Mario and Luigi in SING 2

In another world

Onstage at the New Moon Theater, the show was going well. The cast members were singing and dancing their hearts out. They all wanted this performance to be outstanding, since someone very important was in the audience.

Backstage, Buster Moon, the optimistic koala in charge of the theater, pulled back a side curtain for a quick peek.

"So," Rosita, a pig in the cast, asked anxiously,
"is she here?"

Buster smiled and nodded. "There. See the dog in the middle of the third row? That's her.
She's supposed to be the best talent scout in show business."

All the actors backstage crowded around Buster, trying to see how the scout was reacting to their show.

"I can't tell if she's enjoying it," said Meena, a young elephant with a beautiful singing voice.

"Come on," Buster said, stepping away from the curtain.

"Let's get a better view."

While other animals sang onstage, Buster led Rosita, Meena, a gorilla named Johnny, and another pig, Gunter, onto a platform. Buster pulled a lever, and the platform rose into the catwalk high above the stage.

They stepped onto it, and from there they could clearly see the whole theater- -backstage, onstage, and the entire audience.

Miss Crawly, an elderly iguana with a glass eye, was already perched on the carwalk with a telescope, spying on the talent scout.

"And how are we doing up here, Miss Crawly?" Buster asked, keeping his voice low.

She handed him a clipboard with a photo of the scout and a handwritten tally of her reactions.

"Oh, very good," Miss Crawly answered. "So far, I've counted nine smiles, two belly laughs, and five chuckles . . . though the last one could've just been gas."

In the audience, the talent scout, whose name was Suki Lane, stared at the stage with an expression on her face that was hard to read.

"Well, that's proof, right?" Buster said, studying the clipboard. "She must like the show."

"Oh my gosh," Meena said, excited. "Do you think so?"

"I hope so," Rosita said. They all hoped the talent scout would love their show and recommend that it move to Redshore City, where people came from all over the world to be entertained.

"She'd be, like, cuckoo not to love ziss show!"
Gunter insisted in his European accent.

"All right, now, keep up the good work," Buster coached.

"Come on, everybody back to your positions." He herded them onto the platform again so they could ride down to the stage.

"Dream big dreams," he called down from the catwalk. "That's what I've always said, right?"

"Mmm-hmm," Miss Crawly agreed, still
watching the scout through her telescope.

"Well, looks like we're about to take this show to the entertainment capital of the world!" Buster predicted enthusiastically.

Then Miss Crawly looked up from the telescope, worried. "Mr. Moon, she's leaving!"

"Huh?" Buster said. Why would the scout be leaving already? The show wasn't even half over!

"She's leaving the show!" Miss Crawly exclaimed.

"Miss Crawly, stay right here!" Buster ordered.

"What are you gonna do?" the iguana asked.

Buster climbed up to a trolley dangling from a wire.

"I'm gonna follow that dog!" he explained as he zipped away, riding the wire like a zip line over the audience and through a gap in the back wall, ending up right over a balcony box.