Scene opens on a bustling newsroom. Everyone is talking about the approaching deadline and the stresses of meeting it. No one's happy; the sounds of the newsroom are frantic. There's lots of typing, printing, mic checks, chairs rollling, etc. The crusty newsroom man with a cigar steps in to check on progress and storms out, disgruntled. One girl sits at a computer in the corner. She hasn't said anything, but slowly the camera moves so you notice her. She seems content, almost happy. Then, the newsroom freezes except for her. Singing:
I have such a dirty secret
I can't tell anyone
but I kind of like the deadline
to me, it's kind of fun
I like the rush to meet it;
that success is happenstance
others see a headache
but me . . . I see . . . A DANCE!
Lyrics by Kelly Cochran
Picture a slow progression...the anchor's feet start moving, the tune begins, and then: an all-out dance on the anchor's newsdesk.
Photo: Gretchen Wieland
It began one day in the newsroom with a joke, as Kelly Cochran and I often break into a little song and dance when bored (a little too often for some). All of a sudden, she and I were throwing out ideas for "Tv.ku.edu: The Musical", and she came up with the spectacular title and a majority of the lyrics.
Imagine a tool that could integrate the unique personalities of this class and also bring toe-tapping tunes across campus. The musical could do that. "Dancing ‘till Deadline" has overachievers, emotional wrecks, ditzy anchors, and a jaded newsroom professor who pops in to tell the crew they're running behind schedule. Hilarious scenes parody the morning meeting (one character proposes every plausible idea with no B-roll possibilities), the pitfalls of web producing ("They gave me a link"), and an ode to KUJH-TV in the form of a rap.
Besides creating a heck of a lot of fun and getting people involved, this project could give the University and tv.ku.edu some good press. Personally, I would have been even more attracted to the J-School if I would have seen upper-level classes making a musical in their free time. They can go to class and work in the newsroom but also have fun together and sing and dance? I'm in!
So, oh, oh, give us a chance. When we start to dance, we are TV stars (Think about the nat sounds at the newsroom at the beginning of the clip). You know you want to see Dick Nelson tap dance.
I missed the inception of this musical but I definitely want to see how it ends! I think Rick's pretty much for the musical and I don't see any reason not to do it. Who's going to get this thing organized and shot? It would be a lot of fun and give a personal touch to the newsroom. It could be the Fall07 J694 Legacy...
I guess I am a little too serious for this one. Ask yourself if you want potential employers to see that as part of your body of work and then proceed accordingly.
As one of my classmates put it, "If someone does not want to hire me based on the musical, it most likely isn't someone I'd want to work for."
Considering I have no intention of being a reporter or anchor after graduation and instead want to do something with advertising or documentary work, I think this is right up my alley. I would not be at all embarrassed to have the singing and dancing of our class posted on YouTube as an attempt to show that news people can have fun. Plus, I've been in musicals my whole life, some of which have been taped and sold. If I were an employer, I think I'd like to hire some fun and creative people who truly give "a fresh perspective" to the whole news business.