Chapter Text
“Artie! Just the man I was hoping to see!” Will sped up until he and Artie were side by side in the hallway, ignoring the grumbles of students trying to move around him. The two maneuvered their way into the choir room, which was, for once, entirely empty.
“What’s up, Mr. Shue?”
Will sighed. “Well, I’ve come to the decision that with Vocal Adrenaline down a coach, I need to put all my focus into Nationals. Which means I can’t direct the school musical. Now, I’ve already asked Miss Pilsbury and Coach Beiste to co-direct, but I think the two of them could use a little more help in the directorial process.” He clapped his hands together, and then, as if he was bestowing Artie the world, said “I would like for you to be our student director.”
Artie was stunned. Him, direct the school musical? Be the one making the artistic choices, rather than following along with the crowd? There was just one issue.
“I accept, but not to do West Side Story.”
Will gaped at him, mouth opening and closing silently like a fish.
Emboldened, Artie continued. “Now, I know West Side Story is a classic that everyone knows, but that’s exactly why I think we should do something different. I’ve always imagined doing something deep and meaningful for my directorial debut, and I happen to have found the perfect one.”
“Are you sure, Artie? I mean, the Glee Club is already so excited, if we change the show they’ll be devastated. And Coach Beiste already promised to get the football guys to be our Jets.” Will took a deep, calming breath.
Pulling out his phone, Artie opened up a synopsis and handed it to Will. “Just read this, Mr. Shue. It’s a small cast, which lets most of the club focus on Nationals, school, and college applications. There are sections where we can add dancing where most performances don’t, setting us apart. And-”
Will cut him off. “Artie. I’ve asked you to be our student director. This show is out of my hands. If you feel passionate about switching gears, I’ll allow it. As long as we don’t have a repeat of the Rocky Horror scandal, you have complete control. So, who are you planning to cast?”
“Actually, I’d like to hold auditions this time. With only six roles, I feel that will give everyone an equal shot to prove themselves.” And what a difference that will be to Rocky, Artie thought ruefully.
Handing back Artie’s phone, Will smiled wanly. “All right, Artie. As long as you can get the rights by Glee Club tomorrow, we’ll announce the new show.”
Unbothered by the deadline, Artie bid his goodbye and began heading towards the library. He had his directorial debut to get ready!
The next afternoon, Brad the piano player was enjoying his last few moments of solitude before the demanding masses flooded into the choir room, expecting him to ‘hit it’ with no indication of what they planned on singing. Ah, and here they come now.
“I’d say I can’t wait to get my script, but honestly I’ve had Maria’s role memorized practically since birth,” came the ear wormy voice of one Rachel Berry. “I don’t know why Mr. Shue hasn’t announced a cast list yet, it’s not like we don’t already know who everyone will be.”
Brad wished he could join in on the grumbling of the other club members as they streamed into their seats, but he refused to have actual camaraderie with the students.
“I heard a rumor that the auditorium is reserved for auditions next week,” said a blond cheerleader, swinging her legs. Brad wanted to say her name was Blanche? No, maybe Barbara? That sounded close enough...
“I’m not sure why Mr. Shue would bother with auditions, we didn’t need them for Rocky Horror and that was cast perfectly!” oh, how he wished Rachel would be quiet for once. Brad constantly longed for the one week she had laryngitis, and he was finally able to have a moment's peace.
The weepy one, hmm, Toni? Brad tried hard not to learn all their names, and with some members, like Tammy, it was rather easy. Anyhow, Tabitha whirled around to face the bane of Brad’s existence. “That’s because you cast yourself as the only female lead and left the rest of us to have the scraps you didn’t want. I for one am glad that Mr. Shue is actually giving the rest of us a chance this time.”
“Maria is my role; I need this for my NYADA application!” Rachel’s little group of the sasquatch and the two gay boys huddled around her as she began what Brad assumed would be another little diva fit.
“Okay, guys, big announcement time!” Said Shuester as he strode into the room, followed closely by, was it Archibald?
As usual whenever Shuester started speaking, Brad did his best to tune him out. What did he care about the goings-on of glee club? He was there for that lovely piano and the opportunity to actually put his training to good use. Not that anyone in the room saw him as anything more than a prop for their own inflated egos. Now, what did he want to eat for dinner that night?
Rachel’s shriek interrupted his debate between takeout places. “What do you mean we aren’t doing West Side Story? Mr. Shue, you know how badly I need this musical, how can you just cancel it?”
“Not canceled, Rachel, merely a change of direction. Why don’t I let our directors come in to explain.” Shue gestured to the door, ushering in his little ginger sycophant and Coach Beiste, one of the few teachers at this school who actually treated Brad as an equal.
Archibald wheeled up to the front and joined the adults, facing his expectant peers.
“When Mr. Shue asked me to be the student director for the musical, I knew exactly what I wanted. Something different. Something with depth, something that speaks to people.”
“West Side Story-”
“Is a big dance spectacle, yes,” Archie continued with a no-nonsense tone to his voice. Brad could feel his level of respect rising. “But that’s not what I have planned. Instead, we will be doing the much less well-known ‘Next to Normal’.”
The club erupted into side conversations, and it looked like Rachel was being held back from attacking the bespeckled boy. The only one who seemed happy was the super flamboyant one, Kent, who was eagerly gesturing to his preppily dressed boyfriend.
“Auditions will be next Friday after school, and I’d like everyone to prepare 32 bars of a song that fits the style of the show. There’ll be a cold reading of sides afterwards. I look forward to seeing you all there.” And with that, the boy reentered his peers, ceding the floor back to Shue.
“All right team, now that we’ve covered our fall musical, let’s start prepping for Sectionals!”
Kurt stood up and looked over his handiwork. Nearly his entire floor was covered in different selections of sheet music, all painstakingly chosen to best increase his chances of being cast. A light cough from behind him tore him from his musings.
“I think we may be trapped in here until you decide what song you want to sing,” Blaine joked, pulling Kurt to him.
Kurt leaned into the embrace, careful not to disturb the papers around his feet. “At least with West Side Story I knew I’d get in, but with only four roles I can’t even guarantee that anymore. I have to pick the absolute perfect number to prove I deserve this. If I don’t get cast, and I don’t get elected student council president, I have no chance at getting into NYADA. I’m going to be stuck in Ohio forever, forced to work at the Lima Bean and be satisfied with the occasional community theater production.” Miserably, he sank down onto the bed. “The worst part is just how badly I want to play Gabe. I never thought I’d get a chance to see Next to Normal, let alone be in it.”
Blaine sat down next to him, combing his hand through Kurt’s carefully coiffed hair. “Hey, you are going to be fantastic at auditions. And think about it, if there’s four male roles and only six guys in Glee, five if you don’t count Artie. So, the odds are that no matter what song you pick, you’ll be in the show.”
Detangling himself from Blaine’s arms, Kurt bent back over the floor, sifting through the different choices. He struggled for a moment to convey how he was feeling into words, knowing it was safe to be vulnerable to Blaine and yet almost hesitant. “Gabe isn’t a super manly character and it’s not like he has a love interest. I know there’s no way I’d be cast as Henry or Dan, not with how Artie and the other Glee guys see me. But I have a shot, auditioning for Gabe. And I want this, not just for NYADA, but for me. To prove that I can to myself.”
Joining him on the floor, Blaine started looking through the various titles. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment until Blaine started to chuckle. “Is this, do you have every single JD song printed out?” he asked incredulously.
“Of course I do,” said Kurt, slightly defensively. “I want something that shows I can get to the emotional depth of the character, not just sing it well.” He shuffled a few songs around, undecided. “What do you plan on singing?”
Nonchalantly, Blaine shrugged. “I was thinking of just doing ‘I’m Alive’, though I do really like ‘Aftershock’.”
“Oh, those are Gabe songs, are you going for him too?” Kurt tried not to let his fears show on his face, it’s not like he wanted to discourage Blaine from auditioning for whatever part he wanted, it was just… hard, not to compare himself to his extremely talented boyfriend. Who was so much more palatable to the other Glee guys, who somehow managed to fit in where Kurt still struggled.
“No, I mean, I know how much this role means to you. And I’m a junior, I still have another year to get the lead role. I’m going for Dan, or maybe Henry. But the psychiatrist could also be fun, as long as I share the stage with you as Gabe.” Blaine took a breath, then, hesitantly, said, “I won’t even audition if you want, less competition.”
Hurriedly Kurt tried to dissuade him. “No, no, you should definitely still go for it! I want to get cast because I deserve it, not because there aren’t enough guys.” He looked down, scanning the sheets laid out before him. Changing the subject, he asked, “Who are we thinking will get Natalie and Diana? Because obviously my bet is on Rachel for Diana.”
Blaine laughed good-naturedly. “I think if Rachel wasn’t Diana she might actually combust.”
“Or attempt murder, either one,” Kurt added. He may have developed some camaraderie with Rachel throughout the years, but that didn’t stop him from knowing that she would do almost anything to gain her stardom. He picked up two song choices, weighing them against each other. “Do you think ‘One Song Glory’ from RENT is too cliche? Or would ‘All That’s Known’ from Spring Awakening fit better?”
“Hmm,” Blaine considered. “I think this calls for a private concert, don’t you think? I need a handsome man to show me through song exactly how he plans to win this part.” He stood, tugging Kurt to follow. Blaine lounged back onto the bed, motioning for Kurt to take the floor. “Serenade me like one of your French girls.”
Smiling, Kurt gazed lovingly at his boyfriend, mentally shooing away all of his doubts. He was Kurt Hummel, and he was going to blow this audition out of the water, and make the directorial team admit he was the perfect man for their show. Taking a deep breath, he centered himself and began to sing.