It was nearly 30 years ago when a group of students
from Flint, Michigan, made a glorious sound.
- Doe, a deer, a female deer - Doe, a deer, a female deer
- Ray, a drop of golden sun - Ray, a drop of golden sun
KRISTEN: It was The Sound of Music.
The hills are alive
With the sound of music
KRISTEN: That 1992 performance was the last time
most of them ever took the stage.
Decades later, these alumni have the chance to do
one of their favorite things,
because the cast of Flint Central's The Sound of Music
is reuniting for an Encore performance.
KRISTEN: This is Encore.
MICHELLE: Hi. My name's Michelle.
I'm gonna be your nurse this afternoon. How are you?
I absolutely love nursing.
It is a very, very rewarding job.
However, my coworkers,
they do make fun of me from time to time.
Good morning. (SCREAMS, CHUCKLES)
Because I sing randomly... (CHUCKLES) ...throughout the day.
She yodeled back to the lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
Maybe get caught dancing in the hallways every once in a while. But...
uh, that's me. (LAUGHS)
The hills are alive
With the sound of music
- (ALL LAUGHING) - That's all you get. (SCREAMS)
ZAK: I went to, uh, Flint Central High School.
Uh, graduated in the class of 1996.
Today, I am a film director-producer, own my own company.
And it feels weird to be on this side of the...
this side of everything.
This boom mic ain't in the frame, is it?
(CHUCKLES)
It is funny that y'all bringing us all back
for this freaking play, of all plays.
I just, you know... I don't know, man. I... I love theater,
but as soon as you break out into song and dance, you've lost me.
Like, my mom made me watch movies like Yentl.
Have you seen Yentl with Barbra Streisand in it?
Okay. That's probably why I don't like musicals.
CHAHI: Flint's Classic Rock Authority, 103.9 The Fox,
scooting out the door, making way for DJ Chachi.
- Oh, yeah. - BRETT: Hey. It's my turn.
Got that classic rock mixer coming your way.
Yeah, but, I can't wait. I got some good stuff for you tonight.
(RECORD SPINNING)
- (OVER RADIO) Detroit, basketball. - (CROWD CHEERING)
- (RECORD SPINNING) - (MUSIC PLAYING)
BRETT: I've always been into being a DJ.
I'm the official DJ of the Detroit Pistons.
I've been on concert stages in front of thousands of people,
spinning records.
But a theatrical stage? That's a whole different ballgame.
So here's Daddy. See Daddy right here?
So we're singing that song, "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" right here.
Can you see your dad up on that stage
Singing like a buffoon
MICHELLE: Back in the day, Flint was an amazing place.
But in the early '90s,
- Flint started to decline. - (CAR LOCK HONKS)
Shortly after I graduated, they ended up shutting down our high school.
It's been closed for a number of years now.
So we're gonna do this at a different local high school.
But I would give anything to walk into Flint Central
and just kind of look around again.
KRISTY: Oh. Oh, my gosh.
Coming from Flint, all you hear is, "Oh, the water",
- or you hear, "The plant shut down"... - (CHUCKLES)
...or you hear, "Oh, there's so many murders here."
And Flint Central High School was the one highlight...
that you could look at from Flint and say, "Man,
that high school has got a phenomenal drama and music department."
Oh, my God!
My freshman year when I did The Sound of Music,
I'm like, "Okay, this is my only play. That's it. That's over."
But you catch the acting bug. What I did as a sophomore, you doing it.
As a junior, you doing it. As a senior, you doing it.
(ALL EXCLAIM)
- ZAK: Oh! - Do we do the hugging thing?
- (KRISTY CHUCKLES) - Oh, God. Don't hurt me.
- Bitches. - ZAK: Oh, my God.
- (CHUCKLING) - (KRISTY CHUCKLING) Oh, God.
I think I was 17
when we did Sound of Music. I'm 44 now.
- ZAK: Lisa, baby. - Oh, my God, Zak.
LISA: For me, high school was a lot of me standing in the outside looking in.
I didn't feel like I had a lot of friends because I lived on the poor side of town.
I didn't get to hang out with anybody.
My fear is they're gonna treat me like that person
and not the person that I am now.
- Oh, my God. - BRETT: Hi!
- KRISTY: Oh, shorty's here. - (BRETT CHUCKLES)
(KRISTY CHUCKLES)
- (ZAK CHUCKLES) - (BRETT CHUCKLES)
ZAK: And I ain't gonna catch you no more, man.
- What's up, baby? You look great, man. - You look so good, man.
(ALL CHEERING) - ZAK: Oh.
ZAK: How do you... How do you still have that?
Amy, she was that one, you know...
that I never got to date. She got away. (CHUCKLES)
Oh, you look so good.
- I knew you would, too. - (AMY CHUCKLES)
AMY: Brett was like my brother.
He loved me so much.
And, I know, I kind of felt bad that I didn't ever date him,
but I wasn't ever afraid to date him.
LISA: It's like when your favorite couple on TV is, like, so close
and they don't quite get there and you're like... (GROANS)
That was Brett and Amy. (CHUCKLES)
(ALL SCREAMING)
- Oh, my God. - ZAK: Yeah, man. Yeah.
KRISTY: I haven't seen Sam in forever.
Probably, since right after I graduated college.
- (KRISTY LAUGHING) - ZAK: Yeah.
SAM: Seeing Kristy was emotional.
That was my homie, you know? It just brought back
so many memories of just our friendship
and being so close in high school, and me not seeing her for all these years.
KRISTY: He used to be this short, pudgy kid.
And he came in, and I was like, "Sam, you're, like, tall, skinny.
"You have a deep voice now."
That was quite a shock to see that.
I have three daughters. Uh, they're all grown now.
My oldest graduated college,
and then had my first grandson.
I'm dad and granddad now, so... (CHUCKLES) ...Papa. (CHUCKLES)
- BRETT: Joi! - (ALL SCREAMING)
KRISTY: Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
BRETT: Oh, my God!
JOI: These people were my family at school.
And since then,
I've done theater in New York, and in Queens,
and in the surrounding areas.
I did Ragtime, the musical.
I was associated with Mamma Mia for a long time.
I did the tour, and I did Broadway.
And this is where I got it from. I got it from these people.
- KRISTY: Yes. - ZAK: Yeah, Jesus Christ!
- BRETT: Oh, my God. Jacob. - ZAK: Yes!
(ALL CHEERING)
BRETT: I'm surprised to see Jacob, 'cause I haven't heard much about him,
what he's been doing.
- Hi. How are you? - Hi. Good. How are you?
- It's been a minute. It's been a minute. - ZAK: Hey, you look good, man.
KRISTY: Jacob kind of lost himself, I think, his junior year.
I don't know what happened after that.
Like, "Is he gonna show up? Like, we don't know."
ZAK: Good to see you, man. Long time no see!
JACOB: Coming in and seeing everyone for the first time,
I... I think I had more worry how they would view me
because, unfortunately, I keep feeling like,
"Man, I didn't know these people well." As well as I should have.
- (DOOR OPENING) - (ALL CHUCKLING)
- BRETT: Right. Right. - Hey, you guys.
- Hello. - ALL: Hi.
- Welcome back to high school. - Hey.
- My favorite place. - Good to be back.
COY: I'm excited to hear about, um, Flint Central High.
I know we're, you know, being hosted
by Swartz Creek Performing High School.
JOI: We're doing this show at Swartz Creek High School.
But it really kind of breaks my heart that we're not doing this
in the auditorium at Flint Central High School.
As much as our hearts are all full from just seeing each other,
if we had that extra layer of being in our old school,
I know it would be... It would be amazing.
My name is Coy Middlebrook. It's Coy, like "Boy" with a C.
- And Ricky. - Hello. (CHUCKLES)
- BRETT: Ricky. Ricky. - ALL: Hey, Ricky.
I worked on Broadway, in the national tour of Cats,
and then in Fosse. And now I work on the other side,
- choreographing and directing. - Hi, guys. I'm Carmel...
- ALL: Hi Carmel. - ...like the candy,
- depending where you're from... - (BRETT CHUCKLING)
...or how you pronounce it. I'm actually Australian.
- So happy to be here with you guys. Yeah. - BRETT: Thanks for being here with us.
- JOI: Thanks for having us. - COY: Yeah. We are...
Yeah. We are so excited. And it's a huge week.
I mean, the fact that we are going to remount
- your guy's production in a week's time... - Less than a week.
- COY: Less than a week. - Less than a week.
- Thank you for being real about that. - MICHELLE: Thank you.
It's less than a week. So, with all that said,
we got to get to work.
Lisa, come on over.
- Lisa then. - (CHEERING)
COY: What did you play in the 1990 production?
I played Sister Bertha, the nun who doesn't particularly care for Maria.
- Kristy. - I played the Mother Abbess.
- COY: Were you a senior or junior? - I was a senior.
- COY: Sam. - Honestly, I didn't...
- like, I didn't have like a real, like... - (CHUCKLING)
Well, we're gonna change that up.
- Yeah. That's right. Yeah. - (CHUCKLES)
- RICKY: There it is. - COY: Joi then.
I was the Baroness.
- COY: The Baroness? - JOI: Yes.
- COY: Zak. - I was Herr Zeller.
- It's Brett. - When we did Sound of Music,
I had the biggest crush on Amy.
- COY: Oh. (CHUCKLING) - (BRETT CHUCKLING)
BRETT: She was Liesl and I was Rolf.
- Yeah. - (COY APPLAUDING)
- Amy then. - Adorable.
- COY: Anything you'd like to let us know? - Well, I just wanna give a shout-out
to my daughter. I'm doing this for her.
- COY: Jacob. - (CHUCKLES) Yeah.
- Ah, my character was Max Detweiler. Huh. - COY: Oh, Max. Of course, yes.
Michelle.
I was Maria.
I remember that like it was yesterday,
seeing my name on this list,
and I was completely taken aback.
I was Maria
- Yes. - Oh, my God. From that... that would fun,
- to see Maria... - MICHELLE: Oh, no, no
- Yeah. - MICHELLE: Yes.
- COY: Exactly. - (CHUCKLES)
Okay. We're gonna learn a song
that may be familiar from high school days.
I'm gonna give you guys two bars in, and then I'll play the melody, so...
- (PIANO PLAYING) - And...
- Finally it has happened to me - Finally it has happened to me
Finally it has happened to me
It's happened to me
It has happened to me
Right in front of my face and I just can't describe it
They're definitely... (STUTTERS) ...a varied skill set.
Finally it has
Happened to me, right in
Front of my face and I
Just cannot hide it seem so many
Times you seem to be the one But
All you ever wanted Was to have a little fun
Now you've come along
And brightened up my world
And in my heart I feel that I'm that special kind of girl
Finally
- You come along the way I feel about you - You come along the way I feel about you
CARMEL: Everyone can sing. Everyone has a voice.
If you can speak, you can sing.
So it's just harnessing what that means to you,
and finding how to express yourself in music.
Okay, so you guys are, of course, realizing that there isn't enough of you
to do the whole show with all the characters in the cast.
So we will introduce some more of our pro ensemble to help.
We also don't have the Captain returning from your alum cast, right?
Out of us, we will cast the Captain.
The three of you in the back row, step to the front row please.
- So that's Jacob... - (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
...that's Zak, and that's Sam.
Okay. So the three of you, uh, we would love to just visit
some of the material of the Captain with Michelle.
Everyone thinks that The Sound of Music is about Maria and the kids,
but the arc, the transformation, is the Captain.
Edelweiss
Every morning you
- Greet me... - If they pick me to be Captain von Trapp,
hopefully I can have some understudy come in
and sing my singing parts, so...
(LAUGHS)
Edelweiss
Every morning you...
JACOB: Being in the military, I can relate to the role of Captain von Trapp.
I understand, like, regimented lifestyle. I... I also understand the other side.
You know, after I was out of the military, and I had my family and, uh,
two sweet little girls to... to raise up.
- ...meet me - ...meet me
- (ALL APPLAUDING) - COY: All right.
- ZAK: (CHUCKLES) Yes! - Nice work, gentlemen.
- Michelle, thank you. - Thank you.
COY: So, really, gosh. Um, that's a tough decision we have to make.
That's a very tough decision we have to make. Um...
Let's start with what we know.
All of you are gonna reprise your original roles,
but you three gents... Okay. So here's the thing.
You guys actually all have a Captain in you,
and it was not an easy decision,
- by no means. - JACOB: Mm.
And guess what? Jacob...
you are the Captain.
- ZAK: Yeah! - (ALL CHEERING)
COY: You're the Captain.
- (ALL CHEERING) - (APPLAUDING)
- COY: Yes! - Knowing how I remember Jacob,
I would be really leery of giving him this part.
Back in high school, we did a series of one-acts,
and I was directing one of them.
And I cast him in my show, and he bailed on me.
Bailed. I had to replace him. And it was a two-person show.
So now Max is up for grabs.
- Zak, you're Max. - Yes!
- (ALL CHEERING) - COY: You're Max.
- (CHUCKLES) I appreciate it. - So then, Sam.
Yes, sir?
Here's the thing. Why would we do Sound of Music...
and not have you guys be... the kids?
- So guess what? Guess what? Guess what? - ZAK: What?
So, Sam, you're Friedrich.
SAM: Friedrich von Trapp, I believe he's the oldest of the kids.
Although I will be 44 in a couple days,
you know, I can pull off 17...
(LAUGHS)
...in my mind.
Joi, you're the Baroness, but you're also Louisa.
- BRETT: Oh, yeah. - (CHEERING)
That'll be easy, 'cause my daughter who is 13 years old
is very much like Louisa.
And if she had a chance to mislead a governess,
she would do it. So I just have to be my daughter.
This is gonna be a little bit of this...
- ZAK: Yeah. Yeah. - COY: ...for the week. And it's gonna be
a lot of costume change.
- It's a lot of work. It's a lot of work... - ZAK: It's all good. It's all good.
- COY: ...for you all of you guys. - ZAK: Yeah.
I know we only have a little bit of time left
before it's the end of our day,
so let's end the day by doing a little Do Re Mi.
RICKY: One, two, three, four!
- Sew, a needle pulling thread - Sew, a needle pulling thread
RICKY: And...
- La, a note to follow so - La, a note to follow so
RICKY: Tea.
- Tea, a drink with jam and bread - Tea, a drink with jam and bread
- That will bring us back to do - That will bring us back to do
Hit.
- COY: (APPLAUDING) Yeah. - CARMEL: (APPLAUDING) Yeah.
- COY: One more time. - CARMEL: One more time.
- BRETT: Flint coneys, y'all. - ALL: Yes!
Look at this pretty sight right here.
ZAK: Man.
Why is there hummus with coneys? That's weird.
You know what, I have no idea. Maybe somebody wanted hummus?
JOI: Was there anything to go with hummus, like a pita?
- You're supposed to dip that in there. - This is everything that... (STUTTERS)
...that I had, I thought, you know... So...
- It's like disembodied hummus. - Brett
- likes hummus. - Maybe some people like it
on their hot dog.
- ZAK: I don't know. - Not in Flint.
- (BRETT CHUCKLES) - JOI: I remember living
in New York and missing Flint coneys so badly...
- ZAK: Hmm. - ...that we ordered some that came frozen.
And then we were like, "We're doing this. We're getting it shipped every year."
Flint has always had a very special community.
You could say that it's a place
that's always got some kind of engine
pulling underneath my life.
I have every single yearbook, and they're like in mint condition.
This is '90... '93 right here.
This one's great. Look at this one. Look, this is,
"This person does not expect life to be fair for them.
- "Lisa Robin Young." (CHUCKLES) - (CHUCKLES)
- AMY: Hmm. - LISA: I called it.
- Look at that. - LISA: In high school,
I was always kinda off to the side.
And so I'm absolutely hoping history gets to be rewritten,
and that all these people get to see who I am today.
That's what I'm excited about for the next few days.
That's what I'm really excited about.
There's Jacob. Oh, Jacob was handsome, dude. Look at him.
Right there. Oh, Jacob, a lot of girls liked you, Jacob, man.
- You're a good-looking dude, man. - No, you were cute.
BRETT: Jacob was a stud, buddy.
- JOI: Mm-hmm. - (ALL CHUCKLING)
- Such a stud muffin. - JACOB: I wish someone
- would have told Jacob that. - (CHUCKLES)
You know, Jacob walked... Jacob walked around like he knew.
I didn't know. I walked around like... (CHUCKLES) ..."Hey.
- "I'm all teeth over here. Hi." - (ALL LAUGHING)
I was so damn dense.
I remember being told I was a player once, and then,
and, honestly, like, didn't know what that meant.
Like, "What are you even... What does that even mean?"
KRISTY: So, what are we supposed to do with the hummus?
- Do we have chips or something? - I don't know.
If you ask Lisa, you just stick your finger in it and lick it.
Someone had a pool in their backyard.
- No. No. You're not gonna tell this story. - BRETT: So I think it was Amy.
Okay. So we go over there and we go swimming. And...
we all got naked.
- JOI: What? - LISA: What?
And then we all dared each other to get out and run around the pool.
- And I think Amy's mom was watching us. - AMY: No, she was!
- And then they told us. - You were there.
- I was not there. - Yes, you were.
- Yes, you were.
- I didn't... - Yes, you were.
- (LAUGHS) - (ZAK LAUGHS) Bede!
Man, I'm glad I didn't hang out with y'all, man.
(ALL LAUGHING)
- LISA: They changed this. - JOI: Yeah. They changed a lot of stuff.
KRISTY: There was something that was here.
- It was like a little restaurant. - JOI: There was a little mini-mall.
KRISTY: There was a little strip mall here.
LISA: 'Cause Doyle-Ryder's there, and then there was Windmill Place.
Being in Flint again was so cool.
Right now, most people hear the word Flint,
and they go, "Oh, water crisis. Ooh."
And I don't wanna downplay how important that is,
but Flint is so, so much more than that.
I think about Flint, and I think about...
some of the really great stuff people don't talk about
that we all knew about growing up.
- We're coming up on Auto World, I think. - JOI: Yes.
Do you remember when they hired us to be mimes?
- You and me were mimes... - JOI: Yeah.
- ...at Auto World after their opening. - (JOI SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
MICHELLE: Let's start At the very beginning
(ALL VOCALIZING)
- The Sound of Music is about a young girl. - Maria.
Who thinks she wants to be a nun.
JOI: She's sent to be the governess
for a naval captain and his seven children.
I'm Captain von Trapp. The first rule in this house is discipline.
- Yes, sir. - (WHISTLE BLOWING)
RICKY: Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. (SPEAKING GIBBERISH)
You know, it's supposed to be kind of quiet around the house,
but she makes it full of song.
(ALL VOCALIZING)
And dancing.
- CARMEL: Go, Jacob. - COY: Uh-huh. Uh-uh.
And then the children fall in love with her.
Sew, a needle pulling thread
Then she falls in love with Mr. von Trapp.
- (MUMBLES) - (LAUGHS)
And then they're like, "Oh, no, we don't wanna be with the Nazis."
I will not bow my head To the man I despise
- And then they have to flee. - Into the mountains. Yeah.
Climb every mountain
It was supposed to be her singing... (CHUCKLES) ...not you. (CHUCKLES)
KRISTY: I grew up in a very musical family.
Our house was just filled with music. And I remember
my friend, one time, saying that she could always hear
The Sound of Music coming from... (CHUCKLES) ...our windows.
JOSH: You know, Dad said you were the only one
of us that could really make it, so...
KRISTY: My dad was the, uh, musical director for The Sound of Music.
He was also the choir teacher, uh, for Flint Central High School.
I miss this so much, I can't even...
I can't even begin to tell you how much I miss this.
(KRISTY SIGHING)
That young girl with that voice that can hit notes
that... (CHUCKLES) ...now she can't hit anymore...
(SIGHS)
I didn't pursue music in my life.
And I feel like I, like, let my dad down, um,
and I feel like, um...
That...
I just didn't keep that music that,
you know, that gift that was given to me, and I didn't use it.
I... I know he was proud of me, like, no matter what I did.
There's just that regret
that I wish I just would have pushed myself
a little harder and not lost the confidence that I had
from high school when I went into college...
(SNIFFLES) ...so that I could do it.
High on the hill was a lonely goatherd
- Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo - Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
COY: I want us to have a little bit of time with just you guys and myself...
and I'm your heart also today.
If each of you have your heart in the story,
and each of your hearts
find each other's hearts in the story,
that's all that matters.
And this show has so much heart.
And now I want you to think about when you were in high school.
Is there something you would love to tell your high school self
that you know now that you wish you knew then?
SAM: After high school, me and the mother of my children, we split ways.
And from there, I decided to go
a whole 'nother direction as far as relationship-wise.
Um, now, I date guys,
and that has been a whole 'nother book and interview in itself. (CHUCKLES)
COY: Is there something your high school self...
tells you that you've forgotten about?
AMY: I was sad in high school. I didn't really talk about it.
The end of my senior year was kind of a jumble
where I was getting into it with my parents.
And I left the house with a backpack,
- and it was like, maybe ten o'clock... - (CRIES)
...at night. And I went to the payphone and I called Michelle.
And she's like, "I got you."
I stayed at her house, I think, for, like, three days,
so that was, like, something I needed to thank Michelle
for that I never had a chance to.
Yeah.
COY: Really, now, before we step out of this,
think about, if there's anything
that you just revisited that can be
something from your own life
that you can infuse into the telling of The Sound of Music.
Okay? Beautiful work. Thank you, you guys.
(RAIN PATTERING)
JACOB: You know, Lisa... You know, I mentioned I wanted to talk to you.
- LISA: Uh-huh. - You know...
You know, um, I'll just tell you now in front of everyone.
I don't care. I want to let... you know...
And you may have forgotten about it, probably not.
- Huh. - (CHUCKLES)
- JACOB: So it was like... - I think...
- ...the beginning of the end for me. - ...I know where we're going with this.
- The student-directed plays, right? - LISA: Yeah.
I auditioned, you gave me a role on your play,
- and I totally flaked. - Yup.
And it had nothing to do with you,
- and I've carried like this large... - LISA: Mm-hmm.
...the largest packet of guilt about that.
So, after Sound of Music, the next set of plays would have been
the student-directed plays.
BRETT: Lisa cast Jacob in her show...
and he didn't want anything to do with that.
He came to her and told her, "I don't wanna do it 'cause of my grades."
I... I don't... Made some excuse up...
and I said, "I can't do it."
The teacher, he got very upset with me. And I quit the theater department.
And, uh, I'm going, "I'm out of here, man."
You know, "Don't hassle me, man." And I left, and...
I left the theater, and I left school and joined the military.
We didn't really see much of him after that.
That was it for him for high school.
I don't know. Maybe if I had reached out for some help or something,
or like let someone know what was going on with me,
something would have been different. But, uh,
I was also probably too proud for that, you know.
You know, I'm sorry for doing that to you
because I hurt your feelings and I messed it up for you,
because it had nothing to do with you. You know what I mean?
It was me, other compounding things...
(STUTTERS) There are reasons, is not an excuse, like that,
I had going on in my life, you know.
Look, we were all in high school,
- right? And we all carry... stuff. - JACOB: Right.
Hearing him was really a blessing. And I really appreciate his courage
to be able to say what he had to say, and... and...
be the adult that none of us could be then, now.
My heart will be blessed
With the sound of music
(PIANO PLAYING)
And I'll sing
- Once - LISA: Once
- More - More
- CARMEL: So beautiful, you guys. - JACOB: I didn't mean to do that.
COY: What do you mean? What did you just say, Jacob?
- "I didn't mean to do that?" - (JACOB SNIFFLES)
COY: You're doing your job.
You're doing your job.
So sit with this for a minute and we will let every...
The room will let you sit with this, okay?
JACOB: Playing the Captain, I didn't plan on going to any emotional space.
'Cause he's a military guy. He's gotta keep up that bravado.
But hearing the words and the emotion of the piano...
I don't know, just something came up in me.
COY: You did what we asked you,
what the writers, what Rodgers and Hammerstein has asked.
Ah, I'm so happy for you.
JACOB: It's gonna sound super corny, but it feels like home,
if that makes sense.
I mean, getting back on the stage,
holding a script in your hands,
reading the lines.
All of it. (CHUCKLES)
(SIGHS)
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
- CARMEL: Another thing is, - (PAPERS RUSTLING)
the very first time you all come in on...
- O ho lay dee odl lee o - (DOOR OPENING)
CARMEL: It should be really a strong confident entrance.
Right now, it feels like it's catching you off guard.
So that's back on the second page after Maria sings...
Lusty and clear From the goatherd's throat heard
- Lay ee odl lay ee odl oo - Here we go. (CHUCKLES)
ALL: O ho lay...
MICHELLE: My mother was always the one to take me to dance lessons,
to vocal lessons, to theater lessons.
She is...
very, you know... (STUTTERS) ...dramatic...
- number one. - Poor Michelle,
- she's over there, so embarrassed. - Oh, no. She's...
She's overwhelmed right now, a little bit. She... She'll be all right.
(LAUGHS) She gets so frustrated with me anyway.
BRETT: Yeah, you look wonderful.
- KRISTY: You do. - Thank you.
BRETT: You've always looked good though, girl. You always took care of yourself.
- You think so? - KRISTY: Yes.
CATHY: I definitely have been embarrassing Michelle her whole life.
Because I... She... She doesn't have a...
She has a sense of humor but, you know, sometimes
I do things to be, you know, funny, and she doesn't take it that way.
I... (PUFFS)
- Hi, honey. - Shh.
- (CATHY CHUCKLES, SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) - This so is weird. (CHUCKLES)
- (SNORTS) I can't. Okay. I... - CATHY: Can you try not to snort?
I did say in my head, "Oh, Lord. Mother."
(CHUCKLES) "Here we go."
COY: Hey, you guys, sorry for the intrusion,
but I have someone very special to introduce.
- Um, this is Roger Love. - Hi.
COY: We have so much terrain to cover with voice,
- we wanted to bring in an expert. - Thank you very much.
And I am so happy to be here.
I am a voice coach.
My specialty is
people that are not professional singers
or haven't sung in a long time.
I was the voice coach for the movie A Star Is Born.
- Ah! - And my job was
to take Bradley Cooper and teach him how to sing.
- And the performance was good. - Hey, you know what? (CHUCKLES)
- COY: Thanks for being here. Yay. - ROGER: Awesome. I'm excited.
I have never worked with anybody like Roger.
- ROGER: Hi. - Hi.
- Honestly, after I heard Bradley Cooper... - I'm Michelle.
...I just kind of like went... "What?" (CHUCKLES)
- Perhaps I had a miserable youth - (PIANO PLAYING)
But somewhere in my wicked
Miserable past
There must have been a moment
- Of truth... - Great. Now, let's go back to the top.
Now, you're closing the vowels very much to make the words.
You don't say, "childhood." You say,
- Childhood - Childhood
- I must have... - I must have done something
- Good... (INHALES DEEPLY) - ROGER: Nice.
Michelle has a beautiful voice, but when she sings...
She exaggerates every single part
Of every word
May tell me I'm sweet And willingly, I believe...
I don't think that everyone in this cast has the greatest ability.
You may be bent on doing deeds Of daring...
ROGER: But there's enough talent here,
and there's so much heart.
Bloom and grow
Forever, Ede...
(CHUCKLES) I'm a little ticklish. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. (CLEARS THROAT)
ROGER: I'm kind of a touchy... (CHUCKLES) ...feely voice coach.
But here's why I do that.
I can't teach anyone to sing
unless I change what they're doing with their body.
And so, you know, I'm gonna...
I'm gonna help physically wherever I need to.
Till you find
Your dream...
- (CHUCKLES) Sorry. - Okay.
SAM: Uh, it's such a blessing to, you know, to be here with friends.
I don't know if... (STUTTERS) ...I'm sure you all probably don't know
'cause I haven't told any of you, but I... Kristy knows.
There almost was no more Sam.
I was, uh, I was actually, um, diagnosed as HIV positive.
And, uh...
Um...
This has just been a life-changing... Everything has changed for me.
I went into the hospital.
I was in the hospital for about two and a half months.
When I got diagnosed,
I went into a deep depression. And depression will kill you alone.
I didn't take meds. I didn't take anything.
And I went into a coma for like a week and a half, two weeks.
When I was coming out of that, I heard... (SIGHS DEEPLY)
...I heard my daughter crying, hmm. Heard my baby crying.
And, uh, hmm...
I came out of it. I had to come... I had to... I had to be a father.
That's important to me more than... (INHALES DEEPLY)
...anything, my... (SOBS) ...children.
I love my children.
It's been such a blessing just to see all of you all, honestly.
And I'm sharing with you all because I've just gotten to a point now
to where I'm living... trying to live my best life,
because I know that tomorrow is not a promise.
And I'm just thankful and I...
I don't know. I just felt I need to share that.
AMY: Thank you for sharing that with us.
- SAM: Right. Aw. (SIGHS) - JOI: I'm so glad that you came
- to do this. - LISA: Yes.
Now, go find some edelweiss.
Go find some edelweiss
Edelweiss
Jackson. Jack... Come here!
COY: Good morning. Come in.
This is a very important and exciting day for us.
Um, we have our dress rehearsal.
Oh, look at Michelle's face. I think it just like... (GROANS)
Yes. So today, we have our orchestra for the first time.
- CARMEL: Hi, everyone. - ALL: Hi.
- COY: Hi, Carmel. - CARMEL: I'm 12 feet under.
We will take it from the top of the show, scene change, transitions in as well.
And we will be moving fast. That's how we do it.
- AMY: We got this. - COY: Okay?
BRETT: Dress rehearsal? I'm fired up, man.
I think I'm getting ready to go play a game.
To face a world of men!
You know, like I'm getting ready to run on a field
and play soccer or something like that. I'm just...
I feel like I'm getting ready to be in, like, a sporting event almost.
Anybody wanna go for a ride? (CHUCKLES)
- Everybody's slamming hard backstage. - (HONKING HORN)
You... You feel the butterflies, but it's not really butterflies.
It's like an energy. You're a little bit nervous,
- but you're channeling it. - Seriously, I'm hot already.
- COY: Have a good dress. Happy dress. - (HORN HONKING)
Okay. We got to run this play. Run this play.
You know? It's, uh, it's kinda like my mindset.
I am forty-two going on forty-three...
(BRETT CHUCKLES)
You know, it's go time, man. Here we go.
(BELL TOLLING)
Before we go into dinner, the Von Trapp children
would like to say good night as they only can.
- How do you hold a moonbeam - How do you hold a moonbeam
- In your - In your
- Hand? - Hand?
(LISA SIGHS)
LISA:
WOMAN: I don't know, what's it supposed to be.
(BREATHES DEEPLY, WHISPERS)
(WHISPERS)
What happened to the last governess?
She simply said, "I've had enough of this” and walked out.
I can't... I don't have time before the costume room.
WOMAN 4: There is a call for you, sir, from Vienna.
JACOB: I have the number. Thank you.
You will wait here.
COY: Costume change.
Does she need to go... Do we need to get her into the other dress?
JACOB: Before the children meet you, you will change this dress.
I haven't any other clothes.
(WHISPERS)
COY: ...because she's not in the right dress.
And there's no Lisa.
I'm gonna teach you how to sing.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MICHELLE: (WHISPERS)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Hold, please.
(TAPPING)
MICHELLE: (WHISPERS)
SAM: So long, farewell...
No. Woo, these things are short.
Oh, Georg, why didn't you tell me, how talented your children are?
COY: Not yet.
- You're alone with him too. - Line.
But... (WHISPERS) I don't have a clue.
This isn't going great.
Let's help our lights out. Step downstage. This is where we wanna do the scene.
Dress rehearsal, it's really difficult.
- Scene change go. Exit, Zak. - JACOB: Sorry.
I wasn't even backstage, but I could just feel the chaos.
Excuse me. I guess I'm as done
as I'm gonna be, so I'll get out of the way.
Line.
- Line? - Line.
I guess, things are going a little different than we expected.
COY: This is so much musical to do in five days.
- There are seventeen mammoth scenes. - (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Have a little more space, you guys. A little more space between each other.
Numerous times,
the entire company changes costumes all at the same time.
Do you know what I wear next?
- Okay. - JOI: Is yours on...
Yours is on backwards.
- Well, that's... See? - (CHUCKLES)
You will get into your uniforms... (SHOUTS) ...at once.
Stage le... Stage right, stage right.
LISA: Go.
There's too many lines. There's too much play.
There's too much musical.
Hey, everybody. So, I'm... I bet you guys are having a sense
of how incredibly massive this is.
And the kind of costume changes we're doing,
and the scene changes.
And tomorrow night, we have every seat... we have a waiting list tomorrow night...
- MICHELLE: What? - ...which is incredible.
Oh, my.
MICHELLE: That dress rehearsal was definitely a mess.
Like, I feel like I keep...
I need, like, "overwhelmed," like tattooed on my forehead right now.
There's still a lot of confusion, and we go on tomorrow night,
which is a little bit stress-inducing.
You guys are really beautiful and been doing some beautiful work.
And I know it's a little bit all over the place with the dress,
but there is a really great old adage in the theater,
which is, "Bad dress, great opening."
Kristy, there are theater gods. I kid you not. And they come in,
and amazing things can happen in a matter of hours.
I know we're gonna be able to get to the top of the mountain.
KRISTY: I mean, I know
- what you're saying is correct. - Yeah.
It's just hard. (SOBS) Just... I mean, I don't know.
The way I was... I think all of us were brought up
is just like, that's not, like, acceptable.
That, like, we can't fall short. Like, that's just frustrating to me.
I get, Kristy, how you're feeling, because...
we push ourselves really hard, especially, like, Flint kids.
We always feel like we have something to prove.
Gloria Patri, et Filio
I hope I can get through this play
ZAK: Here.
JACOB:
- (CAR DOOR CLOSING) - ZAK: Bro, tell me about it.
ZAK: Like, I think people, like, purposely been, like,
coming and taking, like, bricks and stuff from here
as, like, memorabilia.
Being from a city like Flint, Michigan,
you know, we was always finding ways
to pick each other up and motivate each other.
I want you to be successful, because I'm looking at you like,
"Okay, if you can do it, I can do it." You know what I mean?
- LISA: This is so crazy. - ZAK: What up?
- AMY: This spot where I used to sit... - LISA: Right.
- ...waiting for mom to pick me up. - LISA: Well, that's the roof.
- That is the roof. - Is that the roof?
- LISA: Yes. - It's hard to look at it like this.
- ZAK: They tore this thing up. - This is really sad, Amy. (CRIES)
JOI: It's like the school that time forgot, man.
MICHELLE: In the early '90s, Flint Central was an amazing place.
- To keep you out. I just... - MICHELLE: But...
we were graduating. And we knew that Flint
was going to start declining.
There isn't a minute that it doesn't hurt... (SOBBING)
...because here that building still stands,
and there are so many amazing things that came out of that school.
- JACOB: That's the band room, right? - LISA: Are you going to the cafeteria?
SAM: Yeah, this how you entered to the theater room.
JOI: But this is the door we used to use for all the theater rehearsals,
and we come out here for break,
- and we would hang out right here. - JACOB: Here's the theater, guys.
- You guys missing our theater? Over here. - AMY: Oh, my gosh.
ZAK: It's definitely a shame that we can't reenact the show
here at Flint Central, you know, Theater Magnet,
where it all started, but, you know...
- it's bigger than that. - (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
ZAK: You know, it's the characters, it's the people that...
- that graced this program. - BRETT: I think this is good!
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - BRETT: It's not going anywhere.
- ZAK: And we're still here. - BRETT: 1992.
As long as we are still kicking it, we're gonna do what we do.
So like I'm excited about this show tonight.
ALL: One, two, three. Sound of Music!
LISA: All right. Let's go.
I am sixteen Going on seventeen
I know that I'm naive
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
I'm nervous.
You need someone older and wiser...
Surprise.
Ah!
Slow down. Slow down and take in what's happening.
Whatever we do, it's gonna be great,
'cause everybody's heart is in the right place.
Everybody wants to do the very best.
Even when people are getting overwhelmed,
I think they're all remembering what's at the core
of what we need to do to get this done.
(RAIN PATTERING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
LISA: Okay, you guys.
You know, I really didn't feel like I fit in anywhere in high school.
(SNIFFLES) And...
one of the things that I've learned...
I probably never really was an outsider,
but I didn't see that until we got back together.
And so I really thank you guys so much for... (SNIFFLES)
...opening my eyes to a truth
that was there all along that I just couldn't see.
- So thank you... - BRETT: Oh, girl.
- ...all very much. - BRETT: We love you.
- We've always loved you. - LISA: To have, uh,
an opportunity like this to come along to remind you,
"No, it wasn't all that bad.
"And you probably saw a few things very wrong
"because this was your perspective and you were missing all of this."
- (LISA SIGHS) Oh! - (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- Thank you. - WOMAN: Yeah.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- She's gonna play a child? - Yup.
I should've started teaching her long ago.
- (CHUCKLES) - Usually they have weeks,
you know, to rehearse, and this has just been a few days.
And that's her biggest fear also. But...
I'm sure she will do fine.
- KRISTY: We are going to nail this. - Yeah.
We've got each other's back. I got your back. I got your back.
Your back, your back, your back, my back.
Kristy's been a little bit nervous and apprehensive,
because she's older now than she was back when she was 17.
So she's worried about that one high note.
We need to do this for all Flint Central tonight.
Dude, thank you. That's what it's about.
BRETT: Going back to Flint Central High School really put
a fire under us. Flint Central is gonna be on that stage.
This is our way of renovation. It's reinventing ourselves.
It's renovating the school once again, not physically
but emotionally.
And we're gonna make it proud. Absolutely.
- KRISTY: ...three. Flint Central. - ALL: Flint Central!
- ZAK: Let's go, man. Come on y'all. - MICHELLE: All right.
BRETT: Places. Let's go.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
The hills are alive
With the sound of music
With songs they have sung
For a thousand years
The hills fill my heart
With the sound of music
It's another layer of hot. I mean, my crack is already sweating.
I don't need more. Like, you could, like, bake some bread back there.
It's pretty hot.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING, APPLAUDING)
- (MUSIC PLAYING) - How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find the word that means Maria?
- (WOMAN WHISPERS) - (MICHELLE WHISPERS)
(WHISPERS)
- ...moonbeam - ...moonbeam
- In your - In your
- Hand? - Hand?
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
I am Captain von Trapp. You are?
MICHELLE: Maria. Maria Rainer. (CHUCKLES)
(LISA WHISPERS)
- (GASPS) - (WHISPERS, CHUCKLES)
(WHISPERS)
JACOB: Before you meet the children, you will change this dress.
Well, I haven't any other dress.
Oh, when we enter the abbey all of our worldly possessions are given
- to the poor. - What about this one?
- (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) - The poor didn't want this one. (CHUCKLES)
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
(WHISTLE BLOWING)
MICHELLE: Oh. Oh. Who is...
- (AUDIENCE LAUGHING, CHEERING) - MICHELLE: Oh.
I am Friedrich.
I am 14 and I'm a boy.
- (AUDIENCE LAUGHING) - MICHELLE: Boy?
Hmm. Why you're almost a man. (CHUCKLES)
- Doe, a deer, a female deer - Doe, a deer, a female deer
- Ray, a drop of golden sun - Ray, a drop of golden sun
- Me, a name I call myself - Me, a name I call myself
- Far, a long, long way to run - Far, a long, long way to run
MICHELLE: Sew, a needle pulling thread...
(JACOB CLEARS THROAT)
- La, a note to follow so - A note to follow so
- Tea, a drink with jam and bread - Jam and bread
- That will bring us back to do - That will bring us back to
- Bring us back to - Us back to
- Do - Do
- (AUDIENCE CHEERING) - Yeah.
LISA: I think... Is that right?
Those are boobs.
You are sixteen going on seventeen
Baby, it's time to think
Better beware, be canny and careful
- Baby, you're on the brink - Shh.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
I am seventeen going on eighteen
I'll take care
- Of you - I'll
Depend on you
- (GASPS) - (AUDIENCE CHEERING, APPLAUDING)
MAN: Just a quick change. Just a quick change.
BRETT: Here we go. (CHUCKLES)
- MAN: She has to go. - Go, go. Go, go, go.
- (AMY SIGHS) - KRISTY: (WHISPERS)
- (INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT) - (CHUCKLES)
I guess, I'm just not used to dancing.
I think, that's because Father's in love with you.
Maria, you will not be eating with the children tonight.
You'll dine out, down here with us.
- (STUTTERS) Oh, no. No. - (AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
- (STUTTERS) I can't. No. - Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
But your children, they are extraordinary.
I've been looking all over Austria, for something like this for the festival.
- And I find it right here. - BRETT: (WHISPERS) My...
Maria? Are you in love with Captain von Trapp?
I know we only did this in five days,
but this feels a lot easier than the last time we did it.
It really does feel a lot easier.
Follow every rainbow
Till you find
Your dream
Climb every...
(WHISPERS)
(BOTH WHISPER)
Climb every mountain
Ford every stream
- Follow every rainbow - (MOUTHING) Follow every rainbow
Till you find
Your dream
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING, CHEERING) - AMY: Whoa!
JOSH:
MICHELLE: (WHISPERS)
(WHISPERS)
WOMAN: (WHISPERS)
You dear attractive dewy-eyed idealist
Today you have to learn to be a realist
- WOMAN 2: (WHISPERS) - (WHISPERS)
So, I'm not going to worry No, I'm not going to worry
Every time I see another day go by
While somersaulting at a cockeyed angle
We make a cockeyed circle 'round the sun
(WHISPERS, CHUCKLES)
- I was like, "Nailed it." - (CHUCKLES)
I must've done something
- Something - Something
- Good - Good
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
MAN: Right there, yeah.
- ZAK: I'm sweating. I'm hot. - WOMAN 3: Oh.
- Don't mess your wig up. - ZAK: All right. I'm sweating. I'm hot.
- WOMAN 3: Yeah, now you're good. - ZAK: All right.
Edelweiss
Every morning you greet me...
(WHISTLE BLOWING)
BRETT: Lieutenant!
LIEUTENANT: Soldier!
- There's no one in here, sir. - (AMY SOBS)
JACOB: We can't drive out.
They will be blocking every road.
It's fine, Father. We will walk.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)
(SINGS)
Oh. (CHUCKLES)
- Climb every mountain - Climb every mountain
- Ford every stream - Ford every stream
- Follow every rainbow - Follow every rainbow
- Till you find - Till you find
- Your dream - Your dream
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING, CHEERING)
We're done. Holy crap. We're done. (CHUCKLES) It was amazing.
MICHELLE: Everything that I was worried about from yesterday
- was flawless today. It was like magic. - (SAM CHUCKLES)
KRISTY: So we're coming back in another 30 years to do this again?
- I'll bring my walker. - BRETT: Yeah.
Well, if I were to sum up this experience in a word, I...
I might say, like, blessing in disguise.
It's three words, but... (CHUCKLES)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - (CHEERING)
We put on a hell of a show. Absolutely.
Yes! Yay! (CHUCKLES)
I... I feel like I just went through this amazing journey,
and, uh, it's just, uh, it's overwhelming.
Considering where I started this week, it means a lot.
This is the most animated that I've seen him in forever.
JACOB: I can shut a door on some certain feelings I had and...
But now this whole experience has kind of opened up another door for me.
- (KRISTY LAUGHS) - KRISTY'S MOM: Hi, sweetheart.
It just felt so good to be able to hit that note,
and I, like, just know that my dad was proud of me.
(KRISTY CHUCKLES)
- He would have been thrilled. - (SOBS)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
JOI: There were so many genuine moments on stage.
It is kind of like a dream.
And I'll look back on it and feel really fortunate
that I had this second chance to reunite with all of these people
and do this with them.
This is my second graduation from high school, and it's great.
Good bye
(PIANO PLAYING)
CARMEL: And...
JOI: Finally it has happened to me
SAM: Right in front of my face And I just can't describe it
AMY: Finally it has
JOI: Happened to me right in
BRETT: Front of my face and I
MICHELLE: Just cannot hide it seems So many
ZAK: Times you seem to be the one but
BRETT: All you ever wanted Was to have a little fun
SAM: Now you've come along
ZAK: And brightened up my world
BRETT: And in my heart I feel That I'm that special kind of girl
ALL: Finally you've come along
ALL: The way I feel About you it just can't be wrong
If you only knew the way I feel About you
ZAK: Hey.
ALL: I just can't describe it, oh no no Finally