This has to be one of my all-time favorite Falsettos one-shots that I've written. It combines Falsettos and A New Brain.
It's a bit sad, but also a bit comedic.
Christian Borle played Mr. Bungee (2015 cast of A New Brain) and Marvin (2016 Falsettos revival). Chip Zein played Mr. Bungee (off-Broadway cast of a New Brain), Marvin (In Trousers), and Mendel (original Broadway cast of Falsettos).
I don't remember who I was envisioning when I was writing this, but do with it what you will.
Words: 1175
It was two weeks after Whizzer's funeral. Marvin had taken advantage of his vacation days. He didn't want to deal with his co-workers and their condolences. The only person he didn't mind was Jason. Besides the fact that Marvin was mourning the love of his life, he was deteriorating. Both his body and his will to live were disappearing more and more every day. He knew he had to try for Jason, but he knew if he gave up the kid would understand.
Sitting on the couch, he channel surfed, trying to keep his brain occupied until Jason stopped by as he did every day after school. Stopping on a children's show, he smiled for the first time in weeks. It was a show he used to watch when Jason was little. He couldn't believe it was still on the air.
"Hey there, little tadpoles! Kerplop! Aren't we having a fungee-bungee good time? Come on!" The host of the show, Mr. Bungee, a man dressed in a frog costume, spoke to the camera. He was an attractive man, which was the only reason Marvin liked watching the show with Jason. He hated children's shows normally. "Let's hip-hop on over to my own little lilypad on this dark and miserable morning. At least it's dark and miserable here, and maybe it's dark and miserable where you are too!"
"What am I doing?" Marvin asked himself.
But before he could change the channel, Mr. Bungee started singing:
"Quitting is the specialty of jerks, Marvin." Mr. Bungee began talking directly to him.
"Huh?"
"Don't give in." Jason stopped forward.
"What is happening?" Marvin looked at the empty beer bottles on the table. Maybe he was so drunk, he was hallucinating.
"Simply keep the focus on what lies ahead," Mr. Bungee spoke in a mocking tone.
"Don't play games." Trina crossed her arms.
"Don't play dead." Mendel smiled like an idiot.
"Dad, begin!" Jason began marching in place.
"Those who are marking time: wake up!" Mr. Bungee yelled.
"Wake up!" Trina joined him, getting closer to the camera.
"Wake up!" Jason jumped behind them.
"Wake up, Marvin!" Mendel's head nearly came out of the TV.
"Dad!"
"Marvin, sweetheart."
Marvin opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep on the couch. Mendel, Trina, and Jason stood over him. Mr. Bungee was still singing on the TV.
"I'm- fine. Just- fine." He sat up.
"Are you sure?" Jason sat on the coffee table facing him. "I don't have to spend the night if-"
"No! I'm sorry. I just had a long day."
"Why are you watching Mr. Bungee's Fungee Time?" Mendel asked.
"Uh- I- I don't know. Maybe I fell asleep holding the remote and accidentally flipped to the channel." Marvin lied.
"Honey, you look exhausted." Trina sat next to him. "Is there anything you need me to do around the house?"
"No. I can manage."
"I'll clean this for you." Mendel grabbed the empty beer bottles.
"Thanks." He sighed.
"Have you eated anything today?" Trina asked.
"Uh-" He hadn't, but he asn't going to let her know that. "Yeah."
"Don't lie to me."
"I have! I promise. I am- taking care of myself." But he wasn't.
"Dad."
"I'm okay! I'm glad you're finally here." Marvin rustled Jason's hair realizing he was looking more like him. He looked at the TV for a moment and he could swear Mr. Bungee winked. "Actually- I am a little hungry. I'll order us pizza."
"I could cook." Trina offered.
"Didn't you and Mendel have dinner plans?" Jason asked.
"We can cancel them." Mendel walked back to the living room, putting his hands on Trina's shoulders.
"No. I couldn't ask you to. I mean-"
"Please, Marv." Trina looked at him, the sincerity in her eyes made his heart sink. He knew she saw through his lies. Perks of being married to her for twelve years.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. Mendel and I will pick some things up at the supermarket and we'll be right back."
"Thank you."
"Anything for you." She got up from the couch and looked at Mendel.
"Do you want to play chess?" Jason asked. Marvin shook his head. He hadn't played chess since Whizzer's death.
"We'll be back." Trina kissed Jason's hair and gave Marvin a reassuring pat on his shoulder.
"Thank you." It was a whisper. Marvin felt like he was going to fall apart. Trina and Mendel left Jason and Marvin in the living room.
"We can keep watching Mr. Bungee. Like we used to." Jason looked at the TV. "Wow. He got old. Why is this show still on?"
"I don't know, but that sounds like a good idea." Marvin patted the couch and Jason sat next to him. For the first time in weeks, Marvin felt the faintest bit happy.
"So remember kids!" Mr. Bungee broke into a song again. A reprise to end the episode.
It's a bit sad, but also a bit comedic.
Christian Borle played Mr. Bungee (2015 cast of A New Brain) and Marvin (2016 Falsettos revival). Chip Zein played Mr. Bungee (off-Broadway cast of a New Brain), Marvin (In Trousers), and Mendel (original Broadway cast of Falsettos).
I don't remember who I was envisioning when I was writing this, but do with it what you will.
Words: 1175
It was two weeks after Whizzer's funeral. Marvin had taken advantage of his vacation days. He didn't want to deal with his co-workers and their condolences. The only person he didn't mind was Jason. Besides the fact that Marvin was mourning the love of his life, he was deteriorating. Both his body and his will to live were disappearing more and more every day. He knew he had to try for Jason, but he knew if he gave up the kid would understand.
Sitting on the couch, he channel surfed, trying to keep his brain occupied until Jason stopped by as he did every day after school. Stopping on a children's show, he smiled for the first time in weeks. It was a show he used to watch when Jason was little. He couldn't believe it was still on the air.
"Hey there, little tadpoles! Kerplop! Aren't we having a fungee-bungee good time? Come on!" The host of the show, Mr. Bungee, a man dressed in a frog costume, spoke to the camera. He was an attractive man, which was the only reason Marvin liked watching the show with Jason. He hated children's shows normally. "Let's hip-hop on over to my own little lilypad on this dark and miserable morning. At least it's dark and miserable here, and maybe it's dark and miserable where you are too!"
"What am I doing?" Marvin asked himself.
But before he could change the channel, Mr. Bungee started singing:
"When you want to quit
'Cause nothing works
Don't give in
Quitting is the specialty of-"
For a moment, Marvin thought Mr. Bungee was talking to him. He sat up and looked at the screen.
"Don't give in
Simply keep your focus
On what lies ahead
Don't play games
Don't pay dead
Begin"
Marvin found himself mesmerized. He could have sworn Mr. Bungee wrote the song just for him. As if the strange man on the children's channel knew what Marvin was going through.
"Those who are marking time:
Wake up
Life is a cause you have to take up
Don't give up
When you think you're dying
Well you ain't"
"Except I am." Marvin directed his remark to the TV.
"Don't give in
All you need's another coat of paint
Don't give in
Fix-a-this and fix-a-that
And you'll surmise
No more alibis
Why did you not win?"
"Maybe because I'm gay and the world hates me." Marvin's snide comments went unheard since it was just him and the TV.
"What once seemed boorish and hokey
Now seems incredibly okey-dokey
Don't give in
When you're feeling low?"
"When I'm feeling low? I'm always feeling low. There are no more highs. Happiness is only temporary."
"Maybe eat...spaghetti?"
"Spaghetti?"
"Just as long as you continue on
Every day you'll grow
You'll become more ready
To confront the dark before the dawn
When you want to quit
'Cause nothing works"
Trina, Mendel, and Jason appeared on the TV singing with Mr. Bungee. "What the f-" Marvin sat forward.
"Don't give in"
"Maybe I'm finally losing it." Marvin rubbed his eyes, not believing what he was seeing."Quitting is the specialty of jerks, Marvin." Mr. Bungee began talking directly to him.
"Huh?"
"Don't give in." Jason stopped forward.
"What is happening?" Marvin looked at the empty beer bottles on the table. Maybe he was so drunk, he was hallucinating.
"Simply keep the focus on what lies ahead," Mr. Bungee spoke in a mocking tone.
"Don't play games." Trina crossed her arms.
"Don't play dead." Mendel smiled like an idiot.
"Dad, begin!" Jason began marching in place.
"Those who are marking time: wake up!" Mr. Bungee yelled.
"Wake up!" Trina joined him, getting closer to the camera.
"Wake up!" Jason jumped behind them.
"Wake up, Marvin!" Mendel's head nearly came out of the TV.
"Dad!"
"Marvin, sweetheart."
Marvin opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep on the couch. Mendel, Trina, and Jason stood over him. Mr. Bungee was still singing on the TV.
"Life is a cause that you have to take up
Don't give in
When you wanna quit 'cause nothing works
Quitting is the specialty of-"
Marv, are you feeling okay?" Trina asked, feeling his forehead."I'm- fine. Just- fine." He sat up.
"Are you sure?" Jason sat on the coffee table facing him. "I don't have to spend the night if-"
"No! I'm sorry. I just had a long day."
"Why are you watching Mr. Bungee's Fungee Time?" Mendel asked.
"Uh- I- I don't know. Maybe I fell asleep holding the remote and accidentally flipped to the channel." Marvin lied.
"Honey, you look exhausted." Trina sat next to him. "Is there anything you need me to do around the house?"
"No. I can manage."
"I'll clean this for you." Mendel grabbed the empty beer bottles.
"Thanks." He sighed.
"Have you eated anything today?" Trina asked.
"Uh-" He hadn't, but he asn't going to let her know that. "Yeah."
"Don't lie to me."
"I have! I promise. I am- taking care of myself." But he wasn't.
"Dad."
"I'm okay! I'm glad you're finally here." Marvin rustled Jason's hair realizing he was looking more like him. He looked at the TV for a moment and he could swear Mr. Bungee winked. "Actually- I am a little hungry. I'll order us pizza."
"I could cook." Trina offered.
"Didn't you and Mendel have dinner plans?" Jason asked.
"We can cancel them." Mendel walked back to the living room, putting his hands on Trina's shoulders.
"No. I couldn't ask you to. I mean-"
"Please, Marv." Trina looked at him, the sincerity in her eyes made his heart sink. He knew she saw through his lies. Perks of being married to her for twelve years.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. Mendel and I will pick some things up at the supermarket and we'll be right back."
"Thank you."
"Anything for you." She got up from the couch and looked at Mendel.
"Do you want to play chess?" Jason asked. Marvin shook his head. He hadn't played chess since Whizzer's death.
"We'll be back." Trina kissed Jason's hair and gave Marvin a reassuring pat on his shoulder.
"Thank you." It was a whisper. Marvin felt like he was going to fall apart. Trina and Mendel left Jason and Marvin in the living room.
"We can keep watching Mr. Bungee. Like we used to." Jason looked at the TV. "Wow. He got old. Why is this show still on?"
"I don't know, but that sounds like a good idea." Marvin patted the couch and Jason sat next to him. For the first time in weeks, Marvin felt the faintest bit happy.
"So remember kids!" Mr. Bungee broke into a song again. A reprise to end the episode.
"Strange things happen more than you would guess
Don't give in
When life seems like an unforgiving mess
Don't give in
Things go wrong, you lose your way, but don't despair
Just play fair
And prepare to win
What once seemed wrong is soon righted
Miserable people become delighted
Don't give in."
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