Leading Ladies #2 (14 page)

When the lights came up onstage, the small audience fell silent. A single spotlight came up on Audriana, dressed in rags and standing in the center of the stage, the forms of sleeping orphans dimly visible in the background. The familiar opening bars of “Maybe” began.

But Audriana missed her entrance to the song. The pianist repeated the opening bars, and my heart started pounding. Was Audriana freezing up? I thought I saw a hint of panic creeping onto her face. She missed her entrance a second time, and the pianist played the opening chords a third time. I saw movement behind Audriana—an orphan with wild, curly, blond hair sitting up in bed, yawning, and offering Annie a teddy bear and a sweet smile.

I don't think that bit was in the script. But it did the trick.

Audriana took the bear, and when her third chance came, she opened her mouth and began to sing. She was pitch-perfect, and she didn't miss a beat after that for the rest of the show.

I should have known that in the end, Tally would be there for Audriana.

She was certifiably nuts and impossibly spacey, but loyal to the end. As far as I was concerned, Tally was a leading lady all the way.

Audriana had really pulled it off. The performance was certainly not perfect. Miss Hannigan tripped over Rooster Cogburn's foot and fell flat on her face. Daddy Warbucks skipped an entire section of lines, and everyone had to scramble and improvise. At one point, all the lights went out for a moment, then blinked back on a second later. Definitely not perfect. But Mr. Barrymore looked very happy. He asked the cast to meet him back in the green room for notes afterward. Ivy, Miko, and I tagged along and listened quietly while Mr. Barrymore ran through his list of notes for the actors. And it was a long list. Finally he put his notebook down.

“You have been through a lot this last week,” Mr. Barrymore told his cast. “You all have the equivalent of two full-time jobs—your classes and schoolwork are a full-time commitment, and you've been working as hard as you can on this show on top of that. Then our Annie comes down with the flu, and we must have an understudy step in. Let me tell you, people, professional shows have folded under less duress than this. I am very proud of all of you. I'm proud of you, Audriana, for taking over the part so wonderfully when we all know how much extra work it meant for you. And I'm proud of you, Valerie, for coming back on Tuesday and being willing to take a part in the chorus. That is
true
professionalism. You should both be congratulating yourselves, and as for the rest of the cast, well done. You really hit one out of the park tonight.”

Everyone clapped and hollered, and with Mr. Barrymore's words, even I felt a glow of accomplishment, though I was only here to report my findings. I decided to stay long enough to get a piece of the cake I'd seen being unwrapped on the refreshment table before heading home to write my review.

Valerie had been following the white-haired man around, talking to him nonstop about her voice coach and her plans to go to Yale School of Drama. To my surprise, Tally wasn't at all bothered by the fact that Valerie had found out about the secret agent and was commandeering him—she was too busy competing with Buster to see who could get a bigger bite of cake into their mouth and clowning around with Audriana. But when Mr. Barrymore stood up again to say he wanted to introduce the whole cast to someone very special, Tally momentarily stopped flying around the room to listen. It appeared the revelation of the secret agent was finally at hand.

“He's come all the way from Kansas to see the show. He's very important to me, and I can honestly say that if it were not for him, I wouldn't be here. So, all of you, please give a big welcome to my dad!”

Tally stifled a giggle by slapping her hand over her mouth.

“His dad?” I asked.

“I guess he's not the secret agent,” Tally squealed. Buster was almost bent double from laughing.

“Oh, you guys, Valerie has been following him around all night trying to impress him and he's Mr. Barrymore's dad!” Buster wheezed.

“Will you please look at Valerie's expression right now?” Audriana whispered loudly. “She looks so mad I think I actually see steam coming out of her ears!”

Tally clutched Audriana so that she wouldn't collapse from laughing.

I laughed, too. But I also had a bit of respect for Valerie now. She had rubbed everybody's noses in it when she got the lead, but in the end she was not too proud to come back and take a tiny part in the chorus. That said something about the girl as far as I was concerned.

Ivy and Miko, who were sitting together near the back of the room, were watching us curiously.

“What is so funny?” Ivy mouthed.

I grinned and went over to fill them in on every detail. It was one of the best moments of the night. And like most really great nights, it was over in a flash.

Annie—The Review

Students and parents of Bixby Middle School are in for a rare treat—a Drama Club showcase of Annie, where the leading ladies and gents of the Drama Club will perform the most memorable scenes and songs from the show. You've read about the behind-the-scenes work that everyone has been pouring into the show right here in 4 Girls. But what can you expect from the production? This reporter was lucky enough to attend a special dress rehearsal performance.

From the moment the curtain went up, I was captivated. A two-story set with sliding flats makes a magical transformation from orphanage to city town house. The costumes are eye-catching, and the musical accompaniment had me tapping my toes. But the real wow factor here is the cast themselves. There were times when I had to remind myself that these weren't professional actors, they were kids—some of them friends of mine! From the dance numbers to the powerhouse musical solos, from the trials of the orphanage to the extravagant luxury of Daddy Warbucks's town house, it was all mesmerizing and a team effort all the way.

Two people deserve special mention. Valerie Teale was originally cast as Annie. I sat in on her audition and some of the early rehearsals. She was amazing. She knows her stuff, and she sings so beautifully you'd swear she was a pro. Unfortunately, Valerie had to drop the lead when she got the dreaded Bixby flu. With barely a week to go, Audriana Bingley was handpicked to take over the part. Audriana knocked herself out getting the lines and blocking down in record time, but when you see her, you won't be able to believe she stepped in at the last minute. She absolutely shines onstage. If Valerie and Audriana both end up on Broadway, I'll be the first in line to buy tickets.

Special credit is due to another person who had to step in unexpectedly. Gideon Barrymore is a professional actor who has appeared in a variety of productions onstage and on-screen. You can learn more about him by reading the interview he gave Tally Janeway on p. 2. This wonderful, rich production could not have come together without its director. This reporter, for one, is grateful he came to Bixby to run the show.

Don't wait to buy your tickets and see this show—you can trust me when I tell you that the Drama Club really knocks this one out of the park!

• • • • • • •

The cafeteria was always loud and rowdy. But today the volume seemed especially amped up.

And this time, Tally was not to blame. Not directly, anyway. I guess you could say she was one-fourth responsible.

This Monday was all about
4 Girls
. Ivy, Tally, and I had carried the boxes of printed magazines to school early and passed them out to everyone who wanted one when the first lunch bell rang. Judging from the reaction in the cafeteria, people were happy with what they saw. I stood in the doorway a moment, listening to all the comments that floated by.

“There's Cara. Cara—did you see this picture of you?”

“Ha, it says, ‘The groovy, hipster, tie-dyed eighth-graders'! Dude, we're groovy!”

“Hey, according to this Barrymore guy, I need TV shows and movies to release my deepest fears and to channel the collective unconscious of myths and legends! Channel me, people!”

“Okay, like, which seventy-eight percent of girls are terrified of insects? Because I'm not!”

“I cannot believe I wore that!”

It was good. People seemed happy. But I didn't want to get pulled into the cafeteria because Miko had texted us all last night to ask if we could meet at the picnic table outside. As much as I wanted to go into the cafeteria and bask in the attention, I was more interested in knowing why Miko wanted us to meet. I went into the hallway in the direction of the side door.

“Paulina,” I heard.

Shelby had come up behind me, holding the magazine in her hands.

“Hi,” I said. “I'm kind of supposed to be somewhere right now.”

“That's fine,” Shelby said as if I had been asking for permission. “I just wanted to say that you really should have used my idea to focus on just the seventh grade for this article. It would have been much better. We had more spirit than the eighth-graders by dressing up two days in a row. And Homecoming and
4 Girls
are all about school spirit.”

I smiled.

“Well, maybe you're right,” I said. “I guess we'll never know.”

“No, we never will,” Shelby said, flipping her hair out of her face.

I started to go, but she stopped me.

“I did like this part, though,” she said, pointing at one of the photographs I'd chosen.

The picture was of the PQuits the day before Decade Day. I remembered very clearly the moment when Norah took it. They were standing by the lockers in their outlandish seventies getups. Miko and Shelby stood in the center of the group, their arms around each other, flanked by the others. Shelby towered over her friends in her crazy platform shoes. Miko looked gorgeous in her white suit and was beaming from ear to ear for the camera. The caption below the picture read:

 

The decade that arrived early! The eighth grade may have won the School Spirit Award for their hippie costumes, but we can't deny the incredible showing by the seventh-graders who were so full of spirit they ushered the seventies in a little ahead of schedule! Kudos to all of them—outrageous and unique as always!

 

“Glad you liked it,” I said.

I was secretly relieved. It had been a bit of a gamble to include a photo of what might be considered one of Shelby Simpson's most embarrassing moments. But Miko had turned it into fun, and the photograph showed a bunch of PQuits at the center of everyone's attention having a good time.

“Yeah,” Shelby said. “And we totally should have won for our bringing the decade early idea. Anyway. Whatever.”

I grinned.

“Whatever,” I repeated.

Miko, Ivy, and Tally were already at the bench when I got there. They each still had the copies of
4 Girls
I had given them before lunch.

“It really does look amazing,” Miko said. “You guys did so well.”

“Thanks,” I replied, sitting down next to her. “It's not quite as good as the first one—there's just a little something missing. A little . . . splash.”

Miko smiled.

“Thanks, I think,” she said.

“And the review is perfect!” Tally exclaimed. “But, oh my gosh, what if Audriana hadn't started singing? What if she had completely tanked and run offstage—would you have put that in the review?”

“Let's not even think about that,” Ivy said. “People love this interview, Tal. Seriously, it might not have as much ‘splash' as the first issue, but I think we did a fabulous job.”

“You did,” Miko said. “You all did. It's perfect.”

“Not quite,” I said. “We need you back, Miko. If we're going to get it perfect the next time, we need The Four to really be The Four again. Forever, this time. We need you, Miko.”

I had a whole speech prepared. I'd thought about it over and over again—I knew all the perfect things to say so Miko would have absolutely no choice but to realize I was right, and she should come back. But Miko interrupted me before I could even get started.

“I would love to,” she said. “If you still want me, then I'm back in one hundred percent.”

“Miko, I knew it!” I exclaimed. “I knew you'd come back, I was positive. I am so happy.”

“We all are,” Ivy said. “Paulina's right—it takes all four of us to get the magic right. I'm really glad you decided to stay.”

“Thanks,” Miko said. She was beaming. “So you guys probably already have a plan for the next issue, I'm guessing. Which is fine—just tell me what you need done, and I'm on it.”

Ivy and I looked at each other.

“Actually, we haven't talked at all about the next issue,” I said. “I guess we better get cracking.”

“Everyone promise to go home and think tonight, and we'll have a mini-meeting at lunch tomorrow,” Ivy said. “But for now, let's go back into the cafeteria. The whole school is talking about
4 Girls
. By tonight, they'll be talking about something else. Let's go enjoy it while it lasts!”