Finale: Bye Bye Blackbird
The chorus girls at the De Luxe are called forty-five minutes before the curtain goes up, at eight.
Ann's late.
"What took ya so long?" asks Jean as Ann rushes in, shedding her coat.
"I got distracted," Ann mutters as she sits down, already reaching for her hairpins.
Jean starts to say something dry, but Tabitha catches her eye and shakes her head. Tabitha was there in September when Ann was hired, and she recognizes the look in Ann's eyes. It's the same look she had when a few of the blondes came in chattering about auditions for that Driscoll play; it's the same look she had after a few men came to speak quietly to Ann and offered her some kind of contract, and she told them off.
Tabitha's never asked about what happened to Ann before the De Luxe hired her. She just hopes the girl'll get through the show. If one girl messes up, the whole line looks bad.
Ann, meanwhile, brushes on lip color and tries not to think about the Cry Havoc! poster she walked past to get here, nor the crowds filling up Times Square for Denham's show. She can't focus, though -- not on the show, not on her makeup or her costumes.
She makes it through three numbers all right, with a carefully forced smile on her face. A soloist takes the stage, giving the girls time to hurry backstage and change into the spangled dresses for Henry's big number.
No one here can love or understand me, Ann barely hears as she strides for the dressing rooms, Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight . . .
Ann's gut twists. It's twenty after eight. Jack will be watching his stage comedy -- It's for you, memory whispers -- and she'll be the furthest thing from his mind, no doubt; and Carl will be well into his spiel, displaying Kong despite her best efforts . . .
Someone grabs her arm and hisses for her to get into place, and she goes, and moves stiffly through the first steps of the choreagraphy.
But when they stand and spin, she finds that she can't move for fear she'll faint.
The spotlight moves over her face and sparkles off the tears in her eyes.
Blackbird, blackbird, blackbird, bye bye.
Ann's late.
"What took ya so long?" asks Jean as Ann rushes in, shedding her coat.
"I got distracted," Ann mutters as she sits down, already reaching for her hairpins.
Jean starts to say something dry, but Tabitha catches her eye and shakes her head. Tabitha was there in September when Ann was hired, and she recognizes the look in Ann's eyes. It's the same look she had when a few of the blondes came in chattering about auditions for that Driscoll play; it's the same look she had after a few men came to speak quietly to Ann and offered her some kind of contract, and she told them off.
Tabitha's never asked about what happened to Ann before the De Luxe hired her. She just hopes the girl'll get through the show. If one girl messes up, the whole line looks bad.
Ann, meanwhile, brushes on lip color and tries not to think about the Cry Havoc! poster she walked past to get here, nor the crowds filling up Times Square for Denham's show. She can't focus, though -- not on the show, not on her makeup or her costumes.
She makes it through three numbers all right, with a carefully forced smile on her face. A soloist takes the stage, giving the girls time to hurry backstage and change into the spangled dresses for Henry's big number.
No one here can love or understand me, Ann barely hears as she strides for the dressing rooms, Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight . . .
Ann's gut twists. It's twenty after eight. Jack will be watching his stage comedy -- It's for you, memory whispers -- and she'll be the furthest thing from his mind, no doubt; and Carl will be well into his spiel, displaying Kong despite her best efforts . . .
Someone grabs her arm and hisses for her to get into place, and she goes, and moves stiffly through the first steps of the choreagraphy.
But when they stand and spin, she finds that she can't move for fear she'll faint.
The spotlight moves over her face and sparkles off the tears in her eyes.
Blackbird, blackbird, blackbird, bye bye.