Who's Running This Show?


 * Who's Running This Show? is the sixth book in the Rockett's World series. It was written by Lauren Day.

Back Cover Synopsis

 * Welcome to Whistling Pines Junior High School, where new girl Rockett Movado's figuring out who's who and what's what. She has to make some big decisions. Like who might be a friend for life and who's a full-time phony? And is it safe to trust everything she hears? Rockett's choices really count. She's learning who she is and where she fits in -- and any move she makes could change everything.
 * Rockett's ready to rock as stage manager of the class talent show. But being in charge means making choices that might hurt her friends' feelings. And now Rockett's not so sure she's right for the job.

Summary
Rockett has been chosen as stage manager for the mandatory school talent show. Nicole was the stage manager for the previous year's show and nobody liked what a mean director she became. Whenever Rockett becomes frustrated and shows a less than calm side, the kids tease her that she's turning into Nicole. The show is directed by the language arts teachers, Mr. Baldus and Mrs. Tinydahl, who have final say in everything but are highly receptive to comments and suggestions of the stage manager.

Arnold originally wanted to be stage manager but steps aside for the job because he likes Rockett. His new plan for the show is to be a magician and he needs an assistant, but no one is willing to partner with him. Stephanie's pet parrot has been depressed at home and Rockett thinks that putting the parrot in the talent show will cure of him feeling neglected, so Stephanie breaks off from the Ones' planned cheerleading routine to form her own act. Bo isn't going to perform and will run the sound board instead. Sharla plans to read her poetry and wants a black backdrop for the show, but Cleve and Max want a brick wall backdrop for their stand-up comedy bit. Ruben wants to do a long guitar solo that ends with him blowing out a pair of amplifiers. Rockett doesn't understand when he abbreviates the term to "amps" and she promises that she'll find some for him. At the audition, he runs two minutes over the allotted performance time and the teachers firmly nix the plan for exploding the sound equipment. Ruben is angry that Rockett couldn't make his rock concert happen.

Darnetta is going to sing the blues but needs the sheet music for Jessie to accompany her on the flute. Viva is planning on dancing to Darnetta's blues song, and her costume is a tight black leotard. The teachers feel Viva's costume violates the school dress code and say she can't perform in the leotard. Rockett sticks up for Viva's costume, feeling like it's a perfect fit for the style of dance, but Mrs. Tinydahl won't listen.

Nicole and Whitney still try to audition with their cheerleading routine, but don't adjust anything for their missing third person. The routine is long and ends with them falling over. Afterward Nicole changes her mind about the act altogether to do a solo reading of a self-help book which leaves Whitney alone without an act. Rockett thinks Whitney should be the magician's assistant in Arnold's performance, but Whitney doesn't agree. Talking about the fabulous costume Arnold has in mind for the beautiful assistant starts to get Whitney interested though.

After auditions Rockett feels overwhelmed. When she talks to the teachers about needing a little help, they assign her a co-manager, Arnold. The show still needs a prop manager and Mavis volunteers herself since she knows where to find sheet music and costumes on a budget. However, co-manager Arnold keeps insulting her whenever she comes around trying to help so she withdraws her support until he can apologize and be polite.

Arrow's first plan is to do an archery demonstration, but Rockett thinks it's a boring act. At first she can't bring herself to tear down Arrow's idea, but eventually tells her the truth and says it's doubtful Mrs. Tinydahl will approve projectile weapons in the show. Rockett recommends that Arrow use her skills as a drummer instead and team up with Wolf for a Native American drumming performance. Arrow has a crush on Wolf and is really excited by the idea but she doubts that he'd be interested since he isn't the type to be in the spotlight. Rockett lies and said she already talked to him. Arrow is majorly embarrassed when she talks to Wolf later and he has no idea what she's talking about. Wolf is reluctant to do the act, telling Rockett that he and Arrow are from two different indigenous nations.

When Rockett gets home that evening, she sees her sister Juno is home from college. Juno is waiting for a boy named Josh to call her, but whenever the phone rings it's for Rockett. All the kids from school are calling her about their acts for the talent show. Rockett wants to ask Juno for advice but Juno always seems to have her life together so Rockett doesn't think she'd understand.

The auditions continue the next day. Stephanie's act is a series of questions and her parrot will answer them with his catchphrases, but the questions have zero entertainment value. Nicole's reading of the self-help book is boring and even her enthusiasm for acting can't make the subject matter of the book interesting. The CSGs do a soccer ball passing routine. Ginger plays the bagpipes but she's only a beginner so it sounds terrible and she doesn't make the cut for the final show. When she gets home that day, Rockett finally feels drained enough to talk to her sister for encouragement. Mrs. Movado takes messages from all the phone calls that continue to come in but Rockett and Juno spend the night talking about Rockett's problems and how to move forward from here.

Rockett starts returning calls later and straightens everything out with all the people she'd been putting off. She firmly demands that Arnold apologize to Mavis and he does. Mavis comes through with costumes and music and props for all. Arrow has a dream about the success of the drumming act with Wolf and calls him to confirm if he's going to do it, and he's willing.

The next day Stephanie still doesn't have a good act but she's brought her parrot in anyway. Rockett gets a great idea for the parrot's performance when Stephanie stands next to Cleve and Max as they crack jokes; the bird's catchphrases are funny when they are framed as reactions to the duo's bad puns. Next, Nicole makes a deal with Rockett - she'll convince Whitney to be Arnold's assistant for the magic act but Nicole wants to be master of ceremonies and announce each performer. Rockett talks to the usual emcee, Mr. Baldus, who agrees to let Nicole introduce some of the acts. And Viva's costume problem is solved when Rockett suggests to the teachers that she could tie a sheer, gauzy scarf over it. She also gets Ruben's guitar solo back in the show; he just has to stay under five minutes and keep the sound level appropriate.

Rockett gets home and hears from her mom that Juno is having a bad day. Juno's phone call from Josh never came so he's not visiting her for the weekend after all. Rockett makes Juno some tea and cookies and cheers her up by telling her about how well Juno's advice worked for all of the stage manager issues.

The night of the talent show arrives and every act is running smoothly. Rockett sees her family in the audience and talks to them at intermission. Juno is with a boy, who Rockett assumes is Josh, but Juno introduces him as Stephen, another boy from school. After the show ends, Ginger pulls all of the performers (and Mavis) onto the stage for the final curtain call; and then all the Whistling Pines students ask Rockett to come up too. Rockett gets lifted onto her classmates' shoulders as the audience applauds.