Look forward to the moment

when you must rearrange your heart.

It might feel like the end of the world—

but it’s the beginning of your art.

PHIL AND DJANE:

We hope you can you abide

us showing some Tiny Cooper pride.

Hold me closer, Tiny Cooper!

Hold me closer, Tiny Cooper!

Even as you fall,

hold me closer.

CHORUS OF EX-BOYFRIENDS:

It’s all about falling—

you land and get up so you can fall again.

It’s all about falling—

I won’t be afraid to hit that wall again.

TINY (spoken):

Maybe tonight you’re scared of falling, and maybe there’s somebody here or somewhere else you’re thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure out if you want to fall, or how and when you’re gonna land, and I gotta tell you, friends, to stop thinking about the landing, because it’s all about falling.

Maybe there is something you’re afraid to say, or someone you’re afraid to love, or somewhere you’re afraid to go. It’s gonna hurt. It’s gonna hurt because it matters.

CHORUS:

Don’t be afraid—

just fall.

Don’t be afraid—

just fall.

TINY:

But I just fell and landed and I am still standing here to tell you that you’ve gotta learn to love the falling, because it’s all about falling.

CHORUS:

Don’t be afraid—

just fall.

Don’t be afraid—

just fall.

TINY:

Just fall for once. Let yourself fall!

Everybody should be onstage now. The whole ensemble. Singing together. Ex-boyfriends and friends. Members of the family I was born into and members of the family I’ve created. This one big chorus that sings me through my life, adding the harmony that makes me awake and alive and connected. In this moment I realize: I don’t need that one single other voice to make my life a song. There are so many voices that are already a part of it. We diminuendo in our doubt, but then we crescendo into understanding, together.

ENSEMBLE:

Hold me closer,

hold me closer.

Hold me closer,

hold me closer!

I’m going to fall,

so hold me closer!

I’m going to fall,

so hold me closer!

Every time I fall,

hold me closer.

Every time I fall,

hold me closer!

Suddenly, with a grand wave of his arms, Tiny stops the music. He moves to the front of the stage and the rest of the stage goes dark. It’s just him in a spotlight, looking out into the audience. He just stands there for a moment, taking it all in. And then he closes the show by saying:

TINY:

My name is Tiny Cooper. And this is my story.

With this, our show comes to an end. It’s an open ending, and it’s a happy ending. Because most happy endings are open endings—wide-open endings. On opening night of this musical, a lot of things happened to make me realize that life is a work in progress, and that we’re actors and playwrights and composers, if we approach the show the right way. This is my first show, and I’m sure it’s rough—most first shows are. But it won’t be my last.

I have to believe we have enough songs in our hearts for endless musicals, about an endless number of things. And it’s fun, every now and then, to let them out into the world.

Thank you for hearing me.

FIN