Page 120 of Score
I know many of you came here hoping to hear Billie Holiday, but she won’t be joining us tonight.
A collective hum of disappointment rolls through the crowd. Some even stand as if to leave.
MAN (WAVING PEOPLE BACK DOWN TO THEIR SEATS)
Now wait a minute. Hold on. Hold on. We don’t have Lady tonight, but we do have someone she hand-selected to take her place. The musical sensation, the piano prodigy, Miss Hazel Scott!
A young golden-brown woman walks into the light. Garbed in a long, elegant dress, hair pinned up, makeup immaculate, she paints a picture of youth and elegance.
HAZEL
Good evening, everybody. I’m Hazel Scott.
Hazel takes her seat at the piano and plays her signature style of jazzing up the classics. Enraptured, the audience applauds loudly when she’s done, surprised and wildly impressed by such sophistication and talent in one so young. Cal and Dessi gush about the young pianist as they leave the club, but Tilda is uncharacteristically quiet even once they board the subway headed back to Harlem. They come out on the street and stand in a small circle to discuss where they go next.
CAL
Let’s hit Minton’s.
TILDA
Minton’s? What’s there?
CAL
Young cat named Charlie Parker gon’ be jamming there tonight. He just moved here from Kansas City. Works over at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack washing dishes, but, boy, can he blow that horn. Buddy, our sax player, he on that stuff, and I don’t think he gon’ make it to Europe. I’m looking for somebody new I can depend on.
TILDA (YAWNS)
Well, y’all might be gallivanting off to Europe, but I still got a job to do right here in the city. My shift at the Savoy tomorrow night will have me out till two in the morning. I’m going home to sleep. You coming, Dessi?
DESSI (LOOKS FROM CAL TO TILDA, HER EXPRESSION TORN)
I’ll come next time, Cal. You go on without me. We leave soon for Europe and Tilda will be here all by herself.
CAL (LOOKING DISAPPOINTED, BUT COVERING IT UP QUICKLY)
I’ll make sure to grab a program for you. I know you like collecting those.
Cal nods to the Café Society program she holds with Billie Holiday’s name scratched out and replaced with Hazel Scott’s.
DESSI (THREADS HER ARM THROUGH TILDA’S AND SMILES)
That’s mighty nice of you. Yeah, I’ll add it to my collection. Night, Cal.
Dessi and Tilda head in the opposite direction, back toward their apartment.
TILDA
You didn’t have to do that. I know you wanted to go hear the band.
DESSI
I meant what I said. I’ll be gone to Europe soon, and I need all the time I can get with my girl.
Dessi leans over to peck Tilda, dangerously close to her mouth.
TILDA (LOOKING AROUND TO MAKE SURE NO ONE SAW)
