In the four days leading up to the Friday night auditions, Mrs. Marotta was a ball of energy. She put flyers up in the windows of every Cape Bluff store. She got in touch with Mr. Linn, the man who offered to donate his sound and lighting equipment. She had to make sure the custodian would be around to open the school on Friday. She had to make sure there would be enough hand sanitizer and toilet paper in the bathrooms. She had to deal with pushy parents who thought their amazing child was the second coming of Judy Garland. She had to deal with whiny third graders who couldn’t decide if they should sing “You Are My Sunshine” or “I’m A Little Teapot.” It seemed like there were a million details to nail down. She knew that if she didn’t do it, it wouldn’t get done. Mrs. Marotta even found the time to write a letter to Justin Chanda in care of his lawyer in New York. It was a long shot, but maybe Cape Bluff’s most famous talent might be willing to come home and make a surprise appearance at the talent show for the sake of the town.
