Trying To Remember Those $#@&% Lyrics...

I knew it was coming. How could I not? I auditioned for the show--a show I've done twice before and seen numerous times--I accepted a part and let them know (by my ability to handle simple choreography...) that I could do the number.

Oh, the number. The one song that causes hives to appear on my skin, that turns my brain to mush.

And it's aptly called: Dancing On Your Grave.

The song is short--most of it involves a solo dancer showing Ebenezer Scrooge his future. The scene includes monks and gravediggers. Twice before and this time as well, I'm a gravedigger. I've got a shovel and everything. It's not the shovel that worries me.

It's those $#@&% lyrics!

I'm including them here to give you an idea of what I've had to deal with each time we do this particular Christmas musical.

Listen to the rhythm of the shovel in the gravel and the murmurs of the spirits that you fear,

Dancing in the shadows of the future, your future lies here.

Listen to the echoes of the voices in the shadows, all the people who you never tried to save,

Listen to the footsteps of the people who'll be dancing on your grave.

Listen to the rhythm of the hammer on the coffin, and the murmur of the people drawing near,

Listen to the music of the future, your future lies here.

Listen to the echoes of the voices of the future as they curse you for the little that you gave,

Listen to the footsteps of the people who'll be dancing on your grave.

Maybe you're much better at memorization than me. Maybe it's because I didn't put in the time and just memorize the darn thing each time I did the show previously. But in my defense, there's a lot of similar things going on in those two short verses. Lots of "Listens" and "Echoes" and "Footsteps."

And to make matters worse, in the above lyrics, each time you see a word in BOLD font, we're supposed to give those words accents--punches to add flavor and drama and spookiness. In the past, I've memorized either the choreography, the words, the accents, or the acting, but I don't think I've ever pulled off the quad-fecta.

That changes this year. I've got a lot of things to remember for this show. I'm going to learn the entire show and do it to the best of my ability, but there's one thing I promise to do and that's nail this particular number. I owe it to myself, to the rest of the cast, and to the audience who pay good money to see a bunch of people carry real shovels across the stage and scare the crap out of Scrooge. And when I nail that number, I'll be dancing inside as I'm dancing outside on his grave.