Veroni: HTML break done. Everyone okay?

Pounce: (scratching at his stockings again) YES! We're fine.... chafed a little though.

Veroni: Wow. Someone got sober in a hurry.

Pounce: Slept it off during that long section of dialogue. Hangover time for me too now.

Tumble: (holding an icebag to his temples) Welcome to the fraternity...

Misto: (pops his head up at this) "Oh aren't you proud to be in that fraternity?

The great big felinehood of toms?"

Veroni: CUT IT OUT!!

Jemi: Speaking of cutting it out, V... would you consider cutting "He Plays the Violin"? I know it's Mrs. Jefferson's only song, but PLEASE! Griz does this song and---

Griz: (breezes in, wearing a loose-fitting gown and a long blonde wig) So good to see you all.

Jemi: (points at Griz) See what I mean?

Veroni: What was I supposed to do? Not only did Betty Buckley play Martha Jefferson, but Matt and Juliet would have held demonstrations outside my window if I hadn't cast Griz.

Munku: (walks by) You mean they called them off? MAN!

(The next morning, Adams and Franklin manage to get some alone time with Mrs. Jefferson----)

Jelly: How DARE they? She's a married woman!!

Veroni: Not THAT kind of alone time, gutter brain!

(-- to find out how Munkas is coming on the declaration. She knows they are pumping her for information, however and in her only number in the show, pretends to be revealing deep, dark secrets when in actuality she is revealing VERY little useful information.)

Griz: (sings) No, he never speaks his passions,

He never speaks his views.

Where as other toms speak volumes,

The tom I love is mute.

In truth I can't recall being wooed with words at all

Even now....

Misto: (breaks in) Go on, Madame!

Bustopher: How did he win you, Grizza? How does he hold on to a bounty such as you?

Griz: (sings, while miming playing the violin) He.. plays... the violin!

He tucks it right under his chin!

And he bows... oh, he bows,

For he knows, yes he knows...

That it's high, high, HIGH DIDDLE DIDDLE!!!

Tugger: The cat and the fiddle... the cow jumped over the moon

Pounce: The little dog laughed to see such a sport

Tumble: And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Pounce: WE KNOW THIS!!

Veroni: Although I'm thrilled that you all were read kitty tales when you were little... THIS AIN'T ONE OF 'EM!

Griz: And goodbye to the fiddle!

My strings are unstrung!

High, High, HI-IGH, HI-I-I-I-IGH!!!

I'm always undone..

Bustopher: That settles it, Mistohn! WE'RE taking up the violin!

Misto: Very well, madame. You've got us playing the violin.. but what happens next?

Griz: Why, just what you'd expect!! WE DANCE!!

(They start dancing, Grizza switching merrilly from partner to partner as they go along)

All: HIGH, HIGH, HI-IGH, HI-I-I-I-IGH!

Griz: When heaven calls to ME,

Singing a sad eulogy

Say I'd die, loving bride

Loving wife, loving LIFE!

For it was---

All: HIGH HIGH HIGH---

Griz: Diddle, diddle..

Misto & Bustopher: HIGH HIGH HIGH

Griz: Twixt my heart, Munk and his fiddle!

And there it will BEEEEEE!!

All: HIGH HIGH HIGH HIIIIGH HI-I-I-I-IGH!

Griz: Through eternity!!!

Misto: He plays the violin......

Bustopher: ------------ He plays the violin......

Griz: ---------------------------------------------- He plays the violinnnnnnnnn....!

Veroni: (applauds, elbowing the others to do likewise....)

Pounce: But I don't.. **nudge** OWW!!

(Next scene, it's another fine day with the congress when the courier walks in YET again--- with another award-winning gloomy dispatch from General Washington.)

Plato: "To the General Congress and Honorable Rumpohn Hancock presiding... Dispatch #1146..."

Pounce: Awwww! SA-WEET JESUS!!

(In short, the dispatch tells how awful things are going at the training grounds for the army. Washington feels that if the war committee, (led by Adams) were to visit, the morale would pick up. Adams agrees, bringing Franklin and Tumbuel Chase of Maryland, (whom they are attempting to sway to the side of Independance).... upon their departure, Dickenson and his "Nay" company stick around to sing in celebration of Adams' departure.)

Mac: Oh say do you see what I see?

Congress sitting here in sweet serenity

I could cheer! The reason's clear!

For the first time in a year--- Adams isn't here!

Misto: HEY!

Mac: (grins wickedly and continues) And look!

The sun is in the sky! A breeze is blowing by!

And there's not a single fly!

I sing Hosanna! HOSANNA!

Southern Toms: HOSANNA! HOSANNA!

Mac: And it's cool...

Come ye cool, cool, conservative toms.

Our like may never ever be seen again.

We have land, cash in hand, self command, future planned

Fortune thrives, society survives, in neatly ordered lives,

With well endow-ed wives!

Jenny: (stomps on stage and whacks Mac with his prop walking cane)

Jelly: Now there's an INSPIRED ad-lib...

Veroni: Oh it inspires a feeling in me, alright.

Mac: (continues, rubbing his head) Come ye cool, cool, considerate set

We'll dance together to the same minuet.

To the right, ever to the right.

Never to the left, forever to the right.

Let our creed be never to exceed regulated speed...

No matter what we need.

(They begin dancing together in a little minuet)

All: Come sing, HOSANNA! HOSANNA!

Mac: Emblazened on our banner is: "Keep Cool".

All: TO THE RIGHT! EVER TO THE RIGHT!!

NEVER TO THE LEFT! FOREVER TO THE RIGHT!!

Mac: Hands attach... tightly latch... everybody match...

George: (walks in holding a piece of paper) I have a new dispatch!

(They ignore him and proceed to continue their fun little dance.... which the courier sits down to watch.)

Mac: (picks up the song again) We are cool.

Jemi: In THOSE clothes? FAR from cool... more like dorky!

Lec: Toms in stockings looks just--

Vicky: WRONG!

Cet: I KNOW! I mean the last tom I saw wearing something like that was on his way to the funny fa---- Oh, I'm sorry were you all singing something there?

Mac: YEEEEEEEES!!!

Toms: (pick up once more, with Mac leading them in a step resembling a prance) We're the cool, cool, considerate toms!

Whose like may never, ever be seen again.

With our land, cash in hand, self command, future planned

And we'll hold to our gold, tradition that is mold, reluctant to be bold!

We say this game's not of our choosing.

Why should be risk loosing?

Asparagus: We cooooooooooooooool---(continues to hold while the next group starts singing)

Carbucketty & Alonzo: Coooooooooooooooooool---(same hold situation)

Cori & Bill Bailey: Coooooooooooooooooooooooooool--- (more holding)

Quaxo: Cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool--- (cuts suddenly and they all repeat the same hold)

All: COOL!!!! COOL!!!! TOOOOOOMS!!!!

(The cats who had the long notes collapse and are carried off the stage by their castmates while the courier remains and McNair along with his assistant, (played by one of Cass's MANY relatives) clean up the chamber hall.)

Pounce: Have another rum, general?

George: General? LORD! I ain't even a corporal.

Pounce: Eh! What's the army know anyway?

Raphael: What's it like out there, General?

Kittens: WE LOVE YOU RAPH!!!!!

Jenny: (picks up the kittens and takes them out).

George: (continues) I'd imagine YOU'D know... bein' in here and all...

Pounce: Sittin' in here? Heh... SA-WEET JESUS! This is the last place to be to find out what's going on.

Raph: So, you seen any fightin'?

George: (loving every moment of his time in the spotlight... drags out every line he's got) Sure did. I seen my two best friends get shot dead in the very same day... At Lexin'ton it was too.... right out there in the village green. (pauses to remember everything correctly, or to stretch out his stage time. Take your pick) And when they didn't come home for supper, their momma's went down the hill lookin' for 'em. Ms. Lowell, she found Timothy right off, but Ms. Pickett spent near half the night lookin' for William cuz he'd gone and crawled off the green before he died.

(sings tenderly)

Momma, hey momma! Come lookin' for me!

I'm here in the meadow by the read maple tree

Momma, hey momma! Look sharp! Here I be

Hey! Hey! Oh, momma... look sharp.

Them soldiers, they fight. Oh ma, did we run!

But then we turned 'round and the battle'd begun.

Then I went under.... oh, Ma. Am I done?

Hey! Hey! Momma look sharp.

My eyes are wide open, my face to the sky

Is that you I'm hearin' in the tall grass nearby?

Momma, come find me before I do die!

Hey! Hey! Momma look sharp.

Queens: **sniffling and sobbing on each other's shoulders**

Raph & Pounce: I'll close your eyes, my Billy.

Them eyes that cannot see

And I'll bury you my Billy

Beneath the maple tree.

All Three: And never again will you whisper to me

George: Hey.

Hey!

Momma.... look sharp.

***END OF ACT 1***

George: (looks up) Hey! I made them all cry! Coooool.

Munku: (buffs his nails on his chest) Yep. Something I am an EXPERT at.... they emote just for me!

Bomb: Oh get over yourself! George just proved you don't have to be a Prima Donna to steal the spotlight!!

Munku: Hey... that's right.. (mumbles and walks away)

Dem: I shudder to think what he's planning next....