Lainey: Crystal Palace Songbird
There were several of us in the group, a college play that had got us together in the first place. We each played parts in the production, the two lead actresses. a male supporting actor and little old me. I was officially an assistant producer of the play, in charge of casting the roles, supervision of the script and on stage presence including costumes and makeup. The play did fairly well playing for almost three months every Friday and Saturday. The ticket sales helping to fund the drama department.
A small portion of the ticket sales was also donated to the campus child care. Started several years ago it was for young mothers who needed a place for their children while they tried to finish their degree. It was supervised by the college but the funding had to come from other sources since it was a state funded university. The professor who over saw the drama department started the child care center initially At the time she had several students wanting to complete their degree but had a young child that needed caring for. Most of the young girls were unmarried, their so called male companions skipping town after they found out the girl was pregnant. We all helped at the child care center, when studies and classes permitted. The kids were wonderful, so energetic just needing a little love and attention.
When we had a little extra cash our little group usually tried to visit a nightclub, a bar, or a concert if we found that little extra cash burning a hole in our pockets. A pleasant way to spend an evening and enjoy the friendship we developed over the time we spent doing plays and helping out at the child care center. Matt had a hot date tonight so he excused himself for the evening. Anne and Gloria had heard of a new place in town, a bar that was designed after an old time western saloon. They had a short show they put on three times an evening, usually a few of the girls doing a can-can dance and one gal lip syncing to a western song. The waitresses all done up as saloon girls, with huge bouffant slips and low cut bodices on their dresses. It sounded interesting so we decided to spend the evening there.
When we arrived we were shown to a table near the front of the saloon. A waitress took our drink orders then the first show started. It was fast paced, the girls swishing their skirts and kicking their legs high was quite entertaining. Then they spread out entering the audience area looking for volunteers to help later in the evening. They picked a couple college females who were giggling away as they were led backstage. The remaining dancers kept roaming through the tables until two of them were standing behind me. Gloria reached over and raised my hand and yelled take him. Both of my so called friends shouted their approval and soon I was being escorted to the backstage area.
The leader of the dancing girls pulled me aside as they got out of sight of the audience. She told me they wanted to dress me as a dancing girl, then have me do a number with them later in the evening. She looked at me wondering if I was alright with her plan, so I nodded my head and two of them quickly helped me to undress. I have no idea why I didn’t stop right there, having no interest in dressing as a female and being on stage as such.
I was allowed a little privacy until I had exchanged my shorts for a pair of ruffled panties. Then a pair of breast forms were glued to my chest, a corset with cups to support my new breasts was placed around my waist and cinched tightly. I guess they had picked wisely since I never did have much body hair, hardly any on my chest and only a few hairs on my legs. Some colored stockings were attached to the garter straps and my feet were nestled in a pair of four inch heels. The straps were fastened around my ankle keeping the shoes on my feet. The stockings hiding what little leg hair I had managed to grow in my nineteen years on this earth.
I was dragged over to a vanity and pushed down in the seat while a wig was secured over my head and glued around the edges to keep it from falling off. Way too much makeup was applied to my face, but the look they achieved apparently what they were looking for. I was handed the lyrics to the song they wanted me to sing, since it was all done in fun, it didn’t make any difference if my voice was feminine or not. I have no idea why I allowed them to make me look like a saloon girl. The image in the vanity mirror was definitely female, maybe a little too good looking for a female in a comedy skit. The lyrics were easy to learn, a soulful song usually sung by a torch singer. I imagine when I sang it it would get quite a few laughs.
I heard the college girls conclude their dance number, the applause quite enthusiastic for their efforts. The rest of the troupe performed another number then it was to be my time on stage. I swallowed hard, trying to get the frog in my throat to leave. One of the girls took my hand and led me to a spot on the stage. The music started and after a few garbled words I found my voice and started singing. I didn’t hear any laughter, or jeers from my friends, so I continued with the song. I closed my eyes letting my mind wander and tried to put a little soul in the song.
I had sung before in a few church services, but never before on a stage. When the music stopped I curtsied and left the stage. It was deathly quiet for a few moments, then all hell broke loose. The applause was deafening, I looked back toward the stage to see why everybody was clapping, seeing the stage empty. One of the gals came over and hugged me, asking where did I learn to sing so well. Several more of the performers came over wanting to hug me, some had tears in their eyes. I was dragged back on stage the applause once again loud and enthusiastic. Then the gal that had asked me if I would do the skit with them came up and pulled me off stage. I was taken to a little office to the right of the stage, several chairs, a desk with a monitor so that what was happening on the stage could be kept an eye on, otherwise the room was basically empty. I was shown to one of the chairs and she sat behind the desk.
“I am Cindy and that was awesome. Well you ruined that comedy skit. I am not complaining though. Are you a college student, do you have a job?”
I responded that I was a college student, no job and in my junior year. Majoring in drama, hoping to maybe get a job as an assistant director one day. She wanted to know if I was married, or had a steady girlfriend. I answered no and no but wondered why she wanted to know all of this information about me.
“Look you blew the audience away with your singing, if you will take it I have a job for you starting right now. Pay pretty good to start, with several raises once it gets around about your singing ability. I will pay for all your clothing, makeup and hair styling. All you have to do is sing several songs every evening. On Saturday twice during the day and once in the evening. Sunday we are closed. How about I start you out at five hundred a week, then make adjustments as needed to keep you happy.”
By that time my mind was mush, and I was sporting a mouth stuck in the open position. I finally nodded my assent to her proposal. Why I don’t know. The whole idea was so left field, and I had no idea of how I could even start to do what she wanted. She handed me another song to learn, wanting me to close the show tonight. She went out to take part in a couple of their skits, in between they helped serve drinks and mingled with the customers. I was able to learn the lyrics, it was a song I kind of liked and had heard before. She returned to get me, had me change my costume and refreshed my makeup. The new costume was elaborate, and oh so feminine. A plunging neckline to show off my cleavage and even more petticoats under the dresses skirt. Led back to the stage and introduced as Miss Lainey, our own Crystal Palace songbird.
I missed my first cue to the song and they had to start the music over. I manged to get it right this time closing my eyes and letting the song flow from my body. Again when I finished absolute quiet. Not a sound to be heard. I opened my eyes and saw a few people down front, with tears in their eyes. Looking farther into the audience I saw the same thing over and over. Then the applause came, everybody standing up and applauding loudly. I curtsied and left the stage. Back stage I was mobbed, my friends managing to find me and I was enveloped in a huge group hug. Cindy found our group and told them I would be working at the Crystal palace now. The girls stepped back to see if what she said was true, watching for my reaction. One of the show’s regular females grabbed my hand and took me to a dressing room where she helped me to get out of the costume, remove my makeup and the breast forms. They asked to take a couple of pictures of me in male mode, I relented, but still was in a daze at all that had transpired tonight. I received hugs from all of their girls, and was dragged off by my friends. I was quiet on the trip back to our apartment, not really knowing what to say to any of them.
Once in our apartment both girls sat me down at the small table in the kitchen and stared at me. I tried to feign disinterest but soon Gloria hauled off and hit me in the arm. Ann looked me straight in the eyes and in a very firm voice said we need information now. You are not going anywhere till we get it, so you better start talking.
I told them everything that had transpired and what Cindy had offered me. They wanted more info asking questions on how I will be dressed and what clothes I would be furnished. I had no answers for them but did get Cindy’s number and gave it to Anne. She was always the logical one, watching what we did and making suggestions that were more mainstream and logical for anything we had thought of doing. She told me she will call Cindy in the morning and find out the details. I was already yawning, so the girls manged to get me to my bed and as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out of it.
© 2016 thru 2024 by Francesca