Stephen Flaherty
The Military
[GENERAL GENGHIS KHAN SCHMITZ] (spoken)
I'm General Genghis Khan Schmitz!
I scare children out of their wits.
[SCHMITZ] (singing)
BUT YOU'LL SEE AT A GLANCE, SIR,
MY SCHOOL IS THE ANSWER
FOR SHIRKERS AND DREAMERS AND TWITS.
AND IN THIS CASE, I'D SAY THE SHOE FITS!
[SCHMITZ] (spoken)
Ten hut! Feet together! Chin up. Eyes on the prize. Forward...h-a-a-rch!
(JOJO begins to march in place.)
[SCHMITZ] (singing)
THE MILITARY ACADEMY
IS THE PLACE WHERE HE SHOULD BE SENT.
WE'LL DRILL THE SILLINESS FROM HIS HEAD—
[SCHMITZ] (spoken)
I'm sure we'll make a dent!
[SCHMITZ] (singing)
WE'LL TEACH HIM FIGHTING
AND LEFT AND RIGHTING
UNTIL HE'S MUSCLED AND TAN!
A-HUT-TWO-THREE!
HE'S PATHETIC!
A-HUT-TWO-THREE!
[SCHMITZ] (spoken)
Unathletic!
[SCHMITZ] (singing)
A-HUT-TWO-THREE!
BUT I'M BETTING WE CAN!
THE MILITARY!
THAT'S WHAT MAKES A BOY...
A MAN!
(CADETS enter.)
[CADETS]
SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ,
SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ,
SCHMITZ!
[SCHMITZ] (spoken)
Look at these boys. Why, you'd never know that just a few short months ago, this one hummed in the shower! This one couldn't color within the lines. And this one actually had an Opinion!
[SCHMITZ] (singing)
OUR BOYS BELIEVE
IN THE RIGHT OF EVERY WHO
TO EAT THEIR BREAD
BUTTER SIDE UP!
[CADETS] (spoken)
Butter side up!
[SCHMITZ] (singing)
ONE THING WE TRUST
ON THIS FRAGILE SPECK OF DUST:
IS EATING BREAD
BUTTER SIDE UP!
[JOJO] (spokеn)
Butter side up?
[SCHMITZ] (singing)
AND AS FOR THOSE WHO LIKE THEIR BUTTER DOWN–
[CADETS] (spoken)
Down! Down! Down!
[SCHMITZ, & CADETS]
WE'LL GO TO WAR
AND RUN THEM OUT OF TOWN!
(DANCE BREAK, in which thе CADETS perform military exercises. JOJO tries to imitate them with little success.)
[CADETS, & (SCHMITZ, spoken)]
A-HUT-TWO-THREE (We enlist 'em.)!
A-HUT-TWO-THREE (In our system.)
[SCHMITZ] (singing)
AND BOYS SOON SEE
NOTHING'S EASIER THAN...
THE MILITARY!
THAT'S WHAT MAKES A BOY...
[CADETS]
THAT'S WHAT MAKES A BOY...
THAT'S WHAT MAKES A BOY...
THAT'S WHAT MAKES A BOY...
[SCHMITZ, & CADETS]
A MAN!!!
(SCHMITZ starts a "marching call" and the CADETS begin to march off in line. JOJO tries to keep up.)
[SCHMITZ]
I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM!
[CADETS]
I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM!
[SCHMITZ]
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM!
[CADETS]
DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM!
[SCHMITZ]
SOUND OFF!
[CADETS]
EGGS AND HAM!
[SCHMITZ]
SOUND OFF!
[CADETS]
SAM-I-AM!
[SCHMITZ, & CADETS]
I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS...
[SCHMITZ, & CADETS] (spoken)
And ham!
[CADETS] (singing)
SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ, SCHMITZ...
(JOJO's PARENTS are gone as the scene transitions to JOJO's military school. HE is now alone in his bunk bed. Simultaneously we see HORTON alone, guarding his clover. Night falls.)