The Chipmunk Tour Saga Closing Ceremony Special
Chapter 3:
"Kelsi's Memory"
Featuring a deleted scene from Book I: "Come and Follow Me"
The curtains at the far end of the "Iron Road" red carpet parted, revealing a blonde-haired young woman with blue eyes. William smiled as Kelsi Nielsen-Evans walked up the stairs and sat down in the chair Alvin had just vacated.
William: Hello, Kelsi. It's a pleasure to meet you. You're the Wildcat that, I've found, I have the most in
common with. I even said as much to the actress that plays you, Olesya Rulin, in a letter I wrote to her.
Kelsi: Well, thank you for the kind compliment, William. I'm really flattered that you think that way
about me.
W: So, how'd you become mixed up in the tour?
K: Well, it was just as I was settling into life at the Julliard School, which, as you know, I got a
scholarship to. We were told that Alvin and Brittany were coming to Julliard to scout some talent
for their first tour stop at Madison Square Garden. They needed a pair of actors, some dancers and
a songwriter/arranger. I and three others in the music program were called to the headmaster's office,
one by one, for the formal introductions. I was the third person in line.
Kelsi opened the door. Julliard Headmaster Patrick Fitzgerald sat at his desk, facing Kelsi as she entered. Two people in front of the desk sat with their back to the door.
"Thank you for coming, Ms. Nielsen. Please, have a seat," Fitzgerald said, gesturing to a seat to the immediate right of the two unknown visitors. As Kelsi sat down, she saw the faces of the two unknowns...and gasped as she looked into the eyes of Alvin and Brittany Seville.
"Ms. Nielsen, these are Alvin and Brittany Seville. Their music groups, as I am sure you are aware, are holding the first concert of their Chipmunk Adventure 20th Anniversary World Tour here in New York at Madison Square Garden in one month," Fitzgerald said.
"We've come to Julliard in search of home-grown talent for our New York show," Brittany said. "We've already selected actors and dancers, but we find ourselves in need of a top-flight songwriter/arranger to take our show to the stratosphere," Alvin added.
Alvin handed Kelsi some sheet music. It was labeled "Come and Follow Me." "This is our newest song, 'Come and Follow Me,'" Alvin said. "We are giving the four songwriters we are considering this song as an audition. The arranger who creates the best arrangement will have the job to arrange all the songs we will perform at the MSG show—and quite possibly become the chief arranger for the entire tour."
"Why are you considering me?" Kelsi said. "There's probably fifty songwriter/arrangers in this school who could probably do the job better than I can."
"That may be true," Brittany said. "However, we chose you for the Final Four because of not just your talent, but your spirit. We've seen some of the video of your past works and believe you to have enormous potential."
Kelsi felt a tear welling up in her eye. Alvin noticed it, then withdrew his handkerchief from the pocket of his sport jacket. "Are you all right, Kelsi?" Alvin asked. "[sniff]Yeah, I am," Kelsi said, dabbing at her eyes.
"I suggest, then, that you get to work," Fitzgerald said. "Alvin and Brittany will return in one week to retrieve the entries. Good luck, Kelsi."
"Thank you, sir," Kelsi said before handing the handkerchief back to Alvin. She then nodded at Fitzgerald, Alvin and Brittany before leaving the office.
A week later, Kelsi and the other three finalists handed their arrangements over to Alvin. As soon as they were dismissed, Kelsi went to the courtyard in the center of the Julliard campus. As Kelsi sat and breathed a breath of spring air, she heard a voice behind her.
"Did you get it sent off?" the voice asked. Kelsi turned around and saw her boyfriend and fellow scholarship winner, Ryan Evans.
"Yeah, I did, Ryan," Kelsi said before she and Ryan kissed. "Hopefully soon, I'll be working with the Chipmunks and Chipettes."
A few days later, a message from Alvin and Brittany appeared on Julliard's website. "Students, faculty and supporters of the Julliard School for the Performing Arts, on behalf of my wife, brothers and sisters-in-law, I'd like to say thank you for helping us on the road to the Chipmunk Adventure 20th Anniversary World Tour," Alvin began.
"Now, as to the matter of the songwriter/arranger who'll be working with us here in New York," Brittany said. "We will be appearing on the Live with Regis and Kelly show tomorrow morning, where we will reveal the identity of the winner and perform the winner's arrangement of our new single, 'Come and Follow Me' on the show. As such, we will need the four finalists—Chris Edwards, Kelsi Nielsen, Luella Finster and Ashton O'Brien—to meet us bright and early tomorrow at 6:00 A.M. at our hotel, the Kitano Hotel. Good luck, and see you there."
The next morning, Kelsi woke up at 4:30 in the morning then walked to a diner near the Julliard campus.
The cook on duty smiled at Kelsi. "You're up awfully early, little lady," he said. "Have to be," Kelsi said. "Have to be at the Kitano Hotel in Manhattan by 6:00, then on to the Regis and Kelly show."
"So you're one of the finalists," the cook said. "Exactly," Kelsi said. "So, get me whatever you have on special today with a cup of strong black coffee." "You got it, Missy," the cook said as he set to work.
At a quarter until 6:00, Kelsi walked into the lobby of the Kitano Hotel in Lower Manhattan. The concierge noted Kelsi's arrival, then picked up a telephone handset. "Mr. Seville, this is the front desk. The last of the finalists has arrived," she said.
15 minutes later, a motor home pulled up to the front doors of the Kitano. Alvin and Brittany walked into the room where the finalists were waiting. "Good morning, everyone," Alvin said. "Please follow us to the motor home."
About two hours later, the show was on the air. Kelsi and the other finalists stood just off stage as Alvin and Brittany were being interviewed by the hosts, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. "So, Alvin, tell us about this contest you have going over at Julliard," Regis said.
"Well, when we decided to start our new tour here in New York, we decided to call upon Julliard for some raw talent to help us. We thought that the choice of a songwriter/arranger was a hard one, so we consulted with Julliard's headmaster for four qualified candidates," Brittany said. "Come on out, guys."
Chris, Luella, Kelsi and Ashton walked onto the set and sat on four stools next to the couch Alvin and Brittany sat on. "Chris, Luella, Kelsi, Ashton, you four are, in our opinion, the top songwriters/arrangers at Julliard," Alvin said. "That having been said, Brittany has the name of the young person who'll be our chief songwriter/arranger for our entire tour."
"Yes, I do, Alvin," Brittany said. "In addition to the title of Chief Arranger, the person we have chosen will receive full Julliard credit for your work with us. The winner is..."
K: Of course, you know who won.
[audience laughter]
W: Of course, Kels. Now, who's next?
The curtains at the far end of the "Iron Road" red carpet parted, revealing...
Find out next time.
::TBC::