A/N: I own nothing of the songs or the dialogue of The Prom
CHAPTER EIGHT
(Chapter Title - We Look To You)
Rehearsals were underway for The Prom. The actors were going over the first scene after the opening number Changing Lives.
"The rest of the reviews are coming in. The Post, The Associated Press, The New York Times" Ted read from his script.
"The New York Times?" Barney said in shock.
The ensemble left in character, leaving Sheldon, Barry Dee Dee alone on the set. They were reading the devastating review on their cell phones and mumbling to each other.
"What's happening?" Rachel asked, looking confused.
"This is not the review you want when you've got shitty advanced sales. This is going to close us" Ted said.
"Close us? We just opened!" Rachel said in shock.
"What didn't they like? Was it the hip hop?" Barney asked.
"Yes, but not only that" Ted said, getting nervous.
"Sheldon, for God's sake, just spit it out!" Barney said.
"Okay, just the highlights" Ted said, turning to Barney, "Barry Glickman's FDR might just be the most insultingly misguided, offensive and laughable performance that this reviewer has ever had the misfortune to endure."
"That's not so bad" Rachel said, smiling at Barney.
"Do her! Do her" Barney said, then smiled at Rachel, "I'd like to do you."
"Barney, stick to the script" Mae said from the director's chair.
"Sorry!" Barney said.
"It's okay. Let's take it from Rachel's last line" Mae said.
"Okay" Rachel said, skimming her script, "ah, here we are. That's not so bad."
"Do her! Do her!" Barney said, pointing at Rachel.
Ted cleared his throat and read the review on his phone, "watching Dee Dee Allen's Eleanor Roosevelt croaking out a heavy-handed message of activism is like paying an aging drag queen to shove a syrup-soaked American flag down my throat."
Rachel felt tears in her eyes, then cleared her throat, "that's not criticism, it's a personal attack!"
"If you are considering buying a ticket to this show, do yourself a favor - buy a few feet of good heavy rope instead and then go hang yourself" Ted said, reading the rest of the review.
"Damn, was the show really that bad?" Barney asked, looking at Rachel.
"It's not the show, it's you two. You're not likable" Ted said.
"What?" Barney and Rachel said in unison.
"We've been over this a million times - nobody likes a narcissist. Leave it to me. I'll go and try to change the narrative once again" Ted said.
"So talking about yourself non-stop suddenly makes you a narcissist? I hate this world" Barney said as he and Rachel walked upstage as Ted exited stage left.
"This is terrible. It hurts. It hurts my heart" Rachel said, looking around, "wait, where did everybody go?"
Joey entered, wearing a red jacket and approached Rachel. He looked at his script, then held it at his side.
"My condolences, Dee Dee" Joey said, looking at his script, then back at Rachel, "remember, you have friends."
Rachel looked confused, "thank you. Who are you?"
"A friend. Trent Oliver" Joey said, "we did five shows together."
Rachel looked to Barney for help.
"Trent Oliver. Went to Juilliard. Won't shut up about it" Barney whispered in Rachel's ear.
Rachel had a look of realization on her face, "oh Trent!" She looked at his outfit, " why are you dressed like a waiter?"
"I'm between gigs at the moment. I feel adrift as I did in the days before Juilliard. You see, my passions are fueled by the power of Lady Theater and how she can, with her gentle touch, sculpt the human soul. But at Juilliard" Joey said, completely off script.
"Mother of God" Barney said, putting his head in his hand.
"They taught me an actor is still an actor even when fishing an earring out of a chocolate fountain. If I might soliloquize for a moment…" Joey said.
Barney leaned towards Rachel, "I'm aging. He's aging me."
"If you prick me, do I not bleed?
If you do not pay me, do I still not act?
Still, I've played Hamlet! And yet I am known only as "that guy" on the beloved early aught's sitcom 'Talk to the Hand'" Joey said.
"And that's lunch! After lunch, let's do a scene between Monica and Lily, see our two leading ladies in action" Mae said, getting off her director's chair.
Everyone headed the mess hall, talking and laughing with each other.
"Good job so far, guys" Rachel said, sitting at their usual table.
Lily was looking through her script, highlighting all her lines and mumbling to herself.
"I can't wait to sing Zazz later" Phoebe said, looking over the music sheet.
Monica sat at the table, her tray loaded with food. She looked at Rachel, "I think Barney was flirting with you!"
"No, that was his character" Rachel said, looking over her lines, "plus, in the musical, Barry is gay. Barney is as straight as an arrow."
By the time lunch ended, Lily hadn't touched her sandwich and fries, which were now cold.
"Lil, you okay sweetie?" Rachel asked as she, Monica, Phoebe and the others headed back to the Performance Space for rehearsal.
"Yeah. I've never gotten the lead in any musical or play before. I've always been in the ensemble" Lily said, holding her script in her hands.
"You've got this" Rachel said, hugging Lily.
Lily smiled and hugged Rachel back.
"Let's go have a kick ass rehearsal, okay?" Rachel told Lily.
Once rehearsal was done for the day, everyone headed to the Mess Hall for dinner.
"You guys did great at rehearsal" Rachel said to Lily and Monica.
"Thanks. You were good, too" Lily told Rachel as the three of them entered the Mess Hall.
Everyone got their dinners and sat at their assigned tables, talking with their fellow campers.
After dinner, Lily went to the barn while the others headed for their cabins for the night.
Lily went to Absolute's stall and watched him eat his dinner, "I'll try to ride you tomorrow" she told the majestic horse, reaching out to pat his shoulder. She exited the barn and walked back to the SIX cabin, hearing laughter coming from within. Lily opened the door and went to put her pajamas on.
"Lily come have fun with us before bed" Savanna said, smiling at Lily as she entered the cabin. The song Welcome to the Rock from Come From Away was playing on the karaoke machine.
"I'm probably gonna put my pajamas on and go to bed - I'm really tired" Lily said, going to the bathroom and put her pajamas on. She also brushed her teeth and ran a hand through her hair.
The following day, Barney and Monica worked on the song Tonight Belongs To You.
Carol the choreographer worked with Barney and Monica to get some dance moves in.
"This is hard to do - dance and sing at the same time" Barney said.
Monica nodded, "you're doing great, by the way."
"Thank you! You are too!" Barney told his friend.
"Alright, let's start at the beginning of the song" Carol said, "you two ready?"
Barney and Monica nodded.
Doug smiled and played the opening notes to Tonight Belongs To You.
"I can tell you're feeling wary
But you can count on uncle Barry
He can turn this butch-y duck
Into a swan
Your whole look could use a shake up
You can borrow all my makeup
And the pair of Spanx I currently have on" Barney sang in a playful tone.
"No thanks" Monica said, laughing.
Barney led Monica around the stage with Carol's direction.
"Treat the whole world like your runway
Make it fierce but in a fun way
Try to flip your hair like Cher
And drag queens do
And I don't mean to be rude, dear
But you could use some attitude, dear
Let's show the school that
Tonight belongs to you" Barney sang, miming putting on makeup on Monica and showing her dresses and shoes.
"One thing's universal
Life's no dress rehearsal
So why not make some waves
Before it's through
Go big or you've blown it
It's time that you own it
Let's make it clear that
Tonight belongs to you" Barney sang. He looked at Monica up and down, "now, whatever we choose, you gotta remember to sell it."
"How do I do that?" Monica asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Allow Miss Glickman to demonstrate!" Barney said, taking Monica's hand in his.
They walked around the stage, pretending they were entering stores.
"You might find this disconcerting
But old Barry's done some flirting
Try to bat your eyes and smize
Each time you grin" Barney sang, batting his eyelashes.
"I can guess your whole agenda" Monica sang.
"You be Elphie
I'm Galinda" Barney sang, having no clue who Elphie and Galinda were. He made a mental note to look it up after rehearsal.
"It's makeover time so why not just give in" Barney and Monica sang in unison.
"Come on!" Barney said, smiling at Monica.
"One thing's universal
Life's no dress rehearsal
So why not make some waves
Before it's through
Go big or you've blown it" Barney and Monica sang in unison.
"It's time that I own it" Monica sang.
"Yes ma'am!" Barney said, smiling.
"Let's make it clear that
Tonight belongs to you" Barney and Monica sang in unison.
"What?" Barney asked, putting a hand to his ear, as if he didn't hear Monica the first time.
"Belongs to me" Monica sang.
Carol smiled at Barney and Monica, "Mollie and Savanna, why don't you two girls do your part in Tomorrow while I work with Barney and Monica on their dance steps."
Mollie and Savanna nodded and went to Doug at the piano while Barney and Monica worked with Carol on their dance steps.
Lily and Robin sat in the audience on the wooden benches, going over some of their speaking lines.
"Oh, God, I can't believe this is finally happening!" Savanna said, standing at the piano with her script.
"She almost ruined it for all of us!" Mollie said.
"Well, what goes around, comes around" Savanna said, looking Mollie up and down, "you look hot."
"You look so hot!" Mollie told Savanna.
"Well, I hate to sound conceited
But the boys get overheated
When I strike a pose or two like thus" Mollie and Savanna sang in unison.
"And you have to hand it to me
Even I would do me" Mollie sang, brushing her hair over her shoulders.
"Let's show the world
Tonight belongs to us
One thing's universal
Life's no dress rehearsal
Excuse me while I state the obvious
Go big or you've blown it
It's time that we own it
And make it clear that
Tonight belongs to us" Mollie and Savanna sang in unison.
Mae looked at Robin and Lily, "right from your seats, ladies."
Robin nodded and looked at her script.
"I have worked very hard on this night and I have a right to enjoy it, too. Now, you are going to have a wonderful prom, like a normal girl. I made sure of that" Robin said in a snooty voice.
Lily looked confused, "what does that mean?"
"I don't like it when strangers get in my way
Or anyone who messes with the PTA
Well maybe that's just me
But trust me
Fixing little problems is what I do
Now everyone is happy
I promise you
And I would never miss a night
Like this Alyssa
You're my superstar
Now get your ass in the car" Robin sang.
Lily frowned as she acted alongside Robin.
Once rehearsal ended for the day, Lily went to the barn to ride Absolute.
Lily got Absolute out of his stall and put him in cross-ties before brushing his soft coat and cleaning out his hooves. She then put on his English saddle, bright green saddle pad and bridle before taking him to the indoor arena.
"Lily, is everything okay?" Meg asked, walking by the arena as Lily mounted Absolute and started walking him around the arena.
"Yeah. Is it okay if I ride him for an hour?" Lily asked.
"Dinner for the horses is in fifteen minutes. Dinner for us is in about an hour" Meg said, watching Lily ride Absolute.
"I would like to ride him for a little bit, if that's all right" Lily said.
"Of course" Meg said. She then walked away.
True to her word, Lily rode Absolute for ten minutes before bringing him to the middle of the arena and dismounted, hugging his neck.
Lily put Absolute in his stall after taking off his saddle, saddle pad and bridle. She cleaned his tack while Meg got dinner for the horses.
After Lily was done cleaning Absolute's tack, she walked down to the Mess Hall just as her friends were heading down.
There was an unfamiliar guy with Barney. The two of them were talking and laughing.
The guy was African-American, tall and was wearing a bright orange shirt and jeans with tennis shoes on his feet.
"Who's that with Barney?" Lily asked Marshall, feeling him hold her hand.
"That's Barney's brother James. James is gonna help build sets and make props" Marshall said, "you should meet him - he's super nice."
Lily nodded and walked with Marshall into the Mess Hall.
After dinner, there was a massive water balloon fight, since it was a hot and humid day.
Everyone was laughing and having a great time.
Lily gasped as both Robin and James pelted her with water balloons and put some cold lake water down the back of her shirt.
By the time the campers gathered around the camp fire for s'mores and scary stories, everyone was drenched and cold.
Lily and her friends had taken showers and put warmer clothes on as they sat by the camp fire.
"Lily, I heard you're Alyssa in the musical. Congrats" James said.
"Thank you" Lily said, smiling.
After the last scary story had been told, everyone headed to their cabins for a good night's sleep.