Of Charlie and Chocolate Factories.
When Cooper woke up on the Sunday morning of his big opening night, he point blank refused to see the show that he was about to perform that night as being any different from the previews that he had performed for the last four weeks. Only one of his many friends had already seen the show, and that was Rachel; she would after all be busy herself on the opening day, and so he had agreed she could come, but only after she was sworn to secrecy. When Santana heard from Sebastian that such an exchange had taken place, she had laughed, and then suggested they contact a good psychiatrist as Cooper had obviously lost his marbles if he believed that statement. For once, however, Rachel did say nothing, not even to Sam. Santana was left eternally grateful that she had not made a bet on her spilling the beans with Sebastian after all, and strangely, she also felt quiet proud of Ms Berry for finally keeping a secret.
In addition, he had also ensured that not even an angel had seen the finished show yet, as Cooper had asked them all and Blaine in particular to stay away until opening night as well. This had been a risky strategy to pursue, as he could well have managed to upset his brother by what was after all a rejection of all of his offers of assistance. Blaine had understood why he had asked though; he knew that his brother wanted to create the part all by himself. Cooper was after all the originator of the role of Willy Wonka on Broadway, and he wanted to play it his way, with no input from anyone other than the director. As a result, his brother and Kurt had not made appearances to help coach him as they had done with Kinky Boots. He was confident that the part he had created was now his own, and the preview audiences had, for the most part, enjoyed what they had produced.
Tonight would be very different; the audience would be critics, invited guests, and the great and the good of the city of New York. Cooper felt that he should have been a bundle of nerves this morning, but instead all he felt was an inner serenity and calm. If they loved him and the show, then they did; if they didn't, then at least he had tried valiantly to convey the wonder of the original London version show that he had fought so hard to keep intact. He had threatened to walk out twice over proposed cuts and changes. He had refused to accept anything other than the full London style set, not the scaled back one that had been proposed; and when the suggestion was made that all the children other than Charlie should be played by adults, he had nearly thrown his script at the producer and walked out there and then. He had triumphed in the fights, and the director had admitted to him after the first week of previews that he had been in the right. Now, he just had to hope that the opening night audience agreed with him…
Once he had left for the theatre, still serene, his household quickly descended into full blown panic mode. Grace had been supportive and quiet towards him, but now he had gone, she let all her stress about the night erupt, much to the horror of Mason, Roderick and Pam. In the end it was Pam that managed to calm Grace down by pointing out that if Cooper was happy, then none of the rest mattered. After all, what did those critics know in reality about the reactions of the primary audience for the show - children… If the kids liked it, then nothing else mattered. Sebastian had backed her up when he arrived with Dave an hour later; the pair of them were dressed up to the nines in matching tuxedos, which they had purchased for the occasion, and also on the off chance that at sometime they might have to attend the Tony Awards.
Over at the theatre, Cooper had walked into his dressing room to find it filled with flowers, cards and gift baskets bearing messages of support, and of course, two angels. He shook his head, then shut the door behind him. He grinned as an animated Blaine ran through a breakdown of what was in the room. "Okay, so you have flowers from Kinky Boots, Hello Dolly!, Book of Mormon, Aladdin, and from the original London cast. Lots of good wishes, from Douglas Hodge through to Bette Midler, via Carmen Tibideaux and Nathan Lane… I think that he is on the official guest list… That basket of mini muffins which Kurt has sampled came from Vogue, and somewhere there are chocolates from Meryl Streep…"
"I had to check the muffins were safe for him to eat," said Kurt defensively. "Anyway, my mom can't make it tonight, so she asked us to pass on her best wishes, but both Finn and Wes will be joining us up in that box you have organised for us to have. Right, now we will take our leave, and let you get ready for your big moment…"
"Not before I give him a hug," Blaine countered, and stepped forward to wrap his arms around his brother. "You will blow them all away tonight with your brilliance, Coop. I love you, and they will too…" Cooper could only nod, and then he found himself alone in the room again. He sat down on the chair, sampled one of the mini muffins and had to concur they were delicious, then began the process of transforming into his character…
Opening night meant of course having to arrive much earlier than normal due to the heightened level of security. Everyone of the friends that Cooper had invited were in great seats, and had taken them at least half an hour before curtain up. The first to arrive had been Artie and Kitty, and they were joined at the front by Marley and Ryder. The others had been seated further back, but still with an excellent view of the stage. When Quinn arrived with Puck, the latter dressed in his air force uniform, they all wondered for a moment what lie he had spun to get leave to attend, until someone noticed from the stripes on his insignia that he had been promoted to Staff Sergeant. As they all congratulated him, Quinn revealed that he had been given leave to mark this, and that was how he had been able to attend.
The bulk of the Warblers were seated behind the row that Cooper had designated for family and tenants; Sebastian and Dave sat alongside Mason and Roderick, just along from Pam, Grace, and of course, Burt and Carole; they had been invited at exactly the same moment as his own mother. Sam was also sat in that row, next to them. There was no discussion of politics that night, but they were all quietly glad that although an invite had been sent as a matter of course, no-one would be attending tonight from the Trump Tower. All conversation ceased entirely as the opening music began, and the lights went down. Just before they did, those in the know had seen the arrival of four angels into a box high above them; the last and most important of those that would witness Cooper's big debut.
It did take him a while to appear as the character they were all expecting though, although they did all catch a glimpse of him in some of the other scenes, standing to one side. It was only once the final golden ticket had been discovered by Charlie, who had been encouraged to buy the bar of chocolate by a tramp - that it took some of them a while to realise was actually Cooper - that he made an appearance as Willy Wonka right at the end of the first act. He came in with a song, It must be Believed to be seen, a number that had them all gasping with delight. It was almost as if something had happened to his voice overnight, as it seemed so much stronger now than it ever had done whilst he was in Kinky Boots. After the curtain came down, there was eager discussion amongst his friends and family as to what he could have done to change his voice, but it was Mercedes that pointed out what had to have taken place. To her, it was obvious that whilst he had sung Charlie Price in a register that suited the established cast when he joined, here he had been able to set the level to suit his own vocal talents, and so he sounded much better. Her theory spread amongst the friends like wildfire, as did one other significant fact; the critics all appeared happy and a little stunned with his performance. At the same time, they all had to admit that they were a little disappointed that he had been on stage for such a short period of time; they were all certain he would be around much more in the second part….
He was, and he opened it the way he meant to go on with a spirited performance of the number Strike that! Reverse it! which had them all smiling within seconds. In the case of Santana, she was smiling not just because he was good, but because beside her, her wife was sat entranced by the whole combination of music and set. The tempo of the song was fast, and yet an increasingly frantic Cooper did not seem to need to pause for breath, or to have any problem with going even faster. At the end of the song, the whole auditorium erupted in spontaneous applause, some people even getting to their feet, which was almost unheard of mid-show on Broadway. Carmen Tibideaux, in her seat immediately behind the critics, took great satisfaction in the way that they were reacting. After all, she had been one of the people that had made the recommendation that he would be perfect for the part. Her faith in his ability was so far being justified in spades.
As the show went on, and one by one the more odious children fell by the wayside, Cooper managed to portray the detached and uncaring attitude of Wonka to the audience perfectly. "He is basically taking great satisfaction in the death of that kid," remarked Carole to Burt. "We should feel aggrieved, but as the child in question was deserving of their fate, we don't mind. Our sympathy lies entirely with him, and that is why he is the star of the show tonight." Burt nodded, feeling immense pride in the young man that he thought of as a son. When he thought back to the Cooper he had first encountered, that conceited, smug guy that had breezed in from L.A. from time to time, it was sometimes hard to believe that he was the same man. He glanced along the row at Pam, seeing her broad smile, and how her face was flushed with pride at her boy. It was a terrible thing to say, but in many ways the death of Blaine had been the catalyst that had set the lives of both mother and son back on a good course…
Of course, everyone there knew the story, and so it was no surprise whatsoever that Charlie would win in the end. When it was revealed that his grand prize was to be one everlasting gobstopper, they all felt bitterly sad for the poor boy, but the fact that he didn't mind one bit just endeared them all to the young actor that was playing the role. That however was the cue for the moment that Cooper was dreading above any other; it meant it was time to sing the song that affected him more than any other; the one song that even Grace had never heard him sing. As Cooper guided the young man playing Charlie into the Great Glass Elevator, he took a breath, then started the song…
He had only sung a few notes, when Pam suddenly let out a gasp, and her face went sad; the sudden change made Grace turn towards her in concern. "This song…" Pam began as tears formed in her eyes. "He used to sing this song to Blaine when Jonathan had been particularly unkind to him; when he had mocked him for his love of music, or his toys, or just for the whole way that he was. He first sang it on a day when Blaine had been watching the DVD of the film, and Jonathan, in a rage, had ejected the disc from the player and snapped it in two… Cooper went to Blaine, who had run off in tears, and he sang this to him…. From then on, he would always sing it to him when he was upset, and every time, it cheered him up, without fail…"
With Pam's words, it suddenly became clear to Grace why Cooper had argued with the casting director; had insisted that Charlie could never be a boy with olive skin tone and curly black hair. If that had been the case, then he would never have been able to sing this number; he would have broken down in tears on a nightly basis. Then she thought back to when they had seen the show in London, and now she thought of it, Cooper had had tears in his eyes as the song had been sung there; she had dismissed it as tears of delight at the staging, but now she knew why he had cried… She also knew now that her fiancé was the strongest man that she knew. Every time that he had to sing Pure Imagination, it had to be a huge wrench on the strings of his heart…
For Cooper, singing this particular number was painful, that much he would freely admit. Once, during the latter stages of rehearsals he had let his imagination run away with him, and instead of seeing the young actor that was playing Charlie, he had seen Blaine as he was when he was only 9 or 10; pictured himself as being 16 or 17. He recalled that first time, when his dad had blown up at Blaine once again, this time for singing along to a children's film. He saw the man in question storming into the room and taking all the stress of his working day out on his youngest son, going so far as to eject the DVD from the player, hold it in front of Blaine, high enough up that the boy could not reach up and grab it, then snap it into two… The scream of despair that he had heard from his little brother at that moment had only been equalled since by that he had made on the night that Kurt had died, when his whole world had been ripped apart.
His father had thrown the useless disc to the floor and stormed out again, but not before telling Blaine to act like a man, and not a little sissy fag. Cooper had watched as his brother collapsed in on himself, then started to sob bitterly; later on, once Blaine had come out, Cooper would understand that with those words, his father had made a direct hit on his brother's psyche. His mother was drinking somewhere, and so it had fallen to Cooper to go and try to comfort his little brother, abandoning his homework in the process; he had knelt down and held the sobbing little boy to his chest. And then, suddenly, he found himself singing the song that had been playing moment's before. He would never understand why he had done so, but it poured out from him. He had begun quietly, but the second he had started, Blaine's sobs had ceased. Realising that his voice was calming his brother, he had allowed it to grow in volume, and suddenly he realised that the tears had ceased too. He had sung on, louder and louder, as if to challenge his father, to show him that he was no longer scared of him, and Blaine's smile had returned….
If he recalled correctly, he had then taken Blaine out of the house, and driven him to the mall, where they had had ice cream; then into a store to buy a new copy of the DVD, with strict instructions that from now on, he should only play his films in his own room. Blaine had nodded, and had invited him to come and watch them with him anytime he liked. He had done that far too little, he realised now… That had made him cry, and the rehearsal had stopped, as he sobbed for no apparent reason. No-one had asked for an explanation, and he hadn't given one; it was a one off, consigned to history…
Now here he was, singing it in a Broadway theatre, having not only to remember the words and tune, but also to work the greatest prop of them all; the Great Glass Elevator. In reality, it was strictly under the control of the stage manager, but he did have a little influence in what it would do. As he suggested that Charlie press the button marked Don't Push!, he flicked a switch…
In the audience there were gasps of delight and amazement as the elevator actually lifted up from the stage and conveyed its two occupants upwards. Grace smiled to herself, she alone knowing that this was about to happen; the whole set was a replica of the one in London after all, and Cooper had fought tooth and nail to get it all. She smiled all the more as the elevator began not only to rise but to spin, and then swoop out over the audience. They all sat transfixed, their attention divided between the glass box above them and the monitors mounted on either side of the stage, which showed them what was going on in the elevator itself. Cooper was seen singing his heart out as his young companion stared in wonder at all that he could see around him. The spectacle held even the most sceptical and jaded of his friends spellbound. They would all have predicted that reaction from Brittany, and the Warblers would have said that much of Jeff, but Santana was sat next to her wife crying at the sheer wonder of it all. Sitting behind her, Sebastian would have mocked her without mercy if he hadn't been in the same state himself. The critics too were spellbound, not able to concentrate on their notes as the elevator spun around above them all, and Cooper said and sang those words that made every heart glad…
As for the angelic guests, high above the crowd, Blaine had begun to cry like his mom had the moment that Cooper had sung those first words. Kurt and Wes were both fully aware of the significance of the song to the brothers, and each of them had swiftly placed a comforting arm around his shoulders. The song was making their own eyes moist as both of them pictured a teenaged Cooper singing this to try and comfort the broken little brother he called Squirt… Finn could see all of this happening, but had no idea as to exactly why; he could only surmise that it was down to their sheer joy at the spectacle before them, because it was pretty special; and when Cooper told Charlie what his special prize was, well he became a little tearful too…
The elevator spun on as the song reached its climax, stopping right in front of what appeared to most to be an empty box. Cooper knew that it was not, and looked right across; he saw now that his brother was in floods of tears. He couldn't let himself dwell on that fact, as he had to finish the song. It was at that point that the lyrics reached the part where for a few lines, Charlie sang with him. It was meant to be a duet, but that night, it wasn't. It turned into an unexpected trio. As that point was reached, Blaine burst into full voice, singing along with his big brother those words that they had first sung together on that terrible day so many years ago. His clear, strong voice made the tears on Wes and Kurt's face fall all the faster. Down below in the auditorium, those that were lucky enough to be able to see the angels suddenly heard Blaine join in too, which made them all smile a little as tears ran down the faces of the majority of them…
And then the moment was past; the elevator began to descend to the stage as the song came to an end. Up in the box, Blaine collapsed sobbing into Kurt's arms, Wes wrapping his own around the two of them before Finn joined them. As for Cooper, he turned his eyes to the floor as the elevator came to a stop, taking a deep breath and demanding that his eyes did not cry to himself. He was glad of the fact that the applause was loud and long, as it gave him a chance to compose himself and finish the show before he fell apart…
He took a brief moment to wipe at his eyes discretely, cursing himself inwardly just a little for allowing them to even fall in the first place. Then again, he thought, how could they not have done so when his little brother's still perfect voice had joined in. The moment that he had he had been almost instantly transported back to that day, as he had spun around the room, holding Blaine under his arms, taking such pride and pleasure in the fact that the tears which had been falling so recently had now entirely dried up. It had been a happy moment, one which had been captured in time; of a life before he had left for the bright lights of L.A. and had to all intents and purposes more or less forgotten all about the little boy that had looked to him for stability in their all too imperfect world. Yes, there had been their housekeeper, and she had been more of a mother to both of them than Pam had ever been. Even now, he still sent that good woman a card on Christmas and her birthday.
His biggest regret in life, Cooper admitted was all the years that he had wasted; all that time when he was so busy trying to get himself noticed amongst the crowds of wannabe actors in L.A. that he had no time for the little brother that was fast becoming a man. He had run back at his moments of greatest need - he had kept a vigil at Blaine's bedside after that first attack - but the rest of the time he was too obsessed with himself. In the end, his path had brought him to that moment of redemption in the end, but it had come in the face of overwhelming tragedy, and finally had been cut short by his brother's own demise. He knew that every time he performed that song, he would think of Blaine. Eight times a week he would do so, each and every time feeling he was singing for his brother - but that meant that every performance would be the best he could give… He was suddenly jolted back to reality as he realised the applause was finally fading, which meant that it was nearly time to launch into the next song. He shook his head, then pulled himself together; he had a finale to deliver after all…
After a spirited rendition of A Little Me, which was given just as loud a chorus of adulation as the previous number, Cooper finally had a chance for a little breather off stage, as his character temporarily vanished. The head of wardrobe was waiting there for him with a new jacket, grey and dull in complete contrast to the colourful one that he had been wearing.
"Are you okay?" she asked with concern, noticing the slight redness around his eyes.
"Yeah, I will be. That song always gets me in the heart. Maybe one of these days I will tell you why," he whispered as he changed, then headed off to the point from which he would return to the stage…
As Charlie headed into the factory, closing the gates behind him, there was a gasp from amongst the audience as Cooper returned to the stage, floating down from above on a wire. His descent drew the attention of the entire audience long enough for the prop that he described as like something out of Harry Potter to be pushed onto one side of the stage. His final song was a brief reprise of his first, It must be believed to be seen, but sung far more sadly. As he sang the final notes, he stepped behind the prop, a very thin and at that point transparent screen. He knew though that as he held the final note of the song, the technicians up above would work their magic, and alter the way that the light shone on the screen. As the audience watched, there were more gasps as suddenly, as he held that last note, he began to fade from their view, eventually turning into nothing but mist, before vanishing altogether…
The applause began as he was letting that note fade, and when he finally finished it, the noise was thunderous, as all around the theatre, people rose to their feet to clap and cheer. The cast came back on to take their bows, growing steadily louder until Cooper came back on to take his bow, and then it became deafening. To her great satisfaction, Carmen Tibideaux noticed that all the critics were on their feet, which in her mind meant not only that the reviews the following day would be glowing, but that she would probably have a chance to bask in the satisfaction of being right about his suitability for the role again in June. She turned then to Isabelle, who was sitting beside her, with Julian and his son Peter, who had been flown specially from L.A. for the occasion. The young boy was clapping with abandon, his face alight with joy - and he was the audience that really mattered.
"I think that you should book an interview with Cooper for Vogue," Carmen said to Isabelle.
"Oh, trust me, it is done," came her response. "Having him online immediately after a certain date in June would be quiet an exclusive, and Anna would absolutely love me for it…"
Above them all, Blaine was cheering his brother loudly, knowing that he would be able to hear him, and he was rewarded by a glance upward and then a bow in their general direction.
"If we aren't all watching him get a Tony in June," said Kurt, "then the entire thing is rigged, just one big sham, and we will have to get someone to expose the event as such." Wes nodded, quite in agreement.
The same sentiment was being generally expressed elsewhere around the audience. As for Grace and Pam, the two of them were crying tears of happiness. Cooper had set out to make a mark; he had taken a big risk in leaving such a long running show to originate a new role in a new show to Broadway. It had paid off it seemed, as they had all hoped that it would. Even if the rest of the world now failed to notice just how talented he was, then they had. To all of his friends and family there, there was no question - C.J. Hummel-Warbler was a star.
The next morning, Cooper woke up reasonably early. There had been the usual opening night party after the show; well, he had been informed by Rachel that such things were usual, this having been his first Opening Night. He had stayed only as long as he really had to, as he was eager to get home to his quiet house, and spend the little that there was left of the evening with the people he regarded as his family; Grace and his mom; Nick and Jeff, of course, as future brother-in-law and husband; Sebastian and Dave, his tenants; and naturally the lodgers, Mason and Roderick. He had done his duty; he had gone to the stage door and signed autographs, and had endured the photo session, flanked by his fellow cast members, his mom and Grace, and finally to everyone's surprise, Rachel, Sebastian and Bette Midler. The former and the latter had come straight from their performance of Hello Dolly! to wish the cast well, and their presence was appreciated; Sebastian had been asked up as he was also on Broadway - he had demurred at first, until his Auntie Bette had nearly dragged him up from his seat.
After that, Cooper had been able to make good his escape; Sebastian had asked Bette to put on a distraction for him, and she had obliged with a wink. The party back at home had not lasted that long either; Nick and Jeff had to get back to their studies after all, and the same was true for all the other younger men that had gathered to welcome him home. His mom had then decided on an early night, and shortly after she had headed upstairs, Grace and Cooper had decided that she had the right idea…
She was not there that morning as he woke up and climbed out of bed, put on his robe and headed downstairs for coffee. He walked into the kitchen to find his mom and to find spread out in front of them. Mason and Roderick were standing by the coffee machine, and the former poured Cooper a coffee without being asked. The room was silent as he took it, then headed to his usual spot at the table where a glass of orange juice and his usual plate of granola were waiting for him. He took a drink of juice, and a spoonful of cereal, then broke the silence. "Go on then; tell me the worst…"
Grace grimaced, and then with a sigh said, "One reviewer gave your performance a mark of 98%…" She paused, and then with a radiant smile continued, "Honestly, that was the worst review, my love. They loved you, CJ!"
"This show deserves to run as long as such classics as Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!, and Hummel-Warbler's debut show, Kinky Boots. In fact, it should run longer. It is the perfect show for kids of all ages, and CJ Hummel-Warbler's performance is the highlight," Mason said in a happy tone.
"From the moment that he steps onto the stage, he owns it. Hummel-Warbler is a born showman, and his ability to go from fast to slow, nice to dark, evil to sweet in the blink of an eye makes him a contender for certain," intoned Roderick.
"His vocal performance is astounding, particularly in Pure Imagination, which nearly moved me to tears, and that is no easy feat with this hardened critic. The glass elevator from which he sings it is the show's most magnificent prop, moving above the audience as we sit below in astonishment and delight," Pam read, with a smile.
"If this show does not receive a raft of Tony nominations, then the system is flawed. It scrapes in just before the cut off date of course, as did Hello Dolly! Fortunately the stars of the two shows will not be pitched against each other. I firmly expect to see a win for Ms Midler, as I stated on Friday, and now I confidently predict that she will be joined by Mr Hummel-Warbler," Grace finished. "They are all saying that, by the way; they all say that you deserve a Tony…"
"It's early days yet," said Cooper calmly. "There are other people out there who deserve one too; Ben Platt deserves one for Dear Evan Hansen, not to mention Bette's co-star in Hello Dolly!, David Hyde-Pierce… No, I don't think I will win one; a nomination maybe, but not a win. I'm not that deserving. Anyway, is there any toast on the go, or do I have to sort that out myself?"
Grace shook her head, and got up to make him some, as behind him, Mason and Roderick made a show of mock bowing. As she busied herself at the toaster, Pam spoke quietly to her son. "I do know one thing for certain this morning, son, and that is that Blaine would have been immensely proud of you last night. Your performance was every bit as good as they are saying, and singing that song… well, it must have been hard. I do remember that day, the first time you sang it to Blaine. I recall standing in the doorway - actually leaning on the door frame would be a more accurate description - and I watched as you turned his tears into laughter. I might have had a mind befuddled by gin and pills at the time, but the moment I heard those notes last night, that day came right back to me. It was all that I could see whilst you were singing it… He would have been so proud to have been sitting there watching you last night…"
"I think that he will have been, in spirit anyway," whispered Cooper. "I swear that I could hear his voice singing those two lines at the end with me, and it made my eyes moist… I just wish that he was still here…"
Pam placed a comforting hand over her son's, as his eyes began to tear up, and said "I do too, Cooper. I do too…"
At that moment, Grace walked over with his toast, and placed it before him before kissing him on the cheek. "By the way, Isabelle Wright wants to interview you. She says that it is standard Vogue practice for up and coming stars, and there is an element of truth there, given that she interviewed Sebastian and Mason, but deep down, I think she just wants a scoop ready in case you win…"
"Which I won't, but I will give her an interview anyway. She will however have to wait her turn behind all the other people that the theatre has probably already booked for me to see. I mean, I am guessing that all the theatre websites will be in line for a start," replied Cooper.
"I'm quite sure that she will have no objection to that," Grace responded. "At least, none as long as you give her some juicy exclusive…"
Cooper nodded, and knew instantly what that would be. He trusted Isabelle, and she had known his brother after all. She would be the one that would be given the story as to why Pure Imagination broke his heart.
