Quid Pro Quo

Most people who've seen New Line shows knows our work is usually very political, and anybody who knows me knows I'm very political personally. A lot of people also know that I've written a bunch of musicals.

One of the ways I practice my craft -- just as dancers and singers regularly take classes -- is to write parody lyrics. The day after Trump won the 2016 election, I wrote a parody lyric about Trump to the tune of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd."

Writing parody lyrics is excellent practice, for two reasons. First, it's really fun, but it also does for me what finger exercises do for piano players: it flexes and strengthens those muscles. One thing I learned while writing The Zombies of Penzance was that it truly is harder to write lyrics to existing music, and the lyrics usually come out better, largely because it's harder and more constrained. The more restrictions are placed on the creation of a piece of art, the more the end product is (usually) better.

And writing parody has that same virtue. And as a matter of fact...

I have a new one.

I watched almost all the impeachment hearings, alternately (sometimes simultaneously) both incredibly proud and impressed by the foresight of our Founders, and also so depressed at how un-serious so many members of congress were during the proceedings. These are complicated times.

And so a few days ago, like these things often do, the basic idea just popped into my head -- a parody song about "Quid Pro Quo," set to the music of the song "Dites Moi" from South Pacific. The rhythm of the music is almost too perfect.

So without further ado, I present, with deep apologies to Rodgers & Hammerstein, "Quid Pro Quo."

Quid pro quo?
Oh no!
Ignore the press buzz!
No pro quo!
Although,
It really was...

Trump says, "No
Pro quo!"
And so that proves it!
He says, "I
Never lie!"
Quo, ho, ho!

Hope this gives you a small chuckle in the midst of all this lunacy.

Long Live the Musical!
Scott