4:30 PM

“Is she here?” asks the SM.

“Is this Mrs. Walker?”, asks the event coordinator.

“Are you on your way?” I say on the phone to Mrs. Walker.

“Driving as fast as I can. I’m still in DC, but I should be there in 15.”

As *Beauty and the Beast* finishes their run of “Be Our Guest”, I tell the SM that Mrs. Walker is in the parking lot. She shouts to the event coordinator, it is almost mayhem in the hall now. He shouts to me:

“Put your mic on, we’ll do your run through as soon as she is miced. EVERYBODY ELSE LISTEN TO ME! IF YOU HAVE RESERVED SEATS, IT IS OK, BUT YOU HAVE TO RESERVE CHAIRS NOT TABLES. TAKE ANY PERSONAL POSSESSIONS OFF THE TABLES. AND GET OUT. THIS ROOM MUST BE CLEARED IN 10 MINUTES. IS THE *TOMMY* PIANIST READY?”

“I’m here,” she says as Mrs. Walker enters into the fray, beautiful and freaked out.

She drops her stuff, I hand her mic to her. “I’ll need a note,” I yelled to the pianist.

“Where’s Li’l Tommy?” Mrs. Walker asks.

“They’ve gone to get dinner.” I manage to say, even though Mrs. Walker looks like she was going to tear a hunk of flesh out of my neck.