A one, two, three.
"O, pardon me,
thou bleeding piece of earth,
"that I am meek
and gentle..."
Quiet! Quiet down, please!
You got big dreams.
You want fame?
Well, fame costs.
And right here is where
you start paying, in sweat.
Remember,
remember, remember
Remember, remember,
remember, remember
Fame!
Sorry!
Excuse me!
Sorry.
Oh! Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Hey, good luck, Victor.
Thanks, Papa.
You'll see my face on
the cover of a magazine one day
You'll hear my voice blaring
out your car radio
I'ma, I'ma, I'ma,
I'ma do big things
I'ma, I'ma do big things
I'ma, I'ma, I'ma,
I'ma do big things
I'ma, I'ma do big things
I'ma, I'ma, I'ma,
I'ma do big things
I'ma, I'ma do big things
Big, big, big,
big, big things
Hey! I'ma, I'ma, I'ma,
I'ma do big things
I'ma, I'ma do big things
Malik, is that you?
I'ma do big things
Group Six, you're up.
Where do you train?
Cedar Falls, Iowa.
My mom has a studio there.
You're a long way
from home.
Well, I'm hoping to get into
a professional ballet company.
We don't have a school like this
there, so my mom put me on a plane.
Well, don't worry.
You might be back in Iowa
sooner than you think.
All right, thank you.
That's enough.
I'ma, I'ma, I'ma,
I'ma do big things
I'ma, I'ma do big things
All right. Group
Eight, let's go. Right away.
"You cataracts and hurricanes,
"spout till you have drench'd
our steeples, drown'd the cocks!"
"Chickity China the Chinese chicken
"You have a drumstick and
your brain stops tickin'
"Chickity China the Chinese chicken
"You have a drumstick and your brain..."
Okay. I'm sorry.
Actually, one more second.
"Chickity China the Chinese
chicken Chickity China the..." Okay.
You talking to me?
You talking to me?
There's nobody else here.
You talking to me?
Who the hell do you think
you're talking to?
Oh, yeah? Okay. Okay.
Uh-huh. Mmm-hmm.
Boom! And cut real wide,
like a, you know, a Scorsese wide shot.
I'm really, really angry.
Like, really angry.
And scene.
Well, Neil, I take it that
filmmaking is your number one passion.
Now, you wanna tell me why
you want to study acting?
Well, you know,
I'm a method director.
And I believe that actors
are the heart of any film.
And in order to speak
the language of an actor,
I must become an actor.
You'll do well.
Next group of
musicians, please.
That's enough.
I can play better.
I just need to...
I doubt it.
That was superb.
Next!
Five, six, seven, eight!
Okay, that was good. Group
Two on the floor, please.
My God, I can't stand
any more of this!
First, you spurned me for Eddie.
Then you throw him off like
an old overcoat for Rocky!
You chew people up and then
you spit them out again!
I loved you.
Do you hear me? I loved
you! And what did it get me?
Yeah, I'll tell you.
A big nothing!
You're like a sponge.
You take, take, take!
Come on, babe
why don't we paint the town
And all that jazz
I'm gonna rouge my knees
and roll my stockings down
And all that jazz
Start the car
I know a whoopee spot
You've got to choose
between me or Rocky,
so named because of
the rocks in his head!
Where there's a nightly brawl and all
that
jazz
That jazz
Wow.
You're fearless, aren't you?
Some say "annoying."
Well, you know,
it's possible to be both.
And you composed
this track as well?
Yep. I didn't get a chance to add the
guitar stuff yet, though. Let me show you...
No. No.
You've got talent.
Let's see what
we can do with it.
Nice.
Do you know
where Room 310 is?
If you have
already auditioned...
- Thanks.
- ...and have been cut,
please leave immediately. we
have a lot of people to see today.
- You lost?
- Thank you.
Uh, yeah, actually. I'm looking for
Room 310. Mr. Dowd's class. Acting?
Yeah. Actually,
I think they're that way.
I saw somebody with a wig
and cape going down the hall.
Okay. Thanks.
Yeah.
Good luck!
Hope you get in.
Yeah. Thanks.
You, too.
My theory is...
Um...
Parents are given a...
Jenny, Jenny, it's okay.
It's okay.
There are a lot of things in this
world to be nervous and afraid of.
And this isn't one of them.
So just relax, take a deep breath,
and then when you're ready,
I want you to talk to us
and not at us.
- Okay?
- Yes, sir.
My theory is that
when parents get divorced, they're
given some kind of a handout.
When my parents told me that they were
splitting, they told me three things.
One, "It's not your fault."
Two, "It's not your fault."
And three,
"It's not your fault."
Problem is,
I don't buy it.
No kid does.
I've seen the pictures
of when you got married.
When you were good-looking,
and you smiled at each other.
Hell, when you even
just looked at each other.
So what happened
between then and now?
Me.
I... I came along,
and I made you tired
and cranky and anxious
and I made you lose your hair
and gain 20 extra pounds and...
Somewhere in all of that, I...
You stopped loving each other.
So I have my own idea
for a handout.
Next time tell me,
"One, happiness is hard.
"Two, don't make the
same mistakes we did.
"And three, okay, so maybe
it is your fault a little."
You want me to be honest?
You go first.
"...death, destruction
around every corner
"Another dead body and
you wanna keep running"
I know I misbehaved
and you made your mistakes
and we both still
got room left to grow
"And all you could do
is stay alert
"and try to stay out
of the searchlight"
And we'll make
this thing work
But I think
we should take it slow
"No prison,
nobody make bail"
We don't know
which way to go
"Everybody gotta go,
but see..."
'Cause we're
ordinary people
"...it ain't no jail
"Think about death taking your
last breath Heart beating like a..."
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Hold it. Hold it.
And this time
we'll take it slow
This is the theater, Malik.
Not the street.
The theater.
Sacred.
This is not a place of anger.
Oh, yeah, you get to
play angry characters.
But there are
no angry actors.
And do you know the
difference between the two?
All righty.
- Marco.
- Yeah.
Uh, where have you trained?
Um, I sing at my dad's
restaurant every once in a while.
That's pretty much
about it.
Really?
Well, that's
pretty impressive.
Thank you.
So, did I get in?
Welcome.
This year we received
over 10,000 applications
for the 200 openings from
students all across New York City.
And you got in.
Congratulations!
For the next four years, you
have the unique opportunity
to immerse yourselves in the arts.
You can be spontaneous,
original, maybe even
a little outrageous.
You got it made, right?
Wrong.
You're gonna have it twice
as hard as everybody else.
In the mornings, you're gonna
have all your arts classes.
After lunch, you will cram
in a full day of academics.
Drop below a C average and
you're out. No exceptions.
Now, let me
make this very clear.
We don't care
about your headshot.
Or your dress size.
Or your dreams of being
in OK! Magazine,
on talk shows,
on the red carpet.
Here, you will learn
a discipline.
Here, you will come
to understand
what being a performing
artist really means.
Here, you will dedicate
yourself to your craft.
Now, if you're looking
for shortcuts,
if you want fame,
if you want easy rewards,
I highly recommend that
you get up and leave now.
There are many very
talented young people
who would be thrilled
to take your place.
So, have a great year.
Five, six, seven,
eight, go!
Extend that leg. Travel!
Rosie, you're getting dizzy because
you're not spotting. Now, spot!
- I'm trying.
- Yeah, not hard enough.
Shoulders down.
Press them down.
Stay with her, Kevin.
No, no. Stop. Stop.
Stop. Stop. Stop.
Kevin, you're a mess.
Look.
She does passe fifth position.
Let her get a real good plie,
so you both have a good
preparation for the pas de chat.
On her next lift, you've got to
use your stomach and your back.
Stay strong.
You have to support her.
All right, take a minute.
Jeremy and Alice.
Kevin, you're not gonna be
a professional ballet dancer
unless you learn
how to partner.
And...
Kevin, watch Jeremy.
See that?
Lovely.
Beautiful, Alice.
All right. I don't want
you to think about it.
Get out of your head
and let it be spontaneous.
This exercise is about honing
in on your natural instincts.
Free your inhibitions and
physically inhabit your own body.
Otherwise, you'll never be in touch
with any characters you're playing.
Here we go.
- Zip-Zip!
- Zip-Zip!
- Whoom!
- Whoom!
- Pow!
- Pow!
- Be!
- Be!
- Booga-Booga!
- Booga-Booga!
- Bam!
- Bam!
- Che-whe-wow!
- Che-whe-wha!
Jenny, Jenny, Jenny,
get out of your brain!
You got to learn to loosen up
and go with the first thing
that pops in your head.
Okay, everybody follow me.
Come on. Shake it out.
Shake it out. Shake it out.
Come on, shake, shake, shake!
Come on, it's the
only body you got!
You gotta be loose!
Loose, loose!
Jenny, is that loose?
You gotta learn not to be
embarrassed and you better do it now.
All right, loose, folks!
Loose. Loosen your bodies up.
Keep your eyes on
the sheet music.
If you holdin'
my money then pay me
Just another day in
the life of the queen MC
Can't stop, won't stop
Until I cop a Bentley
No, no, throw the dice.
Where you been, man?
I had to get this out
of the storage room.
We gotta get rollin'.
- Yo, plug this in.
- Are you serious?
- Rosie, plug it in. Come on.
- Right now?
Your action is "to give love."
Or "to seduce."
Let's try "to seduce."
All right, what does that look
like? What does that look like?
Okay. No, that was awful.
Can I sit down?
Sure.
Thanks.
I just met these agents,
like, a month and a half ago,
and they've been sending me out,
and I guess these casting directors are
really excited to see me for this pilot.
You didn't like the shaking?
See, I didn't see that as
fun. It was more of a hassle.
It doesn't really have
anything to do with acting.
I can maybe introduce you guys to
the agents if you want. You know?
But it loosens you.
Okay, what happens if your
character's, like, really tense?
Joe, does it work?
Today?
No.
I keep telling her to just
relax. It's nothing big.
But I have too much work
to do after school.
I have vocal exercises
and memorizing monologues,
and that's all before I even
start on my normal homework.
You actually do
all that stuff?
Huh?
There's a drum set over
there. I dare you to go on it.
How many years
have you been rapping?
She won in the last round.
What are you talkin' about?
You are retarded. Your
brain is not working right.
Yeah?
Is that so?
- Hi.
- Hi.
- This is Marco.
- How you doing?
You know I'm gonna eat you
up in front of everybody.
You can never...
Whoa!
Oh, yeah!
You need to get your
life straight for Christ's sake
Because your mind state ain't
moving as fast as my pace
You're spending cheese
every other day on new kicks
It's useless, sometimes
I wonder if you're stupid
Yo, I'm a real boss
chick You better believe it
I buy what I want whenever I need it
A girl like me don't worry about
haters and all that light stuff
I'll worry about it later
You're acting like a
dummy and I'm mad Mad?
You think we don't know you
get your money from your dad
- What?
- It's obvious
You never even
had a job before
Step to this you'll
be highly sore what up?
Shut up.
- Yo, Jamie, drop out at the next bar!
Now when I say
we gonna y'all say rock it
- We gonna
- Rock it!
When I say we gonna
y'all say rock it
- We gonna
- Rock it!
When I say
we won't y'all say stop
- We won't
- Stop!
When I say we won't
y'all say stop
- We won't
- Stop!
This is my life
I got to get it, baby
Say yeah
Say yeah
This is my life
I got to get it, baby
Say yeah
- Yeah
- Say yeah
I got to get it, baby
Say yeah
Hey.
Not your thing?
Not really.
My parents would die
if they saw that.
They think it's
a conservatory.
Everyone practicing
cello all day.
Hey, I'm Denise.
Malik.
Mind if I sit down?
You know, if it makes
you feel any better,
my mom doesn't
even know I go here.
Seriously?
She thinks I'm down
at the public high school.
She works three jobs.
She's never gonna check.
Why don't you just tell her?
She doesn't want me to be
an actor or a rapper.
Look, what about you?
I mean, I see you playing the piano
like you're Beethoven and everything.
Is that your thing?
- Yeah.
- Cool.
Well, actually,
I don't know.
I mean, I guess,
I think it...
Okay, truth is,
I've never tried
anything else.
Oh.
What's up, man?
What you looking at?
I'm just watching
this girl dance.
Yeah, I've seen her.
But she thinks she's, like, the
most talented kid in the school.
Maybe she is.
Well, I gotta go. You want to
keep staring, go right ahead, man.
See you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But I will wait
for you to figure it out
Soon you'll be chasing me through
the out door onto the street
I will be kneeling
on the ground
Can I help you?
You know,
you can really dance.
Thanks
for the newsflash.
But I think you could dance a little
better, though, if your music wasn't so wack.
I'm just saying.
Excuse me?
Yeah. I mean,
if you really wanna dance,
you need something
way better than that.
And you know
just what that is.
Yeah.
Here, listen.
That's just a demo, too.
I mean, I'm adding, like,
a lot more bass and effects.
The second,
the second bar,
that's not even the final
part, let me tell you.
I got more stuff that
I can show you. Not bad.
I got more tracks.
I'm sure you do.
There's a
somebody I'm longing to see
I hope that he
Turns out to be
Someone who'll watch
Over me
I'm a little lamb
who's lost in the wood
I know I could
Always be good
To one who'll watch
Over me
Okay. Very good, Jenny.
Thank you.
Except for the fact that you have
no idea what you're singing about.
Well, it's about a girl who gets her heart
broken and is looking for another guy.
Yeah. I was
not feeling that from you.
That is technically what the song is
about. Okay, this is very important.
Jenny, for your
homework tonight,
I want you to go home and write
out all the lyrics to that song
and then work on them like
they're an acting monologue. Okay?
Because there's really
no point in singing a song
if you don't understand
what it is you're saying.
Okay, go sit down. Thanks.
It was pretty. I just wasn't
getting a lot out of it. All right?
Okay.
Okay.
Life will go on.
Okay, next.
Uh...
Let's see. Marco.
That's right.
I want you to sing
the same song,
but I want us to all
really understand
what the song is about.
Do you know it?
Yeah. A little bit.
A little bit?
All right, well, this should
be interesting. Come on.
Hurry up. Grass isn't
getting any greener.
Could you change it
to E-flat?
There's a
somebody I'm longing to see
I hope that she
Turns out to be
Someone who'll watch
Over me
I'm a little lamb
who's lost in the wood
I know I could
Always be good
To one who'll watch
Over me
Yes. That's what I
was talking about, everybody.
Very good, Marco.
Thank you.
So you live in Long Island, right? Yep.
And stay with my dad enough days
to meet the residency requirement.
I'd like to stay with
my mom more, but...
Yeah. Is it worth it?
Of course.
It's what I want. Always
wanted. You understand.
I mean, not everyone
is like you, Jenny.
You know, as committed and focused
as you are. All the damn time.
Yeah, but you're the
best singer in our class.
With that kind of a talent,
you have a responsibility.
I mean, the only thing
I gotta do is be happy.
What?
Do you always take
things this lightly?
I would give anything in order
to stand up in front of class
and sing a song and
be completely in tune.
Or whiz through
a monologue
and have everybody laughing. Jenny...
And there are so many kids in this city
that would love to be going to this school.
You wouldn't understand.
See you in class, Marco.
These are not diaries.
They're journals.
I'm not interested in
what you had for breakfast,
or what you think of
your stepmom's boob job.
Not even your
latest breakup.
I wanna know about
the world you inhabit.
The people around you.
Who are they?
How do they behave?
Language and behavior, that's
all the actor's got to work with.
So keep your eyes open.
Observe. Record.
Mr. Bazinska,
this is disgraceful.
It's unhealthy, it's unsanitary.
No, it's fine. It's clean.
No, it's not unsanitary. It's...
The only thing missing from it
is a finger on the scale. Your
finger on the scale. You're the worst.
How is emotion
expressed through action?
Gesture?
That's disgusting.
What can I say.
Look, it's clean.
So they got all the...
Now what are you doing?
Taking my pictures without
asking! Sorry. Homework.
You're supposed to get me to write
off something before you do that.
I could sue you,
and I could sue you.
Dad, you home?
Understand other people. And
you'll begin to understand yourself.
Bye, Mr. Cranston.
Ms. Dupree.
Yes?
You practice more than any
other student here at P.A.
You are a very talented
classical pianist.
Thank you, Mr. Cranston.
I happen to be looking
for an accompanist
for our spring production
of Chicago.
It might serve you well
to branch out a bit.
Expand your horizons.
Okay, so what
does this entail?
It's just a couple rehearsals.
It might go a little late...
Okay, what's "late"?
Midnight.
Midnight? Only on the
nights it performs.
That's what
Mr. Cranston said.
Daddy, it's a big honor for a freshman to
be asked to play for one of the musicals.
And it's Chicago!
Do you realize...
You are training to be
a classical pianist.
Can you tell me how
playing honky-tonk songs
till all hours of the night
is gonna help with that?
It won't, but it
would be fun. Fun!
Something new! Daddy, I want to do
something different for a change.
"Something different" was
never part of the deal, Denise.
You will be saying "no" or I will be
pulling you out of that school. Period.
I'm sorry.
Ma, I was gonna tell you.
Performing Arts?
Do you have any idea
how risky that is?
As a career?
Of course I do.
Malik, you're trying to do
something everyone wants to do.
Every teenager on this block thinks
they can make it as the next rapper...
Look, Ma. You have to let me stay
there. It's everything I have now.
I just don't know
about this.
Look, they're good grades!
Did you even look at it?
Look, Ma.
I'm talented.
If somebody's gotta make it
out there, why can't it be me?
And who in the world told
you you were so special?
You did.
I just can't deal with this
right now. I'm late for work.
All right. Bobby.
Okay. Kevin!
Look out!
Yeah?
Master Tavares,
you play with Ian,
brio, gusto, panache
and a host of foreign adjectives
that indicate excessive style.
What you neglect to do is
play the music as written.
And though your interpretation
may be entertaining,
it is of no value
in my class.
May I suggest that the only thing of
value you could possibly bring to Bach
is your respect.
And unless you devote
yourself to study,
drill and mastery
of technique,
you will be of little or no value
to anyone. Including yourself.
Now let's try this
again, as written.
Parenthetically,
study, drill and technique
do not stifle talent.
They free it. Once more.
Mr. Cranston.
This music, it's boring.
It's just not my thing.
No, it's Bach's thing.
Stubby little German guy.
Wore a wig.
Yeah, and he died
His teachers told him to stop
playing music his way. He said no.
Really?
Well, if his teachers told
him that, then they were wrong.
And should your music
survive for
the next 350 years,
please allow me to
apologize in advance.
Proceed. We will suffer
through it with you.
She was
eight years old.
Her name was Ayanna.
Means "beautiful flower."
She was always
on the street, playing,
jumping rope.
Happiest girl
you ever saw.
She didn't see
the man in the car
or the man running past,
until the bullets flew.
The day after
she was buried,
I got this.
I was only 13
at the time.
I thought my mom
would whup my ass.
But she didn't.
Said I should remember
every single day
what happened to
my little sister.
How did
her death affect you?
I mean, you've
given us the facts.
And you waited till the end to let
us know that Ayanna was your sister,
which was very dramatic.
But I want to know
how you felt.
And I think you need
to know how you felt.
How do you think I felt?
Well, I have no idea.
Why don't you tell us?
You know what?
Screw this.
I ain't gonna cry for you.
I gave you the truth.
Is that what happened? Did
you cry the night she died?
Did you blame yourself? Do you
think you could have prevented it?
Listen, I'm
gonna be famous.
And I don't need you
or your therapy bullshit!
So screw this and
screw this class!
The theater is not a
place for cowards, Malik.
Sometimes I wonder
Where I've been
Who I am
Do I fit in?
Make believin'
Is hard alone
Out here on my own
we're always provin'
Who we are
Always reachin'
For that risin' star
To guide me far
And shine me home
Out here on my own
When I'm down
And feelin' blue
I close my eyes
So I can be with you
Oh, baby, be strong for me
Baby, belong to me
Help me through
Help me need you
Until the morning
sun appears
Making light
of all my fears
I dry the tears
I've never shown
Out here on my own
But when I'm down
and feelin' blue
I close my eyes
so I can be with you
Oh, baby, be strong for me
Baby, belong to me
Help me through
Help me need you
Sometimes I wonder
Where I've been
Who I am
Do I fit in?
I may not win
But I can't be thrown
Out here
On my own
Oh, yeah
Out here
On my own
Attention, students.
After-school rehearsal will be canceled
due to the dance performance class.
Tomorrow, regular scheduled
rehearsals will resume as normal.
Those of you who would
like to see the show,
tickets will be on sale in the
main office starting Thursday.
Yeah?
I know your secret.
What are you
talking about?
Why didn't you tell me
you could sing like that?
Wait, you were in there?
Yeah. And I heard you.
Look, look, just come with
me. I got an idea. Okay?
Hold on, hold on,
calm down. I have class.
Look, just trust me.
Come with me.
All right? It won't
take long. Come on.
Excuse me.
Sorry.
Where are we going?
Me and my man, Victor, is working
on this record that's gonna be huge.
I'm talking about beats you
wouldn't even believe. All right?
Yo. Yo!
What's up?
Listen.
If you think the girls we've
been trying out are good...
Ten times better.
I didn't know
you could sing.
Dogs, this girl
is amazing.
Wait. Hold on.
You guys produce?
Yeah, we produce.
I'm actually working on a track
right now. We still need a singer.
So, what's good?
Will you do it?
I can't.
Come on.
Why not?
My dad. He doesn't like
me to get distracted.
And why, exactly,
would he have to know?
Go ahead,
you know you want it
You'll have no other way
You just want to take us down
Go ahead...
Go ahead,
I'll be your junkie
I'll be deplete you can
heap all rubbish here
Go ahead,
now dump it on me
If I go quiet will the
itch go down with me
Oh, you got to get it
Never mind that it was
never there nowhere
But, oh, no,
not for a minute
For now you'll make your bed
And it will wait, I swear
No way not me what you
got, it's not for me
But you'll find a way
No way not me what you
got, it's not for me
Don't reach too far
You will fall over
Don't be surprised
what you discover
Don't fear your call
Yeah!
...what you got It's not
for me, but you'll find a way
No way not me what you
got, it's not for me
Don't reach too far
You will fall over
Don't be surprised...
Yo, Malik. I just
finished it last night.
Pop it in, man. Let's
see what they think.
Malik, what are you doing?
Why are you playing our song?
What's the problem? Victor
said he finished it last night.
I just wanted to put it in and
see what people thought about it.
But you know
this is our secret.
My parents don't know
about this. I don't...
Just relax. Your
parents aren't even here.
And besides,
they like it. Look.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah!
Yo, give it up for a track
produced by my boy, Victor!
Yeah!
You made that?
And of course,
yours truly.
Let's go!
Let's give it up, y'all!
And on vocals,
give it up for
Anonymous.
And she's drinking.
All right, hurry up before
someone steals my camera.
Are you wasted yet?
I don't know.
I've never been drunk.
What's it feel like?
It feels like that.
Yo, check it out.
This is for my homies.
No, don't waste it.
Check it out.
Mike check, one-two.
Turn my headphones up.
Ooh!
Cruisin' down
the street in my six-fo
Jockin' the bitches
Slappin' the hoes
went to the park
to get the scoop
Knuckleheads out there
cold shootin' some hoops
A car pulls up,
who can it be
A fresh El Camino
rollin' Kilo G
He rolls down his window
and he started to say
It's all about makin' that GTA
'Cause the boys in the hood
are always hard
You come talkin' that trash
we gonna pull your card
Knowin' nothin' in
life but to be legit
Don't quote me, boy,
'cause I ain't said...
Shit.
Well, first of all,
I loved the presentation.
Why, thank you. I mean, it's, you
know... It's totally not ready yet.
But, I mean, it's...
The drunkenness,
however...
I was trying to expand
my life experience.
I've never been
wasted before.
Trust me. I'm not
gonna do it again.
Hey, hey,
Jenny, hold up.
Just a dinner. At my dad's
restaurant. I promise.
If you don't have a good
time, I'll stop asking.
I don't understand.
You keep asking me out
and I keep telling you no.
Why do you keep trying?
I don't know. I feel
like if I keep asking,
maybe one of these times,
you'll actually say yes.
Text me the address.
Really?
Yeah, I'll come.
Okay. I'll see you
later then.
Okay. See you later.
Okay, bye.
So, how's school?
Do you think you'll
get what you need?
Will it be enough to get you
into a professional company?
How am I
supposed to know?
You know, Alice,
Dr. Malamed thinks
that your aloofness
is a sign of subclinical depression.
So, are you depressed?
No, Dad. I'm bored
like I always am.
Alice!
Excuse me, sir.
Huh? Oh, I'm with them.
May I take your hat?
No, no...
Are you sure I
can't take your hat?
Who is that?
The opposite of boring.
Hey, baby. How are you?
What's up?
These your parents?
I know,
I know, it's just that...
I've never had to work
this hard in my entire life.
And they don't really tell
you what it's gonna be like.
I don't know why I'm
telling you all of this.
Everything seems to come
so easily to you.
No, that's not true.
I've just... I've been
performing my whole life.
I mean, as soon as I could,
I was out there singing.
I will tell you this,
no one makes as much in
tips as a first grader.
So, you play
the piano, too?
A little. Yeah.
Okay, I want to hear.
I mean, you see me sing all the
time at school. There's no need to...
Yeah, I want to hear something
different. Come on, Marco.
No. Just 'cause
the piano's there...
Just me, you,
and the restaurant.
You're playing for me.
Jenny...
I told you,
you've already seen this.
No! Go on.
Well, what do you
want me to play?
Uh, anything you want.
And we'll see if I'm willing
to give you a tip at the end.
Okay.
Seriously?
Okay.
How about this one?
If I walk,
would you run?
If I stop,
would you come?
If I say
you're the one
would you believe me?
If I ask you to stay
would you show me the way?
Tell me what to say
So you don't leave me
The world is
catching up to you
while you're running away
To chase your dreams
It's time for us
to make a move
'Cause we are asking
one another to change
And maybe I'm not ready
But I'll try for your love
I can hide up above
I will try for your love
we've been hiding enough
I will try for your love
I can hide up above
If I walk,
would you run?
If I stop,
would you come?
If I say
you're the one
would you believe me?
So I'm guessing
you liked it?
You could say that.
Okay, that was good, but let's take
it again from bar four-twenty. Okay?
Denise!
We got in
with the label.
They want us to come in
and talk about our stuff.
Can you go?
Tomorrow, after school.
I'm supposed to have extra
piano... No, no, cancel it.
No, no. Cancel it, cancel it. Meet
me out front at 3:00, all right?
Sorry. This is it, Denise.
Our big break. I can feel it!
Okay. Sorry,
let's... Sorry.
What
a mighty God we serve
What a mighty God we serve
Angels bow before him
Heaven and earth adore him
What a mighty God
What a mighty God
What a mighty God
we serve
He's mighty
He's mighty
He's a mighty God
He's a mighty God
He's mighty
He's mighty
He's a mighty God
He's a mighty God
What a mighty God
What a mighty God
What a mighty God
we serve
So, I have
an audition later today,
but I don't think I'll go
because I'll never get it.
But you're working with
a casting director. That's huge.
See, that's what
I thought, too.
And they do get me
some auditions,
but I'm up against
the same 15 girls.
And they always
get the part.
Yeah, maybe,
but they're not Joy.
Yeah, well, me, I've got a lot of good
shit happening off of my YouTube page.
In fact, I'm meeting
with a producer today
about putting together
an independent film.
What?
Yeah. Uh...
I have an idea
for a short.
It's about
a legendary director
who suddenly dies
while filming his movie.
So his inadequate son decides to
honor his father by finishing the film,
but the only help he has is
this misfit cast of characters,
like, straight out
of a Wes Anderson.
It's The Life Aquatic meets
The Bad and the Beautiful.
Sounds really
artistic, Neil.
Well, I think so.
Hopefully,
Sundance agrees.
Small place.
Yeah.
You want some coffee
or some water?
I'm all right. You don't
want to see me on coffee.
Wired enough as is.
Take a seat.
The script is good.
Thank you.
It's, you know, a labor of love of
mine and it's not quite there yet.
I would be honored
to take it on.
We don't often do shorts, but, in
your case, we'll make an exception.
Eddie, that's...
That's amazing!
Now... Now, let's talk about the budget.
Yeah, let's talk about it.
Let's talk about the budget.
How are you gonna
raise the money?
This is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here.
I don't understand. Shouldn't
he be giving you the money?
Isn't that what
producers do?
He's not the financier. He's the
producer. And there's a difference.
All I need you to do is
kick in, like, five grand.
And I know. I'm aware.
I'm aware that's a lot of
money. I really get it. I get it.
But, you know, Eddie says
we could even, you know...
We could sell it to
television and make a profit.
You gotta trust me
on this one, Dad.
I'd be shooting on a
real film and everything.
I mean, Dad... I mean,
this is the real deal, Dad.
The real deal, huh?
You think so?
Come on, Dad.
Help a brother out.
So this is what it's like
to have a social life?
Yeah, well, it beats memorizing
Shakespeare, doesn't it?
Yeah.
How long do we
have to stay here?
I don't know. Come on,
let's just have fun.
We haven't been
out in a while.
Okay.
I'll get us some drinks. Okay.
Well, look who it is.
Andy! Hey!
Hey! Um...
Jenny. Jenny. That's right. Of course.
I remember you
from last year.
You did the show with
the monologue from...
From Proof, right?
Yeah!
Yeah, you were
really good.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
So how is P.A.?
I kind of miss it.
It's the same-old,
same-old.
But I've been watching you on your show.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
Well, thanks. Yeah,
it's going pretty well.
I got a big storyline
right now, so...
Andy.
It's kind of blowing up.
We're slamming shots, bro. Yeah. Shots.
Give me one second. I'm
talking to Jenny. Um...
You want to take shots?
I'm good, thanks.
Are you sure? Okay.
Yeah.
You know, they're looking
for day players on the show.
Would that be something
you might be interested in?
Seriously? Yeah. I mean,
I could put in a good word.
Yeah! That
would be perfect. Thank you.
Okay. So how should we do this?
Do you want to give me your number?
Yeah, I don't think
I have a pen or a...
No, no, don't worry about it.
Just put it right in here.
Okay.
Um...
I think that's it.
Yeah, I can do this.
Yeah, I don't... Yeah, okay.
Perfect. Well, it's so good
to see you. You look great.
Thanks. You, too.
All right.
I'll see you later.
Okay.
Bye.
See you.
See you.
Shots up.
Ready to go.
One, two, three!
One, two, three!
All we were doing
was talking, okay?
He saw my monologue
from P.A.
That's all we were talking
about. He wants to help me.
God, could you possibly
be that naive?
He's trying to hook up
with you, Jenny.
That's ridiculous.
He's a big-time actor.
He can hook up
with whoever he wants.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, he loves
your talent. That's what he loves.
So it's that preposterous that somebody
might actually like me for my talent?
No, of course not.
Look, no one believes in you
more than I do, and you know that.
Honestly, it's just the
way he was looking at you.
Fine.
If it means that much to you, I
won't talk to him ever again. Promise.
Now let's get
out of here.
We can go to my
dad's apartment.
What, now?
Mmm-hmm.
He's on a date.
He won't be back
until later.
There's definitely
something there.
Something that
could be interesting.
Check it out. We've got
an A&R meeting next week.
What I'd like to do
is play it for the team,
see what kind of
feedback we get,
and I'll get
back to you.
Nice.
Yo, yo, did you see him
bobbing his head?
He was bobbing his head to
himself. He was bobbing...
Guys, guys. He didn't say he wanted us.
Did you not hear what he
said? He said, "Interesting."
Interesting!
Man, we are so in.
Yo, I'm gonna give my moms a
house in the Hamptons on the beach.
Guys?
It's gonna be crazy.
You're not
even trying, Rosie.
Ballet is a requirement for every
student dancer in this school.
But, Ms. Kraft,
I'm good at hip-hop!
My job isn't to cast music videos.
It's to train serious dancers.
P.A. isn't about just
doing whatever you want.
It's about becoming
a complete performer.
I... I don't know
where you fit in here.
Fit in here? What's
that supposed to mean?
It means you're gonna keep flailing
around and you're not gonna...
This isn't about me,
is it?
You don't like my body.
Admit it!
Don't be ridiculous. Modern companies
are full of girls who don't have the...
Oh, really? Then how come this department
is filled with skinny little girls
with no titties and tight little butts,
walking around drinking Diet Coke?
I ain't never gonna be like
them. And I don't wanna be.
You want girls who've
been starving themselves,
and look like they're 11
and have so little body fat
they can't even get a period
to dance parts for real women.
And that sucks!
You're part of a machinery of
oppression, Ms. Kraft. Just admit it.
Hey! First of all, don't
speak to me like that.
Don't speak to any teacher
like that. It's very rude.
It's also very ugly.
And second of all,
you know that's not true.
I want my dancers
to be healthy,
and I talk to you all
about that all the time.
You don't have
a good technique,
and you're not working
toward a technique.
And yet,
I wanna keep you here.
Shit.
Jenny! Guess what.
What?
I got a job.
You're kidding!
I've been trying to find you to tell
you that it's the best show ever,
and I'm only
semi-regular at first,
but then they said
I could get a lead,
and it's so amazing
you won't believe it.
Yay! Okay.
So what show is it?
Sesame Street.
Holy shit.
That show's still on?
I'm gonna
get paid to act.
That's incredible!
You bitch.
I wonder if they need any hot,
young, new, macho director types.
I mean, I know they're always
looking for new talent on that show.
I don't think so.
But if you're really nice
and give me back rubs,
I might let you be
part of my entourage.
Ooh, back rubs.
You mean like...
Oh, I'm sorry, did that hurt? I'm sorry.
Yeah. You know what?
Singing in front of all of
your friends in the classroom
is one thing,
but now we're here.
And you guys
are gonna sing
in front of this lovely
group of total strangers,
who actually are sort of hoping
that you'll be really bad.
It's gonna be great.
Also, try to have fun, because
it's part of your grade.
I get knocked
down But I get up again
You're never
gonna keep me down
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never
gonna keep me down
Pissing the night away
I have a tendency
to wear my mind on my sleeve
I have a history
of losing my shirt
It's been one week
since you looked at me
Cocked your head to the
side and said, "I'm sorry"
Five days since
you laughed at me
Three days since
the living room
It'll still be two days
till we say we're sorry
Two days till... Sorry
All right! wow. Thank
you. You guys are awesome.
So tonight, I would
love to donate my time.
I'm gonna do a little
something special.
I'm gonna give my time over to
someone very important to us.
Our teacher and hero...
No.
...Ms. Fran Rowan!
No!
Yes! It's all you.
You brought us here.
That's our teacher!
Yeah, thank you.
Shake it.
Oh, God.
How did this happen?
Okay, you're expelled.
Hope it was worth it.
Oh, no. All right,
I don't even know...
Do you have You Took Advantage
of Me by Rodgers and Hart?
Say no. Please say no.
Yep. we have it!
They have it!
Good. Perfect!
Yeah, Rodgers and Hart.
A mental deficient
You will grade me
I've given you
plenty of data
You came, you saw,
you slayed me
And that-a is that-a!
I'm a sentimental sap,
that's all
What's the use of
trying not to fall?
I have no will
You've made your kill
'Cause you took
advantage of me
She's amazing!
Of course she is.
I'm so hot and bothered,
that I don't know
My elbow from my ear
I suffer something awful
every time you go
It's worse
when you're near
Here am I with all
my bridges burned
Just a babe in arms
where you're concerned
So lock the doors
Lock that door!
And call me yours
Because you took
You took advantage of me
Oh, my God,
that was amazing!
Why are you guys
so boring in class
and so great at
karaoke tonight?
Why didn't you ever bring us
there before? That was so much fun.
I know. I should've
done it before.
You know, that was so great,
because it's not about you.
It's about the audience, and I
really saw that. It was great.
I know. You know what else is great?
That girl gave me her
number. That was a guy, Neil.
Irregardless,
I was flattered.
Joy, you were on fire. It
was unbelievable. Thank you.
I mean,
it was so cute and good.
And completely
ambushed by Kevin.
Hat's off.
Wait, one thing.
How come you never sang in
front of us until tonight?
Oh, my God. Because I'm
the teacher. Seriously.
You should more often,
because you were stellar, man.
I mean, I'm inspired.
Speaking of...
So do you ever perform,
ever? Like...
Do I what?
Recently, any of these
days, do you ever perform?
No, no. No, no, no.
You should.
Yeah.
Gosh.
Especially for your
students. Well, why...
No, no. Too much.
Can't...
Why did you quit?
Huh?
Why did you quit?
It's... Why did I...
Um...
She's like, "What..."
It's not a good... It's a boring
story. It's long and boring.
No, really.
Why did you quit?
Um... Well, let's see.
You know, I went to college and I
was a little, happy theater major
and all bright and
shiny and everything.
And graduated from college
and moved to the big city
and started getting out there and
auditioning, and I did the whole thing.
You know, I did all the cattle
calls and the whole nine yards.
I don't know, after a while I
just kind of started feeling like
it really wasn't
meant to be.
But, you know, I mean,
sometimes when I go see
a Broadway musical,
I just kind of
sit there and think,
"You know,
I could've done that.
"I totally could've
done that."
I think. I think.
I think I could've.
Now, look, man, you said there was
something interesting about it, though.
Yes. There is.
Her.
Look, you don't come across
a voice like that every day.
Hold up, man. She
didn't even want to sing!
Look, you need to find
different producers.
You know? Work with
Pharrell, Ronson, Timbaland.
No, look, I'm the producer, man.
I make the tracks, right? Me.
And I found her. She wouldn't
even be here if it wasn't for me.
Look, guys, I'm sorry. That's
just the way this business works.
Look, you're young.
All right, you're
just getting started,
but right now this is her time to shine.
Look. Give me an opportunity
to do this for you.
We're doing 360 deals
that will blow your mind.
We just joint ventured
with Live Nation.
Clear Channel's giving us 1,000
spins of anybody that we want.
Listen, I worked on
Alicia Keys' record.
I worked on
Lauryn Hill's record.
I know what to do for you. But
you gotta trust me. Let's do this.
Come on, let's go.
This is bullshit.
And you know it.
Wait, wait.
Hold, hold on.
Now, you were born to
do this. You know that.
You know what, thank you,
but I can't. I just can't...
I know they're
your friends.
But what I'm trying to do
for you could make you a star.
Look. Just take my card and
think about it, all right?
Denise!
You coming?
So, this is all I've been able
to come up with for the moment,
'cause my financiers
were slightly shallow...
Don't worry about the money. I
mean, we'll shoot some scenes.
Okay.
We'll cut a mini-trailer.
We'll use that
to get more money.
I'm feeling it. I mean, I've already
got this storyboard thing going with...
I've got some
visuals here.
I thought I could run this
by you. Right, right. Yeah!
I have a shot list in my bag
somewhere if you'd like to see it now.
You just get into your process. Sure.
I've already talked to
my friends at Sundance.
This is exactly what
they're looking for.
That's incredible. Let's make
a movie. Let's make a movie.
Excuse me.
Hi, I'm looking for
Andy Matthews' trailer.
Is he expecting you?
Yeah.
Right this way.
So what's going on?
Um...
We were gonna go see your
casting director, right?
At least that's what
you said on the phone.
Right. Yes. No, no, no. Totally.
She's actually out today.
She has a flu.
Wow. I'm so sorry. Well, then I
should come back another time...
No, no, no, no. She said that we
could put a scene on tape for her.
Yeah. No, that's fine.
That's great.
Okay. Perfect.
So, I have a scene coming up this
afternoon if you want to run that one.
Yeah, sure,
that'd be good.
Okay.
Um...
It's...
Yeah, it's a scene where
we're coming back from a party
and we're just at my apartment.
Just relax. Here.
You're gonna be great.
Thanks.
So I told her a lot of
stuff about you, you know.
I told her you're the prettiest
girl at Performing Arts.
Thanks.
It's true.
So, what we're
gonna do here,
we're just gonna slate.
Okay.
Okay. It's like name and age, and
then we'll get going with the scene.
Okay.
And go.
Hi, I'm Jenny Garrison
and I'm 17 years old.
Perfect.
And action.
"The music was so loud,
I had to get out of there."
"Well, Maddy, I'm so glad
you brought me with you.
"You know how
I feel about you.
"Or at least
I hope you do."
Andy, you actually have
still another line. Right.
Yeah, that line. I like to
improvise. It's kind of my thing.
You know?
I'm sorry.
No. It's okay. Just don't
stop the scene again.
Okay. You want to be an actress, right?
Right, of course.
You gotta be ready for
whatever they throw at you.
I mean, our job,
as actors,
is to make the audience
believe what's really going on.
Right. I remember learning that at P.A.
Am I wrong? No, not at
all. That's exactly... Yeah.
No, that's it. Perfect.
Okay.
Let's try it again?
Yep. Let's do it.
Okay.
And action.
The music was so loud,
I had to get out of there.
Maddy, I'm so glad
you brought me with you.
I mean, you know
how I feel about you.
Or at least
I hope you do.
Andy.
Jesus, Jenny.
Look, I don't understand it.
You're not getting it.
I mean, do you know how many girls
would die for this opportunity with me?
Yeah. And I'm sure you've had
every one of them in this trailer.
No, probably not
every one of them.
Look, is this even an audition or do
you have a collection of these tapes?
I might have a few.
Look, Jenny.
No. You came here.
Okay, what did you think
was gonna happen?
We were gonna talk
about our craft?
I don't do that.
Okay, you don't, but I do. Right.
No, look.
Stop it, okay!
Can you just leave me alone? Jenny.
Just leave me alone!
Wait. Andy?
What about Andy?
Andy invited me to set
to meet a casting director.
And we went into
his trailer. And...
Well, I...
Jenny.
Well, did he try
something on you?
Kind of.
I knew it! I knew
this was gonna happen.
Marco!
I told you
about this asshole
from the beginning.
But you still went
behind my back.
I know. And I'm sorry,
but I...
Look, I thought that maybe if he
did want to flirt, just a little bit,
that it would be
fine if I...
What, if you got the job?
You know what, Jenny?
If becoming famous
is so important to you,
then go for it.
I'm done with this.
Marco, I...
Hey, you know what?
I hope you really get
the role. I really do.
What do you mean, I
can't have my camera equipment?
You see, I already gave
the check to my producer.
So, this is a matter
of... Sir, there's no...
You are not registered
on the computer. Right.
Neither you nor your
producer are here. Okay.
I cannot do that.
At the same time, this
film is fully funded.
I don't care. It may
be. He just called me.
He goes, "Earl's gonna help you
out." You're not helping me out, Earl.
I would love to help you out, but
there's nothing I can do. I cannot...
You know what, let's
check the name again.
I've checked the name
already three times...
Please just check the name
again. Let's do it again. Come on.
B-A-C-Z-Y-N-S-K-Y.
I know how to spell it.
I tried it three times.
Earl, please help me here.
I would love to help you, but it's
not there. There's nothing I can do.
Eddie, it's Neil.
You remember how you asked me to write
you that letter of recommendation?
Of course.
Well...
I'm sorry, but I can't
write you that letter.
Sometimes we get students
who are promising,
but they never progress
past that early promise.
If the fish
swam out of the ocean
I know you want to
be a ballet dancer,
but I don't believe that's
going to happen for you.
Not on a professional level.
And the stars
fell out of the sky
And my tears
rolled into the...
I work harder
than anyone else.
I'm sorry, Kevin.
You're just not
a strong enough dancer.
...set my world
into motion
'Cause if you're
not really here
You will never,
in my opinion,
be able to support
yourself as a dancer.
It's my responsibility
to tell you that.
Black and gold
Black and gold
Black and gold
Black and gold
'Cause if you're
not really here
You should continue
your year here at P.A.
But you need
to be prepared.
Black and gold
Black and gold
Kevin, there are students
who are going to get picked up
by Ailey, City Ballet,
Complexions.
And there are other students who are
going to have to pursue other options.
Like,
you might make
a wonderful teacher.
Maybe you're right. J EN
I know, I'm so proud of you.
It's Sesame Street. Okay, who
doesn't know Sesame Street?
Everybody grew up with it at
some point. Cookie Monster!
Okay, okay...
You made me want you
And all the time
I guess you always knew
You made me
happy sometimes
You made me glad
No.
No?
See, there are some people
that like crispy cookies
and some people that like
gooey... I don't like...
And so, if I could create my
perfect Sesame Street cast...
No, see, you see, if I could make
my ideal Sesame Street cast...
The puppets...
Kevin!
Did he call you again?
Yeah, he called me again.
So does he want you to
record an album or something?
Yeah. He wanted me to work with Damon
and Poyser, whoever those people are.
What'd you say?
I told him no.
Because of your pops?
No.
What? Because of us?
Yes, because of us.
It's you, me and Malik.
That's it. Package deal.
Denise, look, I... I don't wanna
keep you from your dreams, all right?
That man's right,
you were born to sing.
Jesus, Victor!
Enough already.
Before you and Malik,
I didn't even realize
I could sing that music.
That I loved that music.
I didn't even
know who I was.
You guys
believed in me,
so I'm not gonna
sell you out.
And that's that.
Now, can we get
back to practice?
Yeah.
I've been calling you
and texting you.
Left a few messages and
you don't even respond.
And I didn't see you at
school. What's up with that?
I'm sorry. It's been crazy. I've
been so busy getting ready and stuff.
Busy? Doing what?
I got into Complexions.
Complexions?
What's that?
Only the greatest modern
dance company in the world.
They want me
for a world tour.
What?
Wait, are you serious?
Yeah.
Oh, my God.
That's what I'm talking
about. What did I tell you?
It's gonna be
a lot of work.
I bet. What's it like?
Give me details.
Twenty-two cities. We
start rehearsing next week.
Next week?
What about school?
I'm dropping out.
Your parents
will let you?
Are you kidding? They've put me
in dance class since I was five.
They're thrilled.
Oh.
That's great.
I know I should have told
you sooner, Victor. I'm sorry.
We'll still, like... We'll
still see each other, right?
When you come back to
visit your parents. Right?
Alice, baby, come on.
Victor, listen.
It's not just us.
A lot of my friends
say that after P.A.,
you just go on
your separate ways.
It's just the way
the world works, Victor.
That's just
how it works?
Hey, Malik.
What happened
to your dad?
What?
Your dad. Where is he?
Mrs. Simms?
Joy. Come in.
Have a seat, dear.
Come here.
Come and have a seat.
I want to talk to you.
I think we both know
why I asked to see you.
Your grades.
I'm your teacher, Malik.
And I want an answer.
The oldest story in the
book, all right? He left.
After Ayanna was born. Didn't
even come back for her funeral.
Was there anyone there
to take his place?
I tried to make it work for
as long as I possibly could.
I know.
You know how I
feel about P.A.
But I'm working on the
show all the time now.
And I... I just...
I don't know
what to do.
Everything you're
ashamed of,
all the parts of yourself
that you keep secret,
everything you want to
change about yourself,
it's who you are.
That's your power.
Deny it
and you're nothing.
And you'll never be
much of an actor.
This school is here to
develop you as an artist.
And when you're ready, send
you out there to go to work.
Are you ready?
Now, you're good, Malik.
But you've got to start
breaking down those walls
and accept
your circumstances.
Just tell the truth.
Nobody cares
about that shit.
Yeah, maybe so.
But I do.
You all right?
Why the hell are
you so nervous?
Cool.
You invited them.
No, not exactly.
What does that mean?
I told them some kids
from school were performing
who were, I don't
know, musically gifted.
Wait, so they don't know
you're singing tonight?
No.
But do they know
it's hip hop?
I told them,
"Classical jazz."
Oh, it's gonna be
good tonight.
Oh, yeah.
You sure you don't want
anything to drink?
I'd love one, but I'm gonna be
paying my dad back till I'm 30.
I can't afford a drink.
You don't mind if I have a
sip of yours, though, right?
Look who it is.
Look who it is.
Mr. Dowd.
Yeah, sorry, guys,
I gotta go.
How've you been?
I've been okay.
That's good.
I've been thinking
a lot about you.
Yeah, I have, too.
I think about
how I hurt you
and it kills me.
I'm so sorry.
I went there for all the wrong
reasons and I know that now.
Things will probably never
be the same between us, but...
Mike check,
one-two, one-two.
Do you think you'll ever
be able to forgive me?
Hey, guys, the show's
about to start.
Coming.
Listen.
Let's just talk about this later. Okay?
All right.
Yo, what up,
everyone? How y'all feeling tonight?
Come on,
let me hear y'all.
Yeah!
Come on, y'all can
do better than that.
Look, look, look. we got a
special group for y'all tonight,
straight out of the
Performing Arts High School.
How y'all feel
about that?
I got a question for y'all.
How many people here have
gone to the Performing Arts?
Okay, raise your hands.
Let me see. Let me see.
I see you. Okay, one,
two, ten. Okay, good, good.
So look, look, tonight is
their first performance ever...
- Good luck, girl.
- ...so try not to be too mean, all right?
Just give it up, people.
Give it up.
You want
to know my life?
well let me give you
a backdrop
I was born in
the era of the flattop
Low-cut Air Jordans
with the black socks
When Run-DMC was
chilling with Ad-Rock
Mom was broke and
Dad did crack rock
So I hit the streets to keep the
padlock off our apartment door
Me and my mans
holding the 'four
Standing in front
of the stash spot
Until one day
my little sister got popped
It took away my
whole life in a snapshot
And it might sound gory But
that's the unfortunate story
Between the "haves"
and the "have-nots"
Between the "gots"
and the "ain't-gots"
I was tired of not
getting so I got on the go
Everybody worldwide
got to get it for sure
Get on your job, get on
your grind Get on the flo'
Now let's go
Yeah, come on
Baby, get on the
floor Come and shake it with me
So high
we're not coming down
we ain't coming down
Baby, get on the floor
'Cause I know you believe
Yeah
We've come too far to turn
back now Tell them, baby
Don't want to think
about yesterday
Or the time
that slipped away
Or the things
that people say
'Cause I'm just living
my life Living my life
And I can have anything
if I choose it
And I'm ready and willing to
prove it I like the way you move it
I like the way you do it,
yeah So let's get down tonight
It's time to show me what
you got Show me what you got
Keep it moving, please
don't stop Don't stop
Don't want to
wait until tomorrow
All we got is here and now
All we got is here and now
No need to let
these moments go by
we got one night
One night
One life
One life
So come take this chance with me Yeah
Baby, get on the floor
Get on the floor
Come and shake it with me
Just shake it
So high
we're not coming down
Baby, get on the floor
Get on the floor
'Cause I know you believe
Yeah
We've come too far to turn
back now Don't turn back now
Too far, too, too, too far
Too far
Too far
Come on
Yeah, what's up, everybody?
Give it up for the band!
Yeah!
Thank you for coming out.
I'm Malik. That's my
boy Victor on the keys.
And on vocals...
what's up, y'all?
It's your girl, Denise!
I say everybody
Everybody
Keep moving to the beat
Move to the beat, y'all
If the feeling that
you're feeling is true
It's true, baby
It's true, baby
I say everybody
Everybody
I want to see you on
your feet On your feet
'Cause the music's got me
feeling brand new
Baby, get on the floor
Get on the floor, y'all
Shake it with me
Just shake it
we're not coming down
Baby, get on the floor
'Cause I know you believe
Too far to turn back now
Baby, get on the floor
I know you like it, baby
So high we're not coming
down we're not coming down
Baby, get on the floor
'Cause I know you believe
We've come too far
We've come too far
to turn back now
Yeah, yeah
Daddy...
Denise, I can't believe
you tricked us into
coming here tonight.
I thought it was
a school event.
I had to. There was
no other choice.
And who were those boys
you were up there with?
They're my friends. I...
And when the hell
did you start singing?
I just want you to know that
this is completely unacceptable.
You know what? If you can't accept
this, then you can't accept me.
Because this is who I am.
Playing piano isn't enough
for me anymore, Daddy.
Sitting in an orchestra,
invisible. I hate it!
That's it! I'm pulling
you out of that school.
I don't care if there's
three months left.
But... What?
No.
I have been watching Denise play the
piano all her life and she is good.
And she practices and she's done
everything we asked her to do.
But she doesn't love it.
She went to school
to be...
You will stay at that school and
we will support you no matter what.
Now, wait...
There will be no
more discussion.
There are some things
success is not.
It's not fame.
It's not money or power.
Success is waking up
in the morning
so excited about
what you have to do
that you literally
fly out the door.
It's getting to work
with people you love.
Success is connecting with the
world and making people feel.
It's finding a way to
bind together people
who have nothing in
common but a dream.
It's falling asleep at night knowing
you did the best job you could.
Success is joy and
freedom and friendship.
And success is love.
What are you doing here?
You're not graduating.
True, but my best friend is.
I bought you a present.
Oh, my God!
Where did you find this?
I thought the Gucci print might be a little
too much, but I thought you'd like it.
No, it's perfect.
What happened to
all your stuff?
It all went home already.
What do you mean?
I'm going back to Iowa.
But I thought we talked
about you staying here,
doing dance class
and Broadway...
Joy, Joy, Joy.
I'm lucky.
I have a place to go.
I'm gonna take over
my mom's dance studio.
And I'm gonna be the best goddamn
dance teacher there ever was.
Four years of
ups and downs,
of wonderment
and disappointment,
of ennui and joy.
It was everything
I'd ever hoped for.
And scene.
Congratulations!
Can I take a picture?
Over here.
Hi.
Hi.
Welcome, everyone, to the
New York High School of Performing Arts
graduation and performance.
I got us seats right here.
we ask that you now turn
off all your cell phones
and please refrain from
any flash photography
during the performance.
Thank you very much
and enjoy the show.
Countless hours
of learning more
Countless hours
of knowing less
Can't look behind you
You have to look ahead
So many doubts
running through your mind
All the excuses
Don't have the time
All the rejection you
have to leave behind
Leave it all behind
Leave it all behind
Hold your dreams
Don't ever let it go
Be yourself
And let the world
take notice
You'll find strength
when people bring you down
They will see
If you would only
Only believe
Someway, somehow
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't give up now
Don't give up
Don't be afraid
To succeed
To succeed
Yeah
Someway, somehow
Come on, everybody
The time is right now
It's our time, yeah
Don't be afraid
To succeed
To succeed
Yeah
Hold your dreams
Don't ever let it go
Be yourself
And let the world
take notice
You'll find strength
when people bring you down
They will see
If you would only
Only believe
Remember, remember
Baby, look at me
and tell me what you see
You ain't seen
the best of me yet
Give me time I'll make
you forget the rest
I got more to me
And you can set it free
I can catch the moon
in my hand
Don't you know who I am?
Remember my name
Fame
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna learn how to fly High
I feel it coming together
People will see me and cry
Fame
I'm gonna make it
to heaven
Light up the sky like a flame Fame
I'm gonna live forever
Baby, remember my name
Remember, remember,
remember, remember
Remember, remember
Baby, hold me tight
'Cause you can
make it right
You can shoot me
straight to the top
Give me love and take
all I've got to give
Baby, I return
Too much is not enough
I can ride your heart
till it breaks
Ooh, I've got
what it takes
Remember my name
Fame
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna learn how to fly High
I feel it coming together
People will see me and cry
Fame
I'm gonna make it
to heaven
Light up the sky like a flame Fame
I'm gonna live forever
Baby, remember my name
Remember, remember,
remember, remember
Remember my name
Remember, remember
Remember, remember,
remember, remember
Remember my name
Fame
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna learn how to fly High
I feel it coming together
People see me and cry
Fame
I'm gonna make it
to heaven
Light up the sky like a flame Fame
I'm gonna live forever
Baby, remember my name
My name
Remember my name
Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
No time for games
Time to decide
The pressure's on
It's got to be right
Won't be detoured
by foolish pride
Gotta work just a little
Just a peek
for something committal
Got to find
somewhere in the middle
So confusing with my feelings
I'm just lost in the fever
It takes time
for true feelings
But I can't seem to fight it
No matter how I try
You can't run from love
You can't push and shove
'Cause no matter what
Love will always catch you
You try your best to speed up
But you don't measure up
There's nowhere to hide
Love will always catch you
You can't run from love
You can't push and shove
'Cause no matter what
Love will always catch you
You can't hide from love
Can't hide from love
Can't hide
Love will always
How do I feel?
what do I say?
I'm on the spot
Today's the day
Decision time
What should I do?
Should I deny
or give in to?
Gotta work just a little
Just a peek
for something committal
Got to find
somewhere in the middle
So confusing
with my feelings
I'm just lost in the fever
It takes time
for true feelings
But I can't seem to fight it
No matter how I try
You can't run from love
You can't push and shove
'Cause no matter what
Love will always catch you
You try your best to speed up
But you don't measure up
There's nowhere to hide
Love will always catch you
You can't run from love
You can't push and shove
'Cause no matter what
Love will always catch you
Can't hide from love
Yeah
Can't hide from love
Come on
Can't hide
Love will always
Through all my shades
you shine so bright
Move, you do it
You do it like
Nobody
It's plain to see
Your TNT is dynamite
Your fuse I'd gladly ignite
For your bomb
madly recite
Stadium status
'cause you're the baddest
midnight train
since Gladys Knight
Girl, you know
we got a problem, right?
I salute you
like stars and stripes
Introduce you
to all these sights
'Cause that's what you've been
waiting for all your life
I know you like
that fancy stuff
Make a nigga wanna
take advantage of
Yes, I'm calling
'cause I'm falling
For you and cannot be hurt
Let's go
You can't run from love
You can't push and shove
'Cause no matter what
Love will always catch you
You try your best to speed up
But you don't measure up
There's nowhere to hide
Love will always catch you
You can't run from love
You can't run
You can't push and shove
'Cause no matter what
Love will always catch you
Can't hide from love
Can't hide from love
Can't hide from love
Can't hide
English - US - PSDH