Season 2, Episode 17
SCENE 4
MUSIC CONTINUING IN BACKSTAGE
CYNTHIA (frantic, as usual) Hello? Excuse me? I'm supposed to be singing in this show and I can't seem to find anyone in charge... Excuse me... I'm supposed to be singing, and I'm late, and the show has already started, and where is my duet partner Smoke? And who's in charge of this .., thing. MIRANDA What seems to be the problem back here.. what.. what are YOU doing here? CYNTHIA Oh, it's Miranda, isn't it? MIRANDA Look, Ms. Radcliffe, I don't know what you're doing here, but if you've come to add insult to injury, this really isn't the moment. As you can see I'm in the middle of a show here. CYNTHIA And I, Ms. Jones, am IN this show you're in the middle of. MIRANDA You're what? CYNTHIA Oh yes, dear, I was invited to sing a duet with someone named Smoke, and believe me I had my doubts about coming to this puddle to sing, but since my business manager thought it was a good idea. MIRANDA You're the one Smoke invited! Well hurry up, you're late. Smoke is over there. SOUND OF FOOTSTEPS CYNTHIA (sarcastic) My my, what a warm reception, Miranda. I'll see if I can do the same for you sometime!
The challenge in writing this episode was to showcase the great musicians and songwriters who were our cast members and guest stars, but also continue to advance the soap opera around the musical interludes. The result was that “on stage” during Milford-Haven’s Talent Night, all was harmonious – literally and figuratively. But backstage . . . not so much. Miranda and Cynthia are bitterly vying for the attention of Zack; reporter Emily Wilkins is trying to dig up dirt for the local newspaper; and several other characters are trying to ensure that nothing disrupts the proceedings at this “Peace” concert.
So while the plot advanced slowly but surely, our 4.5 million listeners to our BBC broadcasts got to enjoy some original music they wouldn’t hear anywhere else.
First, we featured “Rise Above It”, which was a song from “L.A. River Anthology,” a musical written by Carl Esser. Carl played the character “Rune” in Milford-Haven, and by the time we got to work with him, he’d already had a stunning, multi-faceted career. He had created his own radio series, “Across the Blue Pacific,” broadcast in Hawaii and to the Pacific Fleet. A writer, producer, Broadway musical performer and voice actor, he was a tremendous asset to our cast. You read more here about Carl Esser.
In this episode, he performed his song with his real-life wife Kim Fowler-Esser, who was also a cast member and gifted performer.
Next up was the song “The Joke’s On You” by John McFee of the Doobie Brothers and Andre Pessis. It was performed by John’s real wife Marcy McFee and David L. Krebs,
both of whom were part of our regular cast.
In the previous post I wrote about “Nothing To Stop Me” which I co-wrote with Cornelius Bumpus. The final song is “Can’t You See” which I co-wrote with John McFee and John and I performed it in this episode.
As you listen to this show, I know you’ll have fun visualizing a small-town talent show with big-town talent!
So now . . join us for Season 2 by downloading the episode or subscribing to Season 2, tune in to your favorite device, and join us in . . . Milford-Haven!
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