Little Voice (2020) s01e04 Episode Script

["Little Voice" playing]
[applause]
[Ethel Merman] And now,
what else is there to say but
There's no business like show business ♪
Like no business I know ♪
And right here. Follow me, sir.
No, no, no. That's H5, not H6.
And make sure your cell phone is turned off.
Louie, there's-- there's not enough legroom.
Ted, this is a theater, not an airline.
Phil, no eating in the theater.
Many theaters have concession
stands. That's what I'm trying to say.
Phil, hello? We're practicing late
seating. It's a complicated procedure.
I had LASIK surgery. That's
a complicated procedure.
I'm sure it was, Zack.
Louie is just trying to make sure he
does a good job on his first day of work.
All right, everybody. So, we're
back in the theater. Lights out, Phil.
Now, look him in the eye, Louie,
and with a gracious tone, ask to see his ticket.
May I see your ticket, Phil?
-You wouldn't know his name.
-Can you talk in a whisper, Zack?
-The show is going on.
-You wouldn't know my name.
I might. Maybe I asked. I'm very gracious.
No, you are not going to ask patrons their names.
You will just ask to see their tickets.
May I graciously see your
ticket, please? Follow me.
That's a horrible seat. How
come Zack gets to sit up front?
Because he's a season ticket holder, Phil.
I'm really hurt that I'm
not a season ticket holder.
Get a subscription, Ted. Think ahead.
Louie, the ticket holder has paid
good money for this experience.
Be gracious and respectful.
Gracious and respectful. Gracious and respectful.
Gracious and respectful.
-Gracious and respectful.
-I can't hear the show.
Phil! You're walking on the stage
in the middle of the opening number.
Sit down.
Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles ♪
God took up Daniel once again ♪
Stood by his side And miracle of miracles ♪
Walked him through the lions' den ♪
["1999" plays]
Must make the shift go by real quick.
[chuckles]
[music continues]
What is wrong with you?
[Bess stammers]
[chuckles]
I hate you. You know that, right?
[music continues]
-[Samuel] Oh.
-[Bess laughs]
-Oh, God!
-Oh, my God!
[Bess laughs]
[Samuel] Oh.
Insecure human.
It's an interesting species.
[music continues]
[both chuckle]
-Yo.
-I think I like it better out.
-What do you think, Samuel?
-Today's an outie day, for sure.
What?
[receptionist] Bess?
They're ready for you. It's
down the stairs, Studio A.
Thank you.
["All Along the Watchtower" plays]
Patti Smith.
[music continues]
[video game bubbles popping]
Ooh.
[music fades]
Sorry.
[popping continues]
[cell phone dinging]
[popping continues]
Hey.
Sorry. [chuckles]
-Who won me?
-Me. Bess.
Hi. Um, and this is Samuel.
And that's Benny.
Uh, actually, it's Benjamin.
But I also go by Ben or Benny.
Whatever's easiest for you.
But I've also been experimenting with just B.
Benji's dope too.
All right, uh, let's get started.
We have to be quick. We
only have a couple of hours.
You guys wanna get in there
and we'll start setting some levels?
Yeah, cool.
Oh, uh, my dad's gonna
be joining us a little later.
-He's gonna sing on "Dear Hope."
-It's your time. It's whatever you want.
You gonna take a nap in there? What is that?
-My keyboard.
-[chuckles] How 1983 of you.
I love it. Yeah, most people just use the piano.
Oh, there's a piano?
That's totally what I was gonna use.
You're hilarious.
[chuckles]
Thanks. [mutters]
[guitar playing warm-up]
[engineer] Hey, guys?
If you need more click or
voice or piano or whatever,
the private cue is next to you.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, they're separated
out on channels. It's labeled.
-Right.
-Okay, I'm gonna get some levels.
You guys wanna play a bit?
[plays chord]
[Bess] Check, one, two, three.
-[Bess] Check.
-[Samuel] Testing. Testing.
Testing.
[plays intro]
Open up my eyes to daylight ♪
In my new city ♪
Where maybe I will wander ♪
Too far away from where I started ♪
Real deal, right?
Open up my heart and break her ♪
No gentle waters, no anchor ♪
I'm barely brave enough To keep breathing ♪
But I believe in love-- ♪
Hey, guys, I think we're all set here.
Let's lay one down.
[plays intro]
I'm sorry. Hold on.
Samuel, I think lay off until
the beginning of the first verse.
But the intro is so sparse without it.
I like how empty it is. It's
the beginning of something.
I can do something simple that'll add depth.
That riff that you just
played was pretty great, Sam.
It really grabs the attention immediately.
I-- I think I like it quieter to start.
Yeah, but by the time it builds,
they'll have changed stations, so
All right. Let's just try one with it.
[sighs]
[plays intro]
[up-tempo guitar starts]
I'm sorry, guys. I think I just like it simpler.
Samuel, can you enter at the beginning
of the first verse like we rehearsed?
You know, we can always just mute it.
Mute it afterwards if you don't like it.
Okay.
Actually, I just want the piano in the intro.
All right.
Okay. Cool.
[plays intro]
Open up my eyes to daylight ♪
In my new city ♪
Where maybe I will wander ♪
Too far away from where I started ♪
Open up my heart and break her ♪
No gentle waters, no anchor ♪
I'm barely brave enough To keep breathing ♪
But I believe in love ♪
There is enough ♪
So ask for more ♪
To fill you up ♪
Nobody's keeping score ♪
Do you know what you fight for? ♪
I've never heard my voice like this.
That's because I had to
use a shit ton of Auto-Tune.
[chuckles]
I'm kidding. It's just a little
compression and some reverb.
You really don't need much,
which is crazy, by the way.
Yeah. No, she sounds great.
And I gotta tell you, you
were right about the intro.
The simplicity is dope.
-You were wrong, dude.
-Yeah. We all were.
-Girl, you gotta get this song out there.
-Right?
I knew I heard my baby's voice.
Pop. [laughs]
Holy shit. This is your dad?
Percy King, wow.
What an honor to meet you.
-Thanks, man.
-[exhales] I have to tell you,
my father introduced me to
your music when I was a kid,
and to this day, your first album is
one of my favorite records of all time.
Like, one of my top five desert island picks.
I'm not sure how much Bess paid
you to say that, but I appreciate it.
You know, I always felt like
you never got what was yours.
Ah. I'm excited to be in the studio again,
especially with this one.
I gotta tell you, the apple
doesn't fall far from the tree.
-Your daughter's got your gift, man.
-[chuckles]
The world awaits. You gotta
get her to do a music video.
Hell no.
You ask me, the industry derailed
when everybody started making
commercials of themselves
instead of playing gigs and making records.
But what do I know?
You know a lot.
Come on, Pop. Show 'em how it's done.
[both chuckle]
[intro starts]
I can't seem to shake it yet Feeling that ♪
Things may never change ♪
It always breaks my heart ♪
When broken parts ♪
-Ache to heal again ♪
-[soft clicking]
So I will write it-- ♪
-[sighs]
-[music stops]
Hey, man, this click track is
getting on my nerves, man.
I can hardly hear myself sing.
Okay, well, we can lower that for you.
[mutters]
[intro starts]
So I will write it down ♪
And make jagged edges ♪
Into something I can hold ♪
Don't wanna find my way ♪
Like dear Hemingway ♪
-[music stops]
-Okay, uh, that's great.
Uh, let's just try it one more time, Mr. King.
Uh, the lyric is actually "lose
my way," not "find my way."
The levels in this headset
are all jacked up, man.
Uh-- [sighs]
Yeah, we--
We didn't have all this shit
back in the day. [chuckles]
You just found the nearest
mic, gave it all you got.
All right? Live band.
Everybody singing, playing together.
Like making real music.
[chuckles] I hear you.
Give me one more.
[intro plays]
Don't wanna lose my way-- ♪
"Find." Is it "find" or "lose"?
It's "lose."
Fine, okay. All right.
Yeah, it's "lose."
Don't want to find my-- ♪
Find my--
Find. Lose. Lose. I don't wanna lose my way.
Don't wanna f-- ♪
-Do you wanna just get that piece?
-Okay. [stammers] I got it. I got it.
Don't want to-- ♪
Look, it's too many syllables, all right?
Don't wanna find-- ♪
[engineer] Sorry, it's "lose." "Lose my way."
The clock is ticking. I think we
should just tell him that we've got it.
I'm not gonna do that.
He's smarter than any of us.
Well, it's not completely dishonest.
I can probably use some of what
we've got. You barely have any time left.
[music resumes]
Don't wanna find my way ♪
Like dear Hemingway ♪
So I won't let go ♪
That was awesome. We got it.
You sounded great.
We didn't get shit.
Music doesn't lie. Come on, now.
[door opens]
Dad, it was so good.
Honestly, I think we got it.
I'm not a fan of bullshit, Bess.
I'm not bullshitting you. Even Jeremy said so.
Then he's bullshitting you.
Don't patronize me. I don't
need bullshit. I need another pass!
[piano playing intro]
Stars shining bright above you ♪
Night breezes Seem to whisper "I love you" ♪
Birds singing in the sycamore trees ♪
Dream a little dream of me ♪
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you ♪
Sweet dreams That
leave all worries behind you ♪
But in your dreams, whatever they be ♪
Dream a little dream of me ♪
Dream a little dream of me ♪
[applause]
That woman in the back?
-Mrs. Finch?
-Yeah, she's always alone.
Yep. Daisy Finch. She's all alone in this world.
-Let me get you paid.
-Ah.
Why don't I sit you by the window?
Okay.
Oh, there we go.
[rain pattering]
Do you mind if I sit with you?
I'm Bess.
You look very beautiful today.
Oh.
There, that's much better.
I'm having quite the day today.
How about you?
It's never how we imagine it, huh?
I saw that look in my dad's eyes today.
Haven't seen that look in a very long time.
It scared me.
-[sitar playing]
-[laughter]
[man] I, uh, work for Vice.
Oh, cool. Their articles
have that underground edge.
That was my major at Columbia,
underground edge journalism.
I majored in a major I'll never use, so
Oh, this is our third daughter, Bess.
Oh.
She was in the studio today
recording with her father.
They are the next Nat King and Natalie Cole.
[Prisha chuckles]
-Did you kill it?
-Oh, uh, it was great.
-Nice.
-Yeah. This looks so yummy.
Bess, this is Sundeep.
He, uh
He has a vice.
No, Mom, Mom, he writes for Vice.
Well, he may have a vice as well. We don't know.
[chuckling]
-[father] I don't know.
-[mother] What did I say?
[laughing]
[Sundeep's mother] Sundeep has
always had this questioning nature.
That is why he became a journalist.
Prisha too. They have this
questioning nature in common.
Now he is questioning whether
arranged marriage is a good idea.
[Prisha] They know we can hear them, right?
Let me tell you an important fact,
okay? American marriage does not work.
You can't make such
sweeping generalizations, Papa.
I'm not making this up. This is a statistic.
Every 13 seconds, there's a divorce.
I don't understand the American way.
-Too much, too soon.
-Yes.
No offense, Bess,
but marriage should be the
time you get to know each other.
If you find out everything about
someone before you marry,
then there is nothing left to discover
-and it will get boring.
-Very boring.
It's like reading the whole
book and then buying it.
-Boom! Another divorce.
-Boom!
I am never bored with him, and
we have been married 30 years.
That's just because Dad's crazy.
-[Prisha's father] Prish.
-[all] Aw.
I honestly think she's right.
If you're dating for too long,
then you will just start to see all of the things
that are wrong with each other, na?
You just start picking each other apart.
Reema and I met each other for
10 minutes before we got married.
And if we had met for 11 minutes,
we wouldn't be married today.
-Oh. Boom!
-[girls] Boom!
Another divorce.
-[bell dings]
-Oh.
Ladies, come with me.
-[phone beeps]
-Hey, Dad, it's me.
Well, I just thought I'd check in.
I guess just call me when you get this?
Love you.
[door opens]
Mommy says to wipe front to back.
Thank you.
He's a writer, you're a musician.
You're both creative
types. It's the perfect match.
Now, we will garnish this with rose petals
to open your hearts and
bring good luck to this match.
Oh, God. Mom, please don't wink.
[chuckles]
You know, that Sundeep, he reminds
me of myself when I was young.
He's very funny. What do you think, Bess, huh?
Oh, he's not not funny.
Exactly. Not not funny. That's good.
And you two have quite a
rat-a-tat-tat out there. Very nice.
-[bell dings]
-Prish, he's amazing.
You gotta give it to Mom
and Dad. They're good at this.
I mean, they're one for one so far.
[Prisha's mother] Yeah, listen
to your older sister, Prisha.
I'm proposing to him after lunch.
Boom, another divorce.
[mock laugh]
COCONUT OIL
[sighs]
You know, we named you
Prisha because it means "beloved."
We will not be here forever.
I just don't want you to
be alone in this cruel world.
I know.
I just need a little more time, Mama.
Prisha, listen to me. Uh, meet for cappuccino.
Go on the Froyo date
and then follow each other in
Instant Snap and send yellow faces.
You take your time. Just don't
take too long, that's all. Okay?
-Thank you, Mama.
-Okay.
Prish.
It's fine. He's-- He's fine.
-A rave review.
-No, no, he's cool.
Maybe for me, not for you.
Hey, please don't get in the way of
a free lifetime subscription to Vice.
[Prisha's mother] Come on, come
on. Naan and rice will get cold.
Let's go.
[speaks Hindi]
Go, go.
["Close To You" plays on sitar]
Take from the middle.
She seems open to him.
Thank you for encouraging her.
You see?
She listens to you, just like when
you encourage her to try okra.
I hope she listens to me, Mama G.
Boom! Another divorce.
[Bess] And then you say?
-Thank you for coming. Enjoy the show.
-Perfect.
And what do you say to a
customer that's cranky and impatient?
Ma'am, the restroom is
down the stairs to the right.
But she didn't say she needs to pee.
I could tell. That's why she was cranky.
[chuckles]
You're gonna do great, Louie.
I'm so proud of you. Have a great day.
It is a great day. Will you take a
picture of me in front of the theater?
Of course.
'Kay, ready?
-One, two, three.
-[phone clicks]
Remember, gracious and respectful!
Right. Gracious and respectful,
gracious and respectful,
gracious and respectful, gracious and respectful.
Gracious and respectful.
[violin plays]
C101 and 2.
Oh, wow, these are lovely
seats, really good seats.
Right here. Wonder of wonders, enjoy the show.
["Tradition" plays]
You've come a long way for these seats.
And don't feel bad that we have
an understudy. She's fabulous.
She toured in Guys and Dolls
and played Cosette in
Les Mis at St. Olaf College.
[murmuring]
-[phone clicks]
-Right this way, ladies.
-I love comedy. Oh, this is so great.
-It's my most favorite show of all time.
Hope you're not gonna talk
that much during the show.
Okay. So
The choreographer also choreographed
On the Town, West Side Story,
Gypsy, Peter Pan, and the
original Fiddler on the Roof, 1964.
The set designer also designed
Rock of Ages. What a range.
[music continues]
Excuse me, sir.
You have a very large head,
and my patron who's sitting
behind you is very short.
I graciously ask that you move over a seat.
Yeah, well, that's not my seat.
Um, uh, excuse me, but would you
mind moving your patrons one seat over
as this man has a very large
head and my patron is very short.
I don't want to move.
You know, you're not really
being gracious and respectful.
How about you back off?
Perhaps the reason you're impatient and cranky
is because you need to use the restroom.
It's down the stairs and to the left.
Oh, my God, it's Nicholas Christopher!
Ouch!
Get off!
-[crowd gasping]
-[Louie] Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
You played George Washington on Broadway,
then played Aaron Burr
on the road for nine months,
and then went back to playing
George Washington on Broadway.
Will you sign my Playbill?
-Uh, sure.
-Right. It's, uh, "To Louie King."
[chuckles] I can't believe I got it.
[Bess] Oh, honey, don't you cry ♪
The absence of the light ♪
Even the sun must rest his weary eyes ♪
So let the night wrap stars around you ♪
Weigh the anchor And
sail into the night's joy ♪
[Bess reading] "'But where
do you live mostly now?'
'With the lost boys.
[Bess] You can be king of the lost boys ♪
[reading] I'm the captain.'
'What fun it must be.'
'Yes', said cunning Peter,
'but we are rather lonely.
You see, we have no female companionship.'
'Are none of the others girls?'
'Oh, no.'
She was slightly disappointed when he admitted
that he came to the nursery window
not to see her but to listen to stories.
You can be king of the lost boys ♪
'You see, I don't know any stories.'
'None of the lost boys know any stories.'
'How perfectly awful,' Wendy said."
Don't you cry, no, honey ♪
Don't you cry In time you will be stronger ♪
Don't you worry 'bout the why
Those answers come in time ♪
So leave your heart to wander ♪
[vocalizing]
[vocalizing]
[Bess] Give me a kiss goodbye ♪
And go explore the night ♪
You know the way You can come back anytime ♪
[Ethan] Hey.
Hey. You leaving?
Uh, no, no, I'm just getting here.
I mean, I have to go, but, uh, I'm here now.
Hey, can I, uh-- can I help you?
I'm okay, thank you.
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm fine.
-[opens door]
-I just [sighs]
I'll see you later.
[door rattles]
Come, honey Don't you cry, no, honey ♪
Don't you cry In time you will be stronger ♪
Don't you worry 'bout the why
Those answers come in time ♪
So leave your heart to wander ♪
Come now, honey Don't you cry, no, honey ♪
Don't you cry In time you will be stronger ♪
Don't you worry 'bout the why ♪
[phone chimes]
Those answers come in time ♪
So leave your heart to wander ♪
Come now, honey Don't you cry, no, honey ♪
Don't you cry In time you will be stronger ♪
Don't you worry 'bout the why
Those answers come in time ♪
So leave your heart to wander ♪
-[sniffles]
-Leave your heart to wander ♪
Leave your heart to wander ♪
Come, honey Don't you cry, no, honey ♪
Don't you cry In time you will be stronger ♪
Don't you worry 'bout the why
Those answers come in time ♪
So leave your heart to wander ♪
Come now, honey Don't you cry, no, honey ♪
Don't you cry In time you will be stronger ♪
Don't you worry 'bout the why
Those answers come in time ♪
So leave your heart to wander ♪
Leave your heart to wander ♪
Leave your heart to wander ♪
---oOo---