Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or the song "Comedy Tonight" from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, words and music by Stephen Sondheim.

Author's Note: Well, you know I had to do it. I mean, if we can't have fun with this episode, then what was the point? After a brief introduction, each character gets two segments to give their overall impression of the play in Ember Island Players. I've been working on this forever, and I plan to update this collection more frequently.

Comedy Tonight

Something familiar, something peculiar,
Something for everyone,
A comedy tonight!
Something appealing, something appalling,
Something for everyone,
A comedy tonight!

It was just supposed to be a fun evening at the theatre. Katara wasn't so sure it was a good idea to see a play featuring them, but Sokka and Suki were excited, and everyone else eventually went along.

The poster advertised: "Adventure, romance, comedy – something for everyone!" Unfortunately, they really meant "everyone from the Fire Nation." "Everyone," in this case, definitely did not include those who saw their lives playing out before them. While the story should have been familiar, the way it was done had some…odd twists. The general consensus afterwards was that they would have been better off staying home.

Nothing with kings,
Nothing with crowns,
Bring on the lovers,
Liars and clowns!

Even though she couldn't see what was happening on stage, Toph was highly entertained by the majority of the play. Granted, she knew that she was not actually a muscular guy with a deep, bass voice, but she thought the overall attitude was the right one. She would never admit out loud that the show was not the truth, as she had earlier asserted.

Besides, it was a lot of fun catching up on the things that had happened before she'd joined the group, or that had occurred in other places after her part of the adventure began. She didn't understand what the others were so worked up about.

Old situations, new complications,
Nothing portentous or polite.
Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight!

It was very likely that the Bei Fongs would have been appalled at their daughter's taste, but Toph had long since stopped caring about that. Her enjoyment of the performance persisted until the end. Hearing Aang defeated and a rather preachy conclusion featuring the victorious Ozai and Azula had definitely been a downer. It was really a shame that they had to ruin an otherwise genius piece of comedy.

Of course, the Fire Nation audience had lapped it up. Even from above, she could tell that they were on their feet, cheering and applauding wildly. It was enough to turn her stomach – and that usually took quite a lot. Chalk up another case of bad judgment for Sokka.

Something convulsive, something repulsive,
Something for everyone,
A comedy tonight!

Suki had mixed feelings about the show. Since she wasn't in it very much, she could arguably look at it from a more objective perspective than the others. Many of the characterizations were definitely over-the-top, and most of the acting was mediocre at best.

It was certainly obvious that this was intended to be primarily a comedy, rather than the often life-and-death situations that had truly been experienced. Suki did not find the burning of her village particularly funny, so she could see how the others might take offense to some of their very serious adventures being treated in so light-hearted a manner.

Something esthetic, something frenetic,
Something for everyone,
A comedy tonight!

On the other hand, seeing this play, even granting the very large number of probable errors, gave Suki an insight into her new companions that she'd scarcely been able to guess at before. There was so much of their lives that she had missed.

Of particular interest to her was Sokka's dalliance with the moon spirit. She didn't really blame him for falling for someone else. They'd had only a few days together before he left, with no idea whether they'd ever see each other again. It had been a momentary impulse that led her to kiss him on the cheek, but the moment had stuck with her. Somewhat wistfully, Suki had to wonder if Sokka would ever really be hers.

Nothing with gods,
Nothing with fate.
Weighty affairs will just have to wait.

They'd lied, Zuko thought, not that he was surprised by that. The Ember Island Players had claimed that there wouldn't be anything weighty or serious in this production, and certainly no allusion to fate. In their defense, they hadn't actually mentioned destiny in the script, but Zuko's failure to recognize his for so long came home to him painfully as he watched the play.

If there was one thing he could take comfort in while enduring the thoroughly skewered interpretation of his pursuit of honor, it was that the acting troupe had not noticeably improved since his childhood.

Nothing that's formal, nothing that's normal,
No recitations to recite!
Open up the curtain,
Comedy tonight!

Zuko had to admit that it bothered him to see the trials of his recent life being treated like a joke. Even worse, however, was the caricature of his uncle. He knew that he'd seen Iroh in much the same way at times, and he had to wince now when he thought of all of the times he'd called him a lazy, old man. Iroh had turned out to be right about almost everything.

Zuko wanted nothing more now than to make up for his treachery to his uncle, which was played out again in front of him on the stage. He didn't know how he could ever face Iroh again, but on the other hand, he didn't know how he'd live with himself if he didn't find a way.

Something erratic, something dramatic,
Something for everyone,
A comedy tonight!
Frenzy and frolic, strictly symbolic
Something for everyone,
A comedy tonight!

By the first intermission, Aang had already concluded that Zuko's original assessment of the Ember Island Players had been completely correct. The story was horrendously inaccurate, and he felt sorry for those in their company for whom this was a first theatrical excursion. He recalled with longing the pleasant productions Gyatso used to take him to.

Compounding his discomfort, and making him wish he had refused to come along, was the conversation he'd had with Katara following the second act. He should just have not said anything. He'd have been better off not knowing how she felt about him kissing her. Come to think of it, he still didn't know. Apparently, neither did she. So now, he was as confused as she was. At least, there was symmetry.

Something familiar, something peculiar,
Something for everybody,
Comedy tonight!
Something that's gaudy, something that's bawdy
Something for every-"bawdy"
Comedy tonight!

Eventually, Aang returned to their theatre box, just in time to see the actors playing him and Katara shake hands before the invasion and assert their sibling-like relationship. He groaned and pulled his hat down to cover his face. He definitely did not need to be reminded of that right now.

In fact, he was so distracted by his thoughts that he paid very little attention to the play. At least, until it got into events that had not yet happened. He looked on in stunned silence as the play-Avatar faced the play-Firelord. He probably should not have been surprised that a Fire Nation production would show their country victorious, but it was yet another blow to his confidence that he could have done without.

Nothing that's grim, nothing that's Greek.
(She plays Medea later this week.)
Stunning surprises, funny disguises,
Hundreds of actors out of sight!

Sokka found a lot of the aspects of the play fascinating. He was annoyed by the superficiality of his character, but his innate technical curiosity allowed him to put a lot of that aside. He observed how they were accomplishing the various special effects and guessed at the things he couldn't see. It was particularly interesting how they were able to simulate bending. Obviously, no one here could bend earth, water, or air, and fire would be risky to do night after night.

The end of the first act was particularly moving to him, even if it was more because of the memories it stirred than from any ability on the part of the writer or actors.

Pantaloons and tunics,
Courtesans and eunuchs,
Funerals and chases,
Baritones and basses!

Frankly, Sokka could have done without reliving his journey through the Cave of Two Lovers with the annoying band of singing nomads, but since they were among the sources for the play, he supposed it was inevitable. He spared a thought to wonder what Aang and Katara had been doing all that time. Since the nomads didn't know, either, that part was left out.

Otherwise, the comedy was actually pretty good, especially after Sokka gave the actor playing him some pointers backstage. He even eagerly and helpfully caught Aang up on what he'd missed when he finally came back during the third act. It was only then Sokka remembered that he'd never gotten his fire flakes.

Panderers! Philanderers!
Cupidity! Timidity!
Mistakes! Fakes! Rhymes! Crimes!
Tumblers, grumblers, bumblers, fumblers!

Katara had been against this from the start. Even as she took her seat, she didn't know how she'd been talked into coming. When she appeared in the first scene as a hopelessly emotional, overweight woman showing cleavage, she knew for certain it had been a mistake.

By the end of the first act, it was clear that this was a horrible production full of bad jokes and worse acting. Only the one playing Zuko bore any relation to the actual person. By the third act, Katara had to live with the additional burden that she'd probably broken Aang's heart. If only he hadn't decided to press the issue right now. She tried to set it aside for now, as she'd been doing for weeks.

No royal curse, no Trojan horse,
And a happy ending, of course.
Goodness and badness,
Panic is madness –

As they left the theatre that night, Katara supposed she should have known that a Fire Nation acting troupe would consider that to be a happy ending. The Firelord and Azula triumphing over Aang and Zuko and solidifying their control over the world was the stuff of her nightmares, not a source of joy.

She had learned during their time in the Fire Nation that their world was all topsy-turvy, but somehow, this brought it home all the more effectively. Evil was good, good was evil, chaos was balance. Even that old waterbender she'd met and learned from had been corrupted by living there. Katara shuddered, thinking that there would be a lot of work to do even if Aang won.

And he had to win.

This time it all turns out all right!
Tragedy tomorrow,
Comedy tonight!

--

Author's Note: Wow, that actually wasn't as light as I intended it to be. It contains the irony I wanted, but it's more biting than I expected. I guess the lyrics have to provide the comic relief.

Review responses:

Fusion Blaster: Yes, Ty Lee is definitely one to not know when to say no. I can't believe it took me so long to do that song!

airnaruto45: I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. What world would Ty Lee want to be a part of that she isn't already? Plus, that would be the Disney collection.

Wishing Only Wounds the Heart: I could maybe see that from Azula's side, but Ty Lee definitely has a taste for the guys.

Vanille Strawberry: Actually, yes, it was intended to be funny.

nutshak: Thank you!