Sing for Their Supper - 56

 

"Breathe, Sam," Ricky said, resting his hands on Sam's shoulders while Sam studied himself in the mirror above the makeup tables.

 

"Breathing is highly overrated," Sam muttered.

 

"Hard to sing if you don't," Andy pointed out.

 

"There is that." Sam adjusted the beard then shook his head to make the long hair of his wig look less tamed.

 

"Do you want some help with your makeup?" Andy asked DJ.

 

"No thanks. I have a handle on it, I think. How do women do this every day?"

 

"Practice, my boy, practice," Andy replied. "Fran's got it down to an art form."

 

Mace was pacing nervously up and down the room whispering, "I can do this. I can."

 

"Of course you can," Sam said. "If I can, you can. Just do what Ricky said. Breathe."

 

*****

 

"We're sold out," Brent said when Tuck came into the box office. "Just got rid of the last ticket for tonight's show ten minutes ago."

 

"Thank God. There were a couple of days there, after the ad went in, when I was beginning to wonder if we'd have to pack the house with ringers so the kids wouldn't feel like failures."

 

"It just took getting the word out, because we waited so long. You're TV interview was the turning point. Since then, the phones have been ringing off the hooks. Ask them." He nodded toward the women who were now handing out tickets to the patrons as they came to the box office windows.

 

One of the women turned to look at Tuck, rolling her eyes. "I've got telephone ear," she stage-whispered before going back to what she was doing.

 

Tuck checked the clock on the wall behind them. "I'd better move it. It's time to get everyone in the first scene on stage." Now that his directing chores were over, he was acting as stage manager for the production. Two minutes later, he opened the guys' dressing room door and announced, "Places, please." Then he went down the hall to do the same at the girls' dressing room, after knocking first.

 

"Don't you look snazzy," Tuck said to Vin, as the pianist walked by him.

 

"Thanks. I think." Vin was wearing a full-sleeved period shirt with a high collar, and a neck cloth that Tuck suspected was supposed to be tied around the collar. Instead, it was hanging loose. He also wore striped trousers and suspenders, all necessary, since the piano was on the right side of the stage, not down in front of it. "The things I do for my art," Vin grumbled.

 

Tuck laughed then headed to the wings to make certain that everyone in the first scene was in place before the curtain rose.

 

On the dot of eight, the curtain went up as the workhouse boys began singing "Food, Glorious Food", and the show was underway.