian replied, then before either of them could protest, he carried on. "Look, this is how I see it in my head. Thad, we all know that you have the ability to hit and sustain a big note, just as Elder Smith does in the opening number. Flint, I see you as Elder Greene, who in the same song repeats the words 'Jesus Christ!' with too much enthusiasm all the time. I see my Niff as Elders Grant and Young, the two most adorable buddy Mormons. I see you, Mason, as Elder McKinley, not just for the obvious reason; you are probably the best dancer here, and the part calls for some of the most taxing choreography. As for Elder Cunningham, well that part is just written for Trent. He is a bit of a dreamer, the odd man out, but in the end, he is the one that saves the day… Look guys, we can do this… And before I forget, there is even a role for David. He was born to play this part; he would be perfect as the rebel leader that terrorises the community the Mormons are sent too. The role of General Butt Fucking Naked is his…"
The indignant look on David's face at that suggestion was all that it took for the laughter to start up all around the room. It made them all smile, but did not alter for one moment one simple fact; they were not aspiring Broadway actors. They were former Warblers, all occupied with the rigours of college, or about to enter the world of work. It was different for Mason and Sebastian; this was a career opportunity for both of them. It wasn't for them - it was a scary prospect, a move that could lead them subject to ridicule. Yet Sebastian had raised an interesting point; they had all pledged to help and support each other in all of their endeavours; it was just that going on stage in a Broadway musical had never been mentioned. In time, the laughter faded and they all turned to look at Sebastian again.
"I'm kind of begging you all here, guys. I know that this isn't what you want to do, or ever wished to, but it's for one night; one night when I get to live my dreams. This is my opportunity to show the world what I can do, given the chance. It might be a disaster, but it might not; and if it isn't, then it will help both me and Mason in the future. I will understand if you all feel that you can't do it, and I will not hold it against anyone if tomorrow night this theatre does indeed go dark. I promise you that. Please, though, just consider it. We can do this; the Warblers can show Broadway that the show choir judges got it wrong. We can prove that we are the best; I know that we can…"
"I'll do it." All heads spun round to stare at Trent, who had surprised Rory and even himself by the swiftness of his response. "Sebastian is right. We have always vowed that we would have each other's back. He needs me to sing with him so that he can get the limelight. I know a little about the show, and I am flattered, because he has basically asked me to be the other lead. I am guessing it is because the character of Cunningham is sweet, a bit misguided, and doesn't have quite as much dancing to do, which caters for the fact that I have two left feet. Yes, it will probably be the most embarrassing thing that I ever do, but so what? It will be fun, like it was back at Dalton…"
There were glances from one to another at his statement, and low talking.
"I guess that if Carmen found out that I had turned down an opportunity like this, she would never let me forget it," said Mason, his face coloured as he pictured her reaction. "It's just that Elder McKinley is such a big role, and he does a lot of dancing! I'm not sure that I could learn all of that choreography and be good enough at it by tomorrow night…"
He stopped as the door to the green room swung open, and Mike walked in. "Sorry, the subway got held up! So, what's the crisis?"
Sebastian just grinned as Mason smiled broadly at the new arrival. "You'd already thought about that problem, hadn't you! You arranged for the best dancer that any of us know to be here to tutor us!"
As Mike looked by turn both startled and confused, Sebastian nodded. "If any of you need a hand with the choreography, then I am sure that Mike will whip you into shape. So, I have got two; come on guys, help me out! As Trent says, it will be fun…"
Nick looked at Jeff, and his husband shrugged and nodded. "Okay, count the two of us in as well, Seb. On your head be it though!"
"I guess that it might be a laugh - and as Head Warbler, I should always be the first to uphold our values. Oh, what the heck! Count me in!"
"Well, if Thad is in, we'd best just get this show on the road," sighed Flint. "I don't think Beats or Ethan can decline now either…"
"True. We have been kind of railroaded into it, but we are both a little hurt that you haven't given us names!" replied Beats, which made them all laugh again.
All eyes now turned to David, as Trent quickly filled Mike in on what was actually going on, leaving the young ballet dancer shocked, but proud that he had been selected to help out. "Sebastian, please tell me that General whatshisname isn't actually…"
"No, David, General Butt Fucking Naked stays fully clothed," said Sebastian, trying hard not to laugh.
"Well, I kind of have to do it now that everyone else is, don't I? Well done Sebastian, you've got a cast…"
In the next twenty minutes, Sebastian quickly taught Trent the lyrics to You and Me in one corner, playing the soundtrack album so he could pick up the tune. The others, with the exception of David, where all huddled around Mike, watching a video of the big dance number that was lead by Elder McKinley. They all paled initially, but then when Mike broke it down into it's component parts, they all suddenly saw that it wasn't that hard to do. The actual execution of the dance would be a bigger issue. Mason after all had no real experience of tap; Nick and Jeff had a little, having learnt from Mike. Yet after just a few minutes of patient tuition from Mike, the two husbands were flying through the closing part of the number, Mason between them, mimicking what Mike was doing to one side. Behind them the others stood in formation, watching at first, then tentatively joining in with the steps. As David watched from his spot next to Jenny, he had to admit that they looked okay for a first attempt. The thing was, would all their efforts be enough when the director came to make a first judgement…
Jenny had been watching the whole thing in relative silence, keeping a close eye on Trent naturally. After all, he was potentially going to be her onstage love interest if Sebastian's audacious plan came off. Trent had a good voice, and his face made her smile; he had that air of sweetness and innocence that in her opinion Cunningham had to have. As for the others, they all seemed to be good at the art of quick study then mimicry; and the big dance number in the show for the Mormons was essentially that. They all just aped the ones at the front for the most part. Bringing in Mike Chang was also a stroke of genius. She had heard all about him from Sebastian through their daily chats, and from what she had read about him online, Mike was a dancer with a real talent and flair. He also had the patience to teach these young men what they needed to know, and quickly.
Fingers crossed, Jenny watched as the hand on the clock slowly moved round to midday, and then, bang on schedule, the director walked in the door. His appearance could not have been more timely. Mike had just started the majority of the boys on a run through of the finale of the big number Turn it off! and Sebastian and Trent started to sing through I am here for you. Jenny watched as his face changed. It had been grim, and resigned to the fact that tomorrow night, for the first time in five years, they would have to cancel a performance for a reason that was entirely under their control. Now he had a little hope. He had probably imagined he was about to stroll into a disaster area, but no, he could see that they did have the talent to perform. It might not be the kind of perfection that Broadway usually demanded, but to be fair, it wasn't the worst amateur production either. The dancing wasn't perfect, but with a little more time, he saw that it could be. The guy standing at the front, the proposed Elder McKinley, would fit the bill perfectly, and apart from the length of the hair of the blond guy next to him, the rest would pass perfectly as Mormon missionaries. Then there was the guy that was singing with Sebastian; he was pitch perfect, harmonising well with his friend, and yes, he had the look of a perfect Elder Cunningham. The moment that the singing stopped, he couldn't help himself. He applauded them.
That was the moment when they all noticed him standing there for the first time; the dancing stopped, and they all just stood and looked at him. Sebastian took a breath, then began to speak. "Well, I told you I could get you another cast, and here they are. These are the guys I sang with in my old high school choir, the Dalton Academy Warblers, with the exception of Rory and Mason - the guy at the front there - who went to our rival school. It was called McKinley High, appropriately enough. I should also introduce the guy that is patiently trying to get them perfect in the steps for Turn it off! He is another McKinley alumnus; Mike Chang, who graduated top of the class from Julliard this year, is the newest member of the corps at the City Ballet, and seems to have a knack for teaching choreography…"
As the director listened, nodding, Sebastian realised what else he needed to prove. "I think now that you need to hear the others sing - Nick, do you think we could manage Uptown Girl?" Nick nodded, the others moved into formation, leaving Rory and Mason to sit with Mike at one side as the Warblers performed the number. What impressed them most was the fact that they knew Colin and Skylar had never sung it with them, but they still managed to find a part and harmonise in.
At the end, the director looked at them all, and said, "I must need my head examined, but Sebastian, you have a deal. It will be on record though that this entire crazy escapade was your idea. If it fails, then everyone will blame you; on the flip side, if it succeeds, then you can take all of the plaudits and deservedly so. Now, we had best do the formal introductions, and the names of the parts you intend them to play. After all, I will need to get the details to the Playbill people…."