Act 2 (Jack & Louisa) (17 page)

Lou let out a shriek of excitement as my face broke out in an enormous grin.

“That means I’ll need you to put on your thinking caps and help me come up with a show that would be fun to do. Think you can do that?” She winked.

I couldn’t help myself; I lunged in and hugged Belinda around the waist. Lou joined me, flinging her arms over mine. Belinda said nothing, just held our shoulders as we hugged her tightly.

After a moment, Lou spoke up, her face still squished against my arm.
“Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

“Ohh, so you can play Millie,” I said, rolling my eyes, still clinging to Belinda. “No, let’s do something edgy, like
Caroline, or Change.”

“Are you crazy?” Lou pinched me. “We’re in middle school,” she whined. “But . . . if you happened to choose
Cabaret
, I know someone who’d be a great Sally Bowles.”

“Hey, you can’t just pick shows that you’d be the star of,” I grunted. “How about
A Catered Affair
?”

“Evita.”

“Dogfight.”

“Wicked.”

“Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.”

“Well, looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you,” Belinda said, gently prying us off of her. “We should probably get to that cast party.”

I nodded, remembering that our parents were still waiting patiently in the lobby.

“I have to run backstage and grab all my flowers. I’ll see you guys over there,” Belinda said, giving our shoulders a little squeeze before strutting back into the wings. I looked over at Lou, grinning as we walked to the staircase.

“Our carriage awaits,” I said, holding out my hand like a coachman.

“Well, ain’tchyoo a gent!” Lou responded in her Adelaide voice.

She placed her hand on top of mine, and we waltzed down the stairs together. We strolled up the aisle, giggling as we shouted out more and more ridiculous musicals we could do next year. Our feet glided past rows of empty chairs, seats that would stay vacant for a while but would be filled next year, when we’d get to do it all over
again.

Guys and Dolls
is a classic American musical comedy with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It premiered on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on November 24, 1950. It won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Director (George S. Kaufman). The original production ran for 1,200 performances. Five years later, an MGM film adaptation starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando opened to wide acclaim.

Since its original production,
Guys and Dolls
has been remounted several times in the United States and internationally. The most successful American revival was the iconic 1992 Broadway production starring Nathan Lane as Nathan Detroit, Peter Gallagher as Sky Masterson, Faith Prince as Miss Adelaide, and Josie de Guzman as Sarah Brown.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Jack and Louisa’s journey remains supported and uplifted by some amazing people: Francesco Sedita, Sarah Fabiny, and Max Bisantz at Penguin; Chris and Arnold Wetherhead, Jeff Croiter, Scott Bixby, Jake Wilson, Benj Pasek, and David Hull. Once again, Ben Fankhauser graciously offered his knowledge of Shaker Heights. We are eternally grateful to the astoundingly talented community of New York artists, many of whom we are lucky enough to call our friends, and from whom we draw daily inspiration. As always, the theaters of our past provide incredible memories that we have enjoyed exaggerating, distorting, and celebrating in order to create Jack and Louisa’s world. Lastly, thank you to our fans who have reached out to us to share their personal MTN stories. These books are for you.

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