(dramatic music)
(dramatic music continues)
- Good evening, theater nerds.
Welcome to "Play it by Ear," the musical improv show.
I'm your host, Mano Agapion.
Why don't y'all join me in welcoming today's cast, huh?
(bright music)
Zach Reino.
(Mano laughs)
Jess McKenna.
(bright music)
And Zeke Nicholson.
Oh.
(Mano cheers)
Yeah.
How y'all doing today?
- [Group] Good.
- How are you?
- Yeah, I'm full Like a little boy should be.
- You heard it here, folks.
Full like a little boy should be.
- Are you ready to have your nighttime chocolate
and be tucked in for bed?
- Yeah. (laughs)
Are y'all ready to have a really fun time on a show?
- [Group] Yeah.
- The show "Merrily We Roll Along"
by Furth and Sondheim is an unconventional story
told in reverse.
(Jess laughing)
- This is the first time
that Mano's started an episode being like,
here's some musical theater history for you.
- Our show tonight might follow a similar structure.
- Okay.
- The subject matter is totally up to you.
- Okay.
- All I require is that the opening scene,
which is really the end, take place at a fancy gala.
- Oh, great. That's helpful.
- And the final number,
which is really the beginning of the story,
take place at a Friendsgiving.
- We're doing it backwards?
- Yes.
- Like "Merrily We Roll Along" by?
- Sondheim and Furth. - Sondheim and that other guy.
(group laughing)
- George Furth wrote the book.
Sondheim wrote the music.
- [Mano] Yeah. Duh.
I can barely get it straight,
but y'all are gonna have to
in this musical titled "Backwards Compatible."
(gentle music)
- This all comes down to this.
- Oh gosh! - I'm so sorry.
- I don't think he's gonna show up.
- I'm here.
- Oh my God!
You came.
I can't believe you both came.
- I know that we've been through some really trying times.
- We've drifted apart
and I didn't think you'd come and watch me receive my award.
- Mary, we would never miss you receive your award.
- We would never roll along without you, Mary.
- Duncan,
- Donuts,
- That's right.
- Duncan,
Donuts, - And Donuts.
- And Mary back together after so much has happened.
- Do you guys ever think about how this whole thing started
at a Friendsgiving so many years ago?
- I think about it all the time.
Not only about that it was a Friendsgiving,
but that it was
- [Group] So many years ago.
(Mano laughing)
- What are you drinking?
- (scoffs) Whiskey Sour in a champagne flute.
- Like he always does. - Just like he always does.
We may have changed a lot since the beginning,
but in many ways,
- We're the same old,
- We're the same old gang. - Same old friends.
- Mary, Duncan,
- [Group] And Donuts.
(gentle music)
♪ Nothing could be sweeter ♪
♪ Nothing is more fine ♪
♪ Than friendship that makes it through time ♪
♪ Makes it through time ♪
♪ You two are friends that have aged like fine wine ♪
♪ 'Cause as you said before, I think about it all the time ♪
♪ How we started so many years ago ♪
♪ We all remember the day ♪
♪ When we were giving thanks and holding hands ♪
♪ So today, let me say ♪
♪ Nothing ages ♪
♪ Finer ♪
♪ That's right, more fine ♪
♪ Than friendship through time ♪
♪ No, nothing ♪
♪ Nothing ages more fine ♪
♪ Than friendship through time ♪
♪ And even though ♪
♪ You're winning a lifetime achievement award ♪
♪ For all in your life that you achieved ♪
♪ Finally at last ♪
♪ But in a way, nothing's changed. ♪
♪ We're still drinking whiskey sours from a champagne glass ♪
♪ And nothing ages more fine ♪
♪ Than friendship through time ♪
♪ Nothing ages more fine ♪
♪ Than friendship through time ♪
♪ And let's put those ugly days behind us ♪
♪ The years where we didn't talk ♪
♪ The whole ordeal on the steam boat ♪
♪ And that funny time by the big old rock ♪
♪ And that other thing ♪
♪ We all definitely remember ♪
♪ The thing, of course ♪
♪ That happened last November. ♪
♪ Not December, in November ♪
♪ Not December ♪
♪ Not that time ♪
♪ The other time ♪
♪ The other time is so sublime ♪
♪ And it's aged like a fine wine ♪
♪ 'Cause nothing, nothing ages more fine ♪
♪ Than friendship through time ♪
♪ Nothing ages more fine ♪
♪ Than friendship ♪
♪ No ♪
♪ Friendship through time ♪
♪ I can't believe I'm receiving this award ♪
♪ And thank you all for coming ♪
♪ This is huge ♪
♪ This is grand ♪
- [Zach] ♪ Oh look, she finally learned how ♪
♪ To pronounce the word huge ♪ - [Jess] ♪ But you'll never understand ♪
♪ How this is so much more meaningful to me ♪
♪ I didn't want - ♪ ♪ Mary, I'mma let you finish ♪
♪ But Beyonce ♪
♪ Ages more fine ♪
♪ I think Beyonce deserved this award ♪
♪ She probably did ♪
♪ And I couldn't stand here ♪
♪ Couldn't stand here on my own ♪
♪ Without giving a little credit ♪
♪ Without saying that it's true ♪
♪ I couldn't have done this without you ♪
♪ Two ♪
♪ Nothing ages more fine ♪
♪ No, nothing ages more fine ♪
♪ Nothing ages more fine ♪
♪ Than friendship through ♪
♪ Time ♪
♪ Through time ♪
- Thank you. Oh, thank you.
Thank you. (audience clapping)
- Bravo. Bravissima.
That's the end of the show!
- This is like being in a Christopher Nolan movie.
- Yeah.
There's so much to do that I won't add anything
to this next scene,
but I do want to add something to this next scene. (laughs)
So, - Wow, you really
Christopher Nolan'd us there.
- (laughs) Yeah. - Whoa.
- For some reason, this show is also sponsored.
(Zeke laughing) So I want this next
scene and song to casually mention a product placement
of a made up product.
(Jess groans)
- Oh.
Duncan?
- Hi, Mary.
- I was just closing up the lab. It's getting colder.
It's November.
- Not December. - No, not,
- Where it's already cold.
- I haven't seen you.
- Since the steamboat, I know.
Listen, the lab looks good.
- Well, yeah. We've made a lot of breakthroughs.
I tried, I talked to your assistant,
I talked to your daughter.
No one could get ahold of you.
They said you were backpacking across Australia.
- That's right.
But I had a lot of time to think.
I just need to apologize
for not helping you when you had the really good idea
of making mushrooms
that make you so healthy when you eat them.
- Yeah.
- I thought it was stupid when you said it out loud.
- I know.
Listen, Duncan, I don't wanna do this right now.
Would you just, would you take a break?
Would you take a break and share a Shortcake Stack with me?
- I don't know.
Shortcake Stacks are probably high in sugar.
- No. - And carbohydrates.
- No. That's the great thing about Shortcake Stacks.
(Jess laughing)
(chiming music)
(Mano laughing)
- Surely, something that tastes as good as a Shortcake Stack
doesn't have any nutritional value whatsoever.
- No, but that's where you're wrong, Duncan.
Just like you were wrong about the mushroom.
(chiming music)
♪ When you need a snack and you need it fast ♪
♪ Why not take a break with shortcake fast ♪
♪ It's the cake that's short ♪
♪ And the cake that's short is the cake ♪
♪ That has not sugar, of course ♪
♪ It's made with a different type of surculose ♪
♪ But a very small, minuscule, tiny dose ♪
♪ So you won't get a headache or start to feel the spins ♪
♪ And it's so short that when you start ♪
♪ You'll think, hey, did I just begin ♪
♪ Short stack, Shortcake Stack ♪
♪ What a delicious, healthy snack ♪
♪ Short stack, Shortcake Stack ♪
♪ What a delicious and healthy snack ♪
♪ Low in calories ♪
♪ High in fiber. ♪
♪ Num, num, num, eat it up ♪
♪ It's all you could desire. ♪
♪ Okay, so picture this. ♪
♪ It's a tiny can like the one with the little Pringles man ♪
♪ And once you pop, you can't stop ♪
♪ 'Cause the shortcake steak ♪
♪ Well, shortcakes, short ♪
♪ It's a meat? ♪ ♪ Shortcake snack also comes in steak ♪
♪ Which is a deal flavor that you could make ♪
♪ It's savory, sweet, and also good ♪
♪ You can eat it in any neighborhood ♪
♪ You can have a steak with bearnaise ♪
♪ Or also this way ♪
♪ You can have it as a shortcake ♪
♪ That's with strawberry, short and it's cake ♪
♪ And with strawberries inside ♪
♪ Either way, you won't wanna hide ♪
♪ Because ooh, listen, let's take a pop ♪
♪ Also, it comes in a can ♪
(Mano laughing)
♪ Short stack, Shortcake Stack ♪
♪ Shortcake, a delicious snack ♪
♪ Short stack, Shortcake Stack ♪
♪ In a ♪
- It's so cold.
We have to go back inside.
- Wait, Duncan, you can't go in the lab yet.
- Why not?
- The mushrooms are still growing,
and you haven't been cleared.
What if something happens?
I'm sorry, I know that lab used to be ours,
but it's been mine for many years now.
- I guess, after all this time,
I still haven't learned
and I'm still not ready to forgive you.
Maybe I will be later, but now I'm not.
- Duncan,
- If only there was something
that could make me feel a little bit better in this moment.
♪ Is it a ♪
♪ Short cake ♪
♪ Shortcake Stack ♪
♪ Stack ♪
♪ That's a snack ♪
♪ It comes in a stack ♪
♪ But it's also a snack ♪
♪ It is also a snack ♪
♪ Let layer by layer us peel the layers back ♪
♪ I'm sorry, just like the top of the stack ♪
♪ Now if you listen for just a little ♪
♪ Listen to my apology in the middle ♪
♪ Whether you have strawberries and cream or steak ♪
♪ With bearnaise, the day that I said ♪
♪ You could never return was my mistake ♪
♪ Can we make this part short ♪
♪ The part where we don't talk anymore ♪
♪ And if we could make this part sweet ♪
♪ When we finally come back and meet ♪
♪ It's a short stack ♪
♪ Shortcake Stack ♪
♪ And it comes in a can ♪
♪ Stack ♪
♪ And if we can move past ♪ ♪ Shortcake Stack ♪
♪ Can we move past, can we move past ♪
♪ Can we move past, can we ♪
♪ Can we make this part short ♪
♪ The part where we don't talk anymore ♪
♪ And can we make this part sweet ♪
♪ The part where finally ♪
♪ We can ♪
♪ We can, it comes in a can ♪
(group laughing)
- Amazing.
(audience clapping)
That really made me happy. Wow.
And that's merch too.
Shortcake Stack. - [Jess] Shortcake, short cake.
- It feels like a slam dunk ad campaign.
It's very clear and easy to understand.
- Yeah.
- You have a lot on your plate.
So take us somewhere and I'll interrupt with a song prompt.
(Jess laughing)
- Have you noticed, Captain?
- Yeah.
- Quite a bit of fighting going along
with the passengers above deck.
- On this?
- Normally, when people take
Captain Jameson's Steamboat Surprise,
- That's right.
- They're usually, it's all for fun.
- Don't they know the whole point
of a steamboat cruise is love and connection?
- Yeah.
- That's why we do almost exclusively bachelorette parties
down the, what's the big river in the middle of the country?
- The Mississippi.
- The Mississippi River.
(Mano laughing)
Gotta rig up the rope, so it's like autopilot for a second.
- We've got someone that does that.
- Yeah. I can also steer the ship.
- I think, since we're on a steamboat,
this song should incorporate as much whistling as possible.
- Clarice? - Mhm?
When you put the wheel in your hands, - Uh huh?
how does it make you feel?
- Oh, it makes me feel incredible and alive
and like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
- And Smee, when you put coal into the engine,
how does it make you feel?
- Tired.
- You need to take a little bit of Clarice's point of view
on the world.
- Maybe it's just holding steering wheels.
Do you wanna hold this?
- Oh yeah, maybe. Hold on.
Well, yeah, this is better.
- Okay. - Yeah.
- This is a better job than that job.
- [Jess] Yeah.
- Can I have this one?
- Sure. You are the captain now, Smee.
- Well, if there's gonna be a day where Smee is the captain,
we're gonna do things just a little different around here.
- [Jess] Alright! - What do you mean?
♪ Well, we normally steer the boat down the river ♪
♪ Down the river where's the boat does go ♪
♪ But I was thinking, steer the boat up the river ♪
♪ Up the river it'll go more slow ♪
♪ But that's just me ♪
♪ That's just me ♪
♪ That's just Smee ♪
(Mano laughing)
- Those are my ideas.
♪ But if we went up the river, up the river north ♪
♪ Then how would we spin the wheel, spin the wheels forth ♪
♪ Because we need that gravity ♪
♪ That's how we trickle down, trickle on down, Smee, and ♪
(Jess whistling)
♪ I ran out of advice for you so ♪
(Jess whistling)
♪ Sometimes that's all I need to do ♪
- Yes.
♪ If you have an idea and you're going real good ♪
♪ And then you think that idea's gone on ♪
♪ As long as it should ♪
♪ All you have to do is ♪
(Jess and Zach whistling)
(bright music)
- That's it, Smee.
I think you're getting it.
The point is,
let me see if I can sum this all up.
- Wait, it's the last fling before the ring.
It's the last fling before the ring.
One peen to rule them all.
(Mano laughing)
I'm getting married. Should I?
- Ma'am, you're in the engine room
and you shouldn't be here. - I know, it's,
it's so hot.
Oh.
This is where I should be.
Oh yeah. I love this.
Oh.
(Jess humming)
(Jess whistling)
(Jess humming)
(Jess whistling)
(Jess humming)
(Jess whistling)
(Jess humming)
(Jess whistling)
- Sarah, you're getting married.
- I'm getting married.
- You know what, let me take the boat.
- No, don't take the wheel away from my friend Sarah!
- You're such a good friend.
- She's getting married.
- Jenna, you hold the boat.
Jenna, you hold the boat. - Okay.
- The boat feels,
Jenna, you're gonna get married too if you want.
- I do want.
- You don't have to
if you don't want to. - I'm gonna married.
- You don't, I'm married,
- [Both] I'm gonna marry you.
I'm gonna marry you.
- I can't imagine any other life than this one. (Jess and Zach whistling)
And I'm perfectly happy giving my prized possession
to random bachelorettes.
(Zach whistling)
(Jess groans)
- Oh my gosh.
- Oh my God.
- Why did you book us on this damn trip, Donuts?
- I'm not taking the blame for this, Mary.
You said you wanted to reconnect
and I thought this would be a fun way.
- Oh, but I've been puking all day.
- I'm gonna throw up (groans).
- [Zeke] Shut up.
- We shouldn't have eaten all those mushrooms
from back in the lab.
- I told you, they'll make us healthy one day.
I'm close to it. - It's a stupid idea.
- Well, you know what?
Maybe we shouldn't have gone on this kind of boat.
I'm telling you now, once and for all, I,
♪ Don't like boats that are hugeh ♪
♪ I don't like boats that are this hugee ♪
- You still can't say the word ♪ I like really small boats ♪
- Like a schooner?
- It's not a hard word.
- [Zach] Huge! ♪ I like small boats like a canoe ♪
♪ This hu-googe boat won't do ♪
- Okay.
Say the sport where they're in the ice
and they're going real fast down.
- Luge.
- Okay, now say that word but with an H at the beginning.
♪ I don't like boats that are hu-luge ♪
(Zach laughing)
♪ I prefer my boats very small ♪
♪ And if you're gonna book a vacation ♪
♪ I'll never go if they're this hu-duge at all ♪
♪ So put me on a sailboat ♪
♪ Put me in a canoe ♪ (Zach whistling)
♪ But don't call me if it's this boat you wanna do ♪
♪ If the boat is hu-googe, I'm not home ♪
♪ Oh, I think we're about to crash into the shore ♪
♪ And it's good ♪
♪ 'Cause I never wanna see you anymore ♪
- You know what? I've had enough.
Goodbye.
- No, Donuts!
- No.
- He's swimming.
He's swimming home?
(Jess whistles)
What a day.
(Zach laughing)
- Oh no.
Oh, so much sadness is happening
'cause we're going backwards.
- I know. It's okay.
We know it ends happy. Remember?
They all toasted.
- Oh, right. Y'all have so much on your plate.
Should we re-review what has happened?
- We've done most of it.
- I heard mention of some Australians.
- Oh, right. We did more, yes.
- And also, yeah.
- Also big rock. - Yeah.
- I do want our next scene to have a lot
of down under dialects.
- Okay.
- Great. - Oh, oh no.
Sorry for everyone.
(Mano laughing)
- But take us where you will.
- Wow. So this is the outback, huh?
Thank you, two local guys, for taking me here.
(Mano laughing)
- Listen, there's nowhere we'd rather bloody be
than here with you in the outback,
doing our thing, waltzing about.
- My brother does most the talking.
(Mano laughing)
- [Zeke] That's right.
- It's good to have a partnership like that. Right?
Like I was in a partnership,
and I thought that we both did most of the talking,
but it turns out she did most of the thinking
and I did most of the messing things up.
- Listen, I know how that goes.
Right? It's like the circle of life out here in the bush.
It's exactly the same.
- Yeah. Okay. - Right?
It's like, I do most of the talking.
My brother does most of the nodding and smiling.
(Mano laughing)
And together, we're a perfect pair.
(Mano laughing)
- I need to get a new lot on life.
You know?
- Is that what you're hoping to find, a new lot on life?
- I don't know what I'm hoping to find,
but I just needed to make some sort of change and hopefully,
- Have a s'more.
- You guys make s'mores too?
- [Zeke] Yeah. (laughs)
- (hesitantly) Oh yeah.
(Mano laughing)
Not everything's different down under.
- Yeah. - I'm learning about that.
- Like, the toilets swirl the opposite direction.
- Well, that's just a hemisphere thing, right?
- Could be.
- Some things are good backwards.
- That's right.
My, I should say, my brother's a huge
Beatles fan so. - Beatles fan.
- I love that Beatles voice.
- Yeah.
- It makes me feel calm.
Could you just keep doing it?
Please?
- Oh yeah.
So we, some things are better backwards.
- Yeah.
- And some things are better forwards,
but sometimes, going forwards,
helps you realize the things you didn't do.
And sometimes going backwards
might teach you a different lesson or two.
- That's right.
- Like if you eat a s'more this way,
you get the chocolate first.
But if you flip it over,
you get the marshmallow first.
- And it's, - But both ways,
you get the graham cracker first.
- Right, and it's good to feel things that are,
you know, backwards compatible.
- I feel a song a-coming on.
I don't care what happens.
I just want the song to have an ABAB rhyme scheme, please.
(gentle music)
♪ Sometimes in the bush ♪
♪ We eat a little s'more ♪
♪ This is going to go right to my tush ♪
♪ I'm not going to fit through the door ♪
- No.
♪ Focus on how you're about to walk ♪
♪ Don't focus on where your feet go ♪
♪ Don't worry about the talking that I am doing ♪
♪ Take it slow ♪
♪ Because love's the same ♪
♪ Down under or above ♪
♪ Love's the same when you're plundering for love ♪
(Mano laughing) (gentle music)
- This is really good. - [Zeke] How's it taste?
Taste the same? - Feeling better too.
I don't understand all of the wisdom.
It all sort of seems very wise.
But then when I sort of think about what we're saying,
it doesn't necessarily click.
So maybe we could just like do a couple more.
- Well, maybe be more specific, sure, yeah.
- Yeah, yeah, that'd be good.
♪ Think of the joey and the kangaroo ♪
♪ Hopping like a wallaby ♪
- Huh.
♪ They both can do the tango too ♪
♪ Even when they're not at sea ♪
- Right.
♪ Or some times you've got the gator ♪
♪ With his mouth open wide ♪
♪ But then he says, see you later ♪
♪ 'Cause I'm taking a mail order bride ♪
♪ 'Cause love's the same down under or above ♪
♪ Either way, you're plundering for love ♪
♪ Love is the same down under or above ♪
- Flip your s'more around.
♪ Either way, you're plundering ♪
♪ For love ♪
- You're the smartest people I've ever met.
- Yeah? Yeah?
- Genius.
No notes. Perfect coaching.
- A perfect song.
- That was fun, and I didn't know
the down under dialect would stump so hard.
- I feel like there's a,
there's truly a block where I just am like,
I don't know where to start.
- I don't know what's gonna happen.
Do you have an idea where you wanna go?
- Yeah, sure.
Well, if you, do you have something you wanna?
- The only thing I wanna highlight is
how specifically different one of our characters look
as we go further back in time.
- [Zach] Sure.
- Oh good. I'm glad you're here.
Whoa, careful, don't trip on your hair.
- Oh. Yeah. (Mano laughing)
Thank you. Listen, that's actually why I'm here.
- Oh yeah?
- Yeah.
I got a big reunion with some friends coming up and I just,
I don't know.
I want to,
I want to start fresh
and I think I want just kind of bring a new look
to the situation, you know what I mean?
- Oh, okay. Sure.
Wow, wow, wow.
But it's been your signature for years.
- I know. I know.
It's been my signature.
- Are you nervous?
- I'm a little nervous.
I feel like my identity is wrapped up
in the fact that I have 12 feet of hair.
And who am I without that?
- No, come on. You're Donuts.
- (laughs) That's right. Yeah.
You would think my identity would be wrapped up
in my insane first name, but no, no, no.
- I saw the hair trailing outside.
Is that Donuts, the guy that lets his hair go nuts?
- That's me. Donuts, the guy that lets his hair go nuts.
- You know what? Don't worry about that.
Okay, Donuts?
You are enough
however long or short your hair is.
And there's plenty of other ways I've seen Donuts go nuts.
- Wow. Thank you, Sandy.
I gotta say, coming to you
and getting just like a centimeter trimmed off
for the last 15 years has been incredible.
- Yeah. - And I'm honored
that you're gonna be the one to take off all 12 feet.
- Well I just feel like, you know,
in the end, I like to feel like we're pals.
- I like to think that maybe we could be more than that.
- Ooh, something's happening.
All's I knows for sures is
that this next song should really bring on the funk.
(funky music)
- [Jess] Okay!
Oh, Donuts.
♪ I've been waiting for you to say something like that ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
(Jess vocalizing)
♪ Where to begin ♪
♪ After so much time ♪
♪ Can I cut in ♪
♪ Will you let me trim ♪
♪ Away the parts of you you've been hiding ♪
♪ And if you will let me ♪
♪ Take a little cut in ♪
♪ Could I trim till I was beside you ♪
♪ Give me a buzz cut right to my heart ♪
♪ Gimme a mohawk, I wanted that from the start ♪
♪ Gimme a fade right on the sides ♪
♪ I'll let you cut in ♪
♪ Yeah, I will let you inside ♪
♪ Ooh, let me inside ♪
♪ Your hair ♪
♪ And if we try, won't you let me inside ♪
♪ Could we see if there's something else there ♪
♪ Sandy, before you go further ♪
♪ I just want to say ♪
♪ Would you consider ♪
♪ Letting this go both ways ♪
♪ Oh, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ Sandy, dear ♪
♪ I love you here to there ♪
♪ Would you let me sit you down inside this barber chair ♪
♪ Ooh, I'll let you inside ♪
- [Zeke] ♪ Let me inside ♪ - [Jess] ♪ My hair ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Ooh, and once we try ♪
♪ We can see if there's something else there ♪
♪ Just a little bit off the top ♪
♪ And then a little bit more ♪
♪ Like a foot inside an open door ♪
♪ A little bit of a bob ♪
♪ Or a little shaggy dog ♪
♪ Who knows what'll happen ♪
♪ But our love is not a slog ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Can I cut in just a little bit more ♪
♪ Cut on in ♪
♪ A little more off the top, if you're sure ♪
♪ And if you let me inside ♪
♪ If you let me inside ♪
♪ Your hair ♪
♪ And if we try, if we try ♪
♪ We can see if there's more there, more there ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Tell me what you think ♪
♪ I think you look really good ♪
♪ Thank you, I want you to BIC it all off ♪
(Jess vocalizing)
♪ I wanna go bald ♪
♪ And then maybe glasses to frame my face ♪
♪ Going for a smart Mr. Clean ♪
♪ That's right ♪
♪ Sort of like a Common look ♪
♪ I'll keep my beard long ♪
♪ You know what I mean ♪
♪ Ooh, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ Just ooh ♪
♪ You've let me fully inside ♪
♪ 'Cause now you no longer have hair ♪
♪ That's right ♪
♪ Also, maybe draw a little lightning bolt on the top ♪
♪ For, you know, a little bit of funk ♪
(funky music)
- Thank you.
♪ Let me inside ♪
♪ Your hair ♪
(Mano clapping)
- Yes. - Wow.
A beautiful love story
with a character we did not previously know.
- We love it. I feel like you have somewhere to go next.
I'll interrupt with a song prompt.
- I was gonna,
you two coming back into the lab for lunch?
(Jess laughs)
- Tell me that's not the biggest, stupidest rock
you've ever seen.
- You're kidding me right now.
- When the lab next door said they were bringing a big rock,
(laughs) that is not what I thought they meant.
- Well, I mean, okay.
And here's the thing, the rock is hugh-jish,
but it's also stupid.
- Sorry, what?
(Jess laughing)
- What'd you say, Mary? - The rock is hugh-jish,
but it's also stupid.
(Mano laughing)
Hey, geology lab.
Are you working on your stupid rock?
- Why? - What do you want,
mushroom lab?
- Cool stupid rock.
- Wow, this is a rivalry as old as time,
the mushrooms versus the geologists.
- That's right, baby. - [Mano] Yep!
Let's make sure this next song has
as much scientific terminology as possible.
- You don't know.
You don't know what it's like to do real scientific work
that has meaning in the world.
- Real! - Oh, I'm sorry.
Real science about the deadest thing we got?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Do you have too much sediment in your ears?
- Oh. Is that what you think?
Oh, you think rocks are dead?
- [Jess] Yeah.
- You couldn't be more wrong.
- Oh, I'm pretty sure rocks are dead.
They don't have any of the concepts that make it feel alive.
- Okay.
♪ You think it's dead just because it is slate ♪
♪ Just you wait ♪
♪ You think just because it's limestone ♪
♪ That there's no one home ♪
♪ Well, you are wrong ♪
♪ I'm sorry, I can't, can't listen anymore ♪
♪ I'm too busy studying all of these spores ♪
♪ And if you wanna get layer by layer with your slate ♪
♪ And stone and gravel ♪
♪ Then why don't you come down here ♪
♪ And we can babble, babble, babble ♪
♪ You're saying mushrooms and rocks ♪
♪ We're past the time to talk ♪
♪ Mushrooms and rocks ♪
♪ We're past the time to talk ♪
♪ Okay, mushrooms and rocks ♪
♪ We're past the time to talk ♪
♪ Mushrooms and rocks ♪
♪ We're past the time, oh yeah ♪
♪ You can keep going with your dumb little rockies ♪
♪ We'll keep hanging with our dope shiitakes ♪
♪ That's right ♪
♪ And also oysters too ♪
♪ That's a type of mushroom ♪
♪ I'm telling you ♪
♪ Both of you are being so elementary ♪
♪ You can't hang with our lab, which is sedimentary ♪
♪ Oh, I'm sorry ♪
♪ I hear someone who's whining among us ♪
♪ I'm sorry, I'm too busy studying my dope fungus ♪
♪ Mushroom and rocks ♪
♪ They're past the time to talk ♪
♪ Mushroom and rocks ♪
♪ Are past the time to talk ♪
♪ We're gonna take this fight and we're never gonna stop ♪
♪ Mushrooms and rocks ♪
♪ We're past the time to talk ♪
♪ Ah, well, well, well, a bunch of stupid nerds ♪
♪ You do not study something very cool like birds ♪
♪ Yes, bird lab is here ♪
♪ They're scientific guys ♪
♪ We study the things that fly up in the sky ♪
♪ Oh, and I'm sorry I couldn't help ♪
♪ I was just listening of your stupid fight ♪
♪ Yes, here's the lab of bugs. ♪
♪ We study bugs and you do not ♪
♪ We study bugs and thus we are hot ♪
♪ Well, bugs and birds are past the time for words ♪
♪ No, bugs and birds are past the time for words ♪
♪ No, mushrooms and rocks are past the time to talk ♪
♪ Mushrooms and rocks are past the time to talk ♪
♪ Well, well, I never expected this I wish ♪
♪ Yes, of course we are the scientists who study the fish ♪
♪ And also us, we do not study ants like you ♪
♪ Because we study plants, dude ♪
♪ Oh, plants, ooh, and also fish ♪
♪ I can't believe you are here in the same spot ♪
♪ Since everyone knows ♪
♪ Oh, fish and trees will not shoot the breeze ♪
♪ Fish and trees will not, no ♪
♪ And bugs and birds are past time for words ♪
♪ No, mushrooms and rocks are past the time to talk ♪
♪ No, fish and trees, they will not shoot the breeze ♪
♪ Birds and birds, we're past the time to talk ♪
♪ And words and shoot the breeze ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Fight, fight, fight, fight ♪
- [Group] Ow, ow, ow.
- Ouch, ouch, ouch.
- Yes!
Holy shit.
A dance craze is born.
- I think that one was the dumbest.
- Yep. - Yeah.
Well, I guess it's time we wrap things up,
and that's to say, start things off.
It's time for the first scene of this play.
- That was, oh, hi.
It was really nice of Chelsea to put like name cards out.
'Cause I always feel like I don't know where to sit
on something, something this big.
I mean, there's,
this is the biggest Friendsgiving I've ever seen.
- Chelsea has so many friends.
I'm so excited that she's,
did you hear she just got engaged?
She's getting married.
- Oh my gosh.
She's getting married. - That's incredible.
- The fling before the ring.
- Oh, I'm Duncan.
- Hi. Mary. - Mary.
- Yeah, sorry. Hi.
- Yeah. We know who, you're Donuts.
- Donuts.
- Yeah. Hey, pleasure. - Yeah, you're sort of,
- Chelsea talks about you all the time.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Actually, Chelsea's the one that told me
that I should grow my hair out.
- You know, Chelsea's the one who told me
to study mushrooms.
- No way. - Chelsea's the one
who told me to study mushrooms.
- Oh my gosh.
- Oh my God.
- I also have an interest in mushrooms.
- Are you, that must be why she's sat us next to each other.
- That's it. - That makes total sense.
- She's such a good friend.
- I just feel like there's so much
that we don't know about them.
You know, they grow so fast.
There's gotta be such like incredible potential for them,
mostly for cooking.
- Well, I think that there might be like some way
that one day they'd make us really healthy if we ate them.
(Zach laughing)
Yeah. That's not a real idea.
- That would be huge.
That would be be so huge. - That would be.
- That would be so huge. - That'd be fascinating.
- It would be hu-googagooge.
(Mano laughing)
- Yes.
One order of three whiskey sours in champagne glasses.
- Oh. - Oh.
- Incredible, they got my drink order.
- That's your drink order?
- Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
- Wait, that's,
- [Both] My drink order.
- No way.
- Yeah. I love a whiskey sour but I want it in a flute.
- You can't taste it properly unless the drink is long.
- Yeah.
If the drink is too short,
it might as well be in a can.
- That's right.
What are you guys thankful for this holiday season?
- I always get like a little nervous when I,
my family does this
'cause I feel like, (gentle music)
I don't know.
It's kind of hard, but I don't know,
it's kind of easier with new friends.
- I think new friends is also what I'm thankful for.
- Yeah.
I mean, I guess that's why I asked the question,
'cause I also am thankful for new friends.
(gentle music)
- Could I just,
sorry, it's just, - Yeah.
♪ Here's to you ♪
♪ And you too ♪
♪ Thankful to be at a table with you ♪
♪ Here's to drinks that thought ♪
♪ You thought you were the only one ♪
♪ Here's to mushrooms ♪
♪ Aren't they fun ♪
♪ And here's to our dear friend Chelsea ♪
♪ Who we'll definitely always know ♪
♪ Here's to our friend Chelsea ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ But here's to you ♪
♪ Here's to Chelsea ♪
♪ And the tugboat trip she booked in advance ♪
♪ And here's to new friends and endless possibilities ♪
♪ The beginning of a kind of romance ♪
♪ Speaking of romance ♪
♪ Do you think you'll ever fall in love ♪
- Probably not.
- I mean, Donuts,
♪ We know you're a single type of guy ♪
♪ Who's always riding high ♪ - That's right.
♪ With his 12 foot hair in tow ♪
♪ But here's to our friend Chelsea ♪
♪ Who will definitely be the focus of our time ♪
♪ Our friend Chelsea ♪
♪ No matter how far we go down the line ♪
♪ I hope that Chelsea ♪
♪ In marriage isn't bored ♪
♪ 'Cause in some ways getting engaged is just like ♪
♪ Winning a lifetime achievement award ♪
♪ Can you imagine winning an award ♪
♪ Oh, can you imagine ♪
♪ That would be too hu-googe ♪
♪ That we could never know ♪
♪ Sorry, before we go on ♪
♪ What was that word that ♪
♪ We just met ♪
♪ It maybe isn't the time ♪ ♪ You're right ♪
♪ That was a little forward of me ♪
- Oh, it's okay,
I didn't really hear you but,
♪ Here's to Chelsea ♪
♪ Wow, she can bring us together ♪
♪ So raise a glass to Chelsea ♪
♪ Who will be in our lives forever ♪
- Oh wow.
This is a really nice bottle.
I'm done with, you ready to switch to wine?
- Yeah. - Yeah?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
What's the year?
- Huh? It's crazy.
It's this year, 1987.
(Mano laughing) - Wow.
♪ Here's to you ♪
♪ And here's to you ♪
♪ And here's to this time ♪
♪ Here's to you ♪
♪ And here's to you ♪
♪ May our friendship grow more fine ♪
♪ Here's to you ♪
♪ And of course Chelsea too ♪
- We love you, Chels. ♪ Here's to you ♪
♪ And throughout time ♪
♪ May we always grow more fine ♪
♪ Will Chelsea grow more fine ♪
♪ I hope nothing bad happens to Chelsea ♪
♪ Why would anything bad ♪
♪ Imagine, yeah me too ♪
- That would be terrible. - That would be wild.
- That'd be terrible.
- Well, even if that did happen,
I'm sure we would talk about her all the time.
So her memory would never die.
- That's right.
- Yeah, or maybe we'd just grow apart
if she like moves to different part of the country.
- Yeah, like maybe the next time we see her is
at her bachelorette party on a boat,
- Right. - And before that,
we'd just like, - Who knows?
- It's like so fun to get back in touch with her,
but we just like haven't seen her in a while.
Then we realized like, oh, it's so great to see her.
Some friends, it doesn't matter how long
you've been away from them, - Right.
You know?
♪ It always feels ♪
♪ More fine ♪
♪ Through all time ♪
(Mano clapping) - Cheers!
(Mano laughing) (audience clapping)
- Oh, they did it!
Bravo! Bravissima!
Let's give it up one more time
for our incredible performers.
We've got Jess McKenna,
(upbeat piano music)
Zach Reino,
(upbeat piano music)
and Zeke Nicholson.
And of course, our incredible band.
Brett Morris, Eric Jackowitz and Aaron Wilson!
That's curtain for us here at "Play It By Ear."
Once again, I'm Mano Agapion.
And remember, if you're ever unprepared,
just wing it, bitch.
Bye-bye!
(upbeat orchestral music)
♪ Good night, Mano ♪
(Mano laughing)
♪ Good night, Mano ♪
♪ It's time for you to sleep ♪
(upbeat music fades)