Putting On A Show

Putting On A Show
by John Forster & Tom Chapin
© 2003 Limousine Music Co. & The Last Music Co. (ASCAP)
Arranged by John Forster
Excerpts from Tomorrow
by Charles Strouse & Martin Charnin
© 1977 Helene Blue Musique Ltd. o/b/o Charles Strouse Publications (ASCAP),
and Edwin H. Morris & Company, A Division of MPL Communications, Inc. (ASCAP)

Baby Gail: I want to be Annie. Annie’s who I want to play.
I want to stand and holler, “Bet your bottom dollar.”
I want to be an orphan in the worst, worst way.

Every spring we do a show,
Goosetown Community Players.
Every year you’ve got to go.
Goosetown Community Players.
It’s directed by Mrs. Hall, who’s actually our Granny.
This year’s gonna be best of all
’Cause this year we do Annie. Yay!

Putting on a show,
Putting on a great big musical show.
It’s the most exciting fun I know.
Putting on a musical show.

Auditions were scary but now they’re past.
Bruno: Auditions were last week but now at last:
Grandma Hall: Gather ’round children,
I’m going to announce the cast.
Bruno, you’ll play Daddy Warbucks.
Br: Goosetown Community Players.
GH: Sue will play Miss Hannigan.
Goosetown Community Players.
GH: Mike is Rooster and Butch is Grace (What?),
Spike is playing Sandy (Arf).
And finally, Shirley will be our ace
In the role of Annie.
Kid: Which Shirley?
GH: Shirley Domani. Everyone else is an orphan.
BG: Grandma?
GH: Yes, Baby Gail.
BG: Am I old enough to be an orphan?
GH: Not this year, dear.
How would you like to be the prompter?
BG: What’s that?
GH: When someone forgets their line,
You remind them.
SD: But she can’t read!
Br: Well, that’s okay.
She knows the whole show by heart.
BG: I’ll never get to holler, “Bet your bottom dollar.”
I wanted to be Annie in the worst, worst way.
GH: How about it, Baby Gail?
Would you be our prompter?
BG: Okay.

Rehearsal, rehearsal. So many lines.
Rehearsing the same thing ten million times.

GH: Good, everyone. Shirley, let’s try your song.

SD: The sun’ll come out
BG: Tomorrow.
SD. Tomorrow. Bet your bottom
BG: Dollar.
SD: Dollar that tomorrow
BG. There’ll be sun.
SD: There’ll be sun.
BG: Just thinking about.
SD: Just thinkin--
You know what? I can’t work like this.
She’s not giving me a chance.
GH: Baby Gail, you’re doing a great job.
BG: Thank you.
GH: But wait ’til Shirley asks for a line.
BG: Okay.
SD: Just thinking about… line.
BG: Tomorrow / Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow /
’Til there’s none / When I’m stuck with a day that’s gray and cloudy…
SD: Okay. Okay!

Putting on a show,
Putting on a great big musical show.
So much stuff you gotta learn,
What to say and when to turn.
Br: All this choreography.
Crowd: Painting all the scenery.
Moms: Costume sewers.
Boys: Lighting crew.
GH: So little time, so much to do.
All: We give our all and then give more.
SD: Mrs. Hall, my throat is sore.
Br: The hardest working fun I know.
All: Is putting on a musical show.

GH: Shirley, I want you to drink hot tea and get plenty of rest.
SD: But there’s no time to rest.

Opening night and here we go.
Goosetown Community Players.
The gym is packed; it’s S.R.O.
Goosetown Community Players.
Everybody is so pumped up
They come an hour early.
GH: Places, everyone!
Kid: Wait a sec, has anyone seen Shirley?

Br: Hello. Hi, Shirley. Oh… I’m sorry. Okay. Bye.
Kid: What did she say?
Br: Domani, Domani, we’ve got no Domani
’Cause Shirley is sick today.
All: I don’t believe it. Oh no.
GH: Oh, dear. Do any of you orphans know Annie’s lines?
Orphans: Uh uh. Don’t think so. Not me.
Br: Ooo, Baby Gail knows the part.
GH: Could you do it, Baby Gail? Would you?
BG: Okay.

BG: The sun’ll come out tomorrow.
So you better hang on ’til tomorrow
Come what may.
All: Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow.
You’re always a day away.

BG: I finally got to holler “Bet your bottom dollar.”
I got to be an orphan in the best, best way.

This song appears on Tom Chapin's Making Good Noise CD.

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