[JEFF]
We can either follow our instinct
Or take advice from every joker
We can either be distinct
Or wind up merely mediocre
But not me
Not me

When we set out to write this musical
We said we’d write a show that we wanna see
We knew we’d never please everyone
Remember that day at Gristedes
You said to me
You said to me

I’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing
Than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing
Nine peoples favorite thing
Than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing

[HUNTER]
Yeah, you’re right, Jeffy let’s not compromise
Let’s keep making something we’ve never seen
A risk was taken with “On the Town”
And look what happened Betty and Adolph burst
Onto the scene
[JEFF AND HUNTER]
A shout out to Comden and Green

And when Bock and Harnick were writing “Tenderloin”
They were taking a risk to write a show about whores
When Kander and Ebb were working on the Rink
I’d like to think at some point; John looked at Fred and said

I’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing
Than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing

[JEFF, HUNTER, SUSAN, AND HEIDI]
Nine people’s favorite thing than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing

[HEIDI]
When you handed me the first draft of this show
I’ll admit I was a little bit “what the fuck?”
But I’m not giving up on you guys until all of us have learned to knit
On the bus and truck
On the bus and truck

And who says four chairs and a keyboard
Can’t make a musical
We’re enough with only that keyboard
We’re okay with only four chairs
We’ll be fine with only four chairs
We’ll rock hard with only four chairs
[JEFF, HUNTER, SUSAN, AND HEIDI]
Ahhh-ah
Oooo-ah
Ahhh-ah
Oooo-ahhhhhhh

[SUSAN]
I am eight years old in Ohio
It is time for the annual church bazaar
There’s a cake-baking contest
I am going to be the big star
But I don’t want to make a German chocolate
And a seven-layer I’ll never complete
So I show up with pride this morning
With a tray of Rice Krispie treats

And they try to push them aside
Say that they are too strange to compete
And sure, most of the judges award the red velvet
But one picks the Rice Krispie treats
Let our show be the Rice Krispie treat

I’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing
Than a hundred peoples ninth favorite thing

[SUSAN AND HEIDI]
Nine people’s favorite thing
Than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing
[JEFF, HUNTER, SUSAN, AND HEIDI]
Those nine people will tell nine people
Then we’ll have eighteen people loving the show
Then eighteen people could grow into
Five-hundred and twenty-five-thousand, six-hundred people
Loving our show

[JEFF AND HUNTER]
And maybe someday if we’re lucky enough
We’ll all be in a studio recording the show

[JEFF, HUNTER, SUSAN, AND HEIDI]
And ten years from now when we play the cast album
This track on the CD
Will remind us of why we’d rather be

Nine peoples favorite thing
Than a hundred peoples ninth favorite thing
Nine people’s favorite thing
Than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing

[JEFF AND HUNTER]
So the decision’s made
And we’re on our way
And we may lose or maybe we might
Be nine people’s favorite thing

[HEIDI AND SUSAN]
Nine people’s favorite

[JEFF, HUNTER, SUSAN, AND HEIDI]
When we open tonight
Tonight