Three Wise Men & Maggie
By
JulieDCole

Synopsis : Maggi has been a successful stage performer who now lives as a woman and has realized she does not to be viewed as an aging drag queen. So she moves North where the public never have much opportunity to see the vast array of UK stars who frequent the London stages.
She persuades some investors to back her talents for producing and directing a musical show based on the show in which he had first starred. Maggi unfortunately loses her talented friend who was taking the lead role due to an accident and as much as she wanted she decides she can’t take the female lead as she would have like like she’d done before years ago.
So eventually, running out of time, she needs help from anywhere. She calls some old friends and they agree to support her as her core team and they are dispatched to find a replacement lead before the backers pull out and she loses the money she herself invested.
A shining star in the sky points the way for them to a place where they find a fresh talent.
Chapter 1 focuses on the background and history between Maggi and her three wise men and they follow the star after Maggi convinces herself that a new Queen of the stage has been born. Time is running out but she has faith in her friends.
No miracles just a modern real life story that hopefully will have a twist at the end now I got my life back to pick up the story again where I left off.

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Winter time was the favorite time of the year for Maggi because it was the time for musical shows and theatre, when she was at her happiest involved or watching shows and especially around Christmas time when Joe Public left their TV sets and the endless talent shows.

To Maggi there was nothing like live performance and inter action between audience and performer. She never forgot the joy it had given her and the opportunity it provided so that eventually she could be herself. This was when her skills came to the fore and she could entertain or just take charge of a show that would run all through the Christmas period and into spring.

She did summer seasons at various seaside towns and even appeared in New York and Las Vegas. She never quite became a super star because her history caused prejudice.

She was excited but nervous because this was her first opportunity to have full responsibility to put on a musical production and she’d earned the right through hard work and honing her skills on stage. As far as the production was concerned everything had been going along splendidly until her star celebrity had pulled out because of an accident. Her leading man was OK but she no longer had a beautiful female lead and at this stage most of the star performers were signed up for other productions.

Maggi couldn’t sleep with the worry. She couldn’t take the part herself as much as she wanted to. She in charge of the production and anyway she was now too old and a little too tall for the part Anyway who would want to come and see an old Drag Queen dressed as a young girl and she was losing confidence in herself so had decided for a career change into stage production. She didn’t want to be viewed as an old drag queen even though as a young man when dressed as a young girl she’d been quite stunning. As well has her looks she had the voice of an Angel. Often no one felt this was a man portraying a woman because she was so natural.

She sighed and a tear trickled down her cheek. Unfortunately like many aging stars the years were telling on her and she’d felt this would never happen to her. She was heading downhill towards forty and somewhere, sometime a crow had left feetmark over her face. She had expected to always be forever young and beautiful but now her once slim waist had filled a bit, the pert butt was sagging and needed to be supported and her cosmetic budget had had to be increased. She needed more make-up to hide the cracks and the blotches. Old age is not so nice.

But on the brighter side she was still able to turn heads and more important than that she now lived full time as Maggi, much to her delight. She had lots of friends in the industry and socially. She was treated like any woman of her age, courteously and with respect. She loved her life as a woman even though she had great times as a young man. Gay times became happy times.

She looked out of her large window at the star filled sky searching for inspiration and hoping she could soon hear back from the array of agents she’d contacted to look for a replacement. She had to rely on support rather than look out herself because she needed to work on scripts and coaching the rest of the cast and right now she needed to pick up the momentum with rehearsals. She would have to focus on some of the youngsters and back up performers who would be the under-studies for now.

She might have no choice but to consult her three experienced male performers, who she considered as business partners. They were her three wise men and she needed them to help her find a solution.

In the first meeting sessions they discussed options to find a solution. Ticket sales had been really good and the backers were wanting to switch to a bigger theatre. The guys were all of the view it was better to use one of the understudies and hoped she would benefit from the experience. But like many strong willed women of her age Maggi knew how to get her way. It wasn’t that she was strong willed. Quite plainly she didn’t agree so the understudy option was to be at best her Plan B. Her focus was on a new Plan A. Find a new star and do it quickly. Easier said than done. Anybody with talent was already booked.

She looked out of the window again for inspiration. It was certainly a clear night and the stars seemed especially bright because it was cold and frosty. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and these nights were common these days that was why she’d stayed in England and moved North away from London. No sign of Global warming it was freezing up here but far more healthy so it helped her voice maintain its sharpness. Now it was just a case of finding tricks to keep her looks to match the voice.

One good thing was done by her namesake Maggie during her reign over the Kingdom. UK industry had closed down and in the North the coal mines and dirty plants that emitted the smog, dust and fumes had all moved to the Far East who were now the bad guys harming the rest of the world. She was part of the generation that had caused all the problems now blaming China and demanding attention.

God help her if she’d had to expose herself to the fumes and asbestos that had taken her father before she’d reached the age of five. He’d never seen her perform and she was sure that as a pianist and pub singer he’d have been proud. At least that’s what her mother always told her.

The hills in the distance almost appeared white with snow. The village below her house was in darkness apart from the street lights because it was late and now it was almost 2am. She couldn’t sleep until she found a solution.

How she loved this part of England and she’d been accepted and had settled quickly. The people here were kind and accepted others and were friendly. There didn’t seem to be any jealousy. They treated her as any other woman and immediately accepted her as the woman who had always been inside. She had often told old friends who questioned her decision that any celebrity could extend their careers by moving North as she had done. She felt normal and appreciated and many Northerners never had the chance to see her perform live only on TV. She was almost a celebrity and was often recognized.

She could dance and sing as well as most of the female leads in the many London shows she’d seen but sadly every dog has it’s day and when she’d finally felt she had been heckled by some young guys who’d been drinking in what became her last season in the famous production of Chicago she knew it was time to move on.

At least the theatres in Leeds, Bradford and Manchester had accepted her as a star as did the Blackpool theatres in the summer season where she’d had liked the banter with the audience and honed her skills. To them she was a woman not a man in a dress. She dressed that way when not performing and she knew that by being accepted this had been her ultimate performance far better than those on stage.

Maggi thought about her three wise men and how they might help. The first male lead was an old friend Johnnie Walker with whom she’d starred many times and he still had his wonderful baritone voice but now he had a spreading waistline. He was determined to shed 20 pounds and so far so good since he had to fit his tin suit. He had played many parts over the years but this was his first time in this particular production. He said he wanted a beautiful girl to sing to and he was saddened by the loss of their female lead. She was his niece who he was mentoring.

Right now Maggi needed a big slice of luck, something magical even. The consequences of the show failing were severe. She could lose all her savings and her beautiful home and no doubt her partner and long-time lover Jack, who was playing the part of the scarecrow and was her musical director would leave her and head back to London. He had a lot of financial commitments from two failed marriages. He hadn’t invested.

Jack Daniels had in fact been quite famous in New York before treading the boards in London and had he not met Maggi and agreed to move to the North of England to help her extend her career. He could still have been in great demand in London but she promised him half of her share in the profits. It attracted him just as much as her new pert breasts had attracted him.

She involved him because he was very talented and played a great piano, so he was an entertainer at many of their joint parties and Maggi would appear in many guises as a surprise to their guests. She could be Celine Dion or Madonna or Maria Carey, with some padding in the right places and he would even go as far back as a glamorous Shirley Bassey and blast out Goldfinger.

Jack treated Maggi very well and was always very smartly turned out so the joke was on him to play the scarecrow in this production but to Maggi based on her ideas it was a key part. She even found a way to introduce his piano into two of the scenes.

The third of her wise men was James Bean. Dear Jim was a loveable Scot with a big red beard. He was a natural to play the lion as she formulated her plans. He was a bit on the lumpy and heavy side these days but then so was her idea of the cuddly old lion. He was another with a long association with Maggi. He was a typical Scot a booming voice much like Sean Connery her favorite film star since his days as 007. James too had played all the major theatres in London in a variety of parts and was a popular member of all the casts.

He was a natural orator, great for speeches and taking curtain calls and a ladies man for sure and he made Maggi’s heart race just like most of the girls who met him. He made her feel like a natural woman like in the song she used to sing and he had a twinkle in his eye and the gift of saying the things all women liked to hear. So young or old they were smitten immediately. He’d been married a long time but it never stopped him from charming the ladies. His wife accepted that was him, love him or leave him.

As she recollected some of the 007 films that Sean Connery had starred she knew she needed Jim to be a special agent for her right now. Jim knew his stuff and could spot talent as well as Maggi could. James Bean had always been a star and grew up on the stage from being a small boy in Edinburgh. He had such timing and great comic skills so he could hold an audience in the palm of his hand. She knew what she wanted him to do and she had plans to create scenes where he had chance to perform alone. That would ensure popularity and success. Jim was a true Lion King in her opinion and definitely one of his kinds. She decided that he was to take charge of the task in hand and lead the group to find a female lead.

But right now what to do?

Suddenly Maggi jumped almost out of her skin. Her attention was drawn to a bright shooting star that lit the sky. At first she thought it may be a shooting star. It couldn’t be a rocket at this time of night or an aero-plane or even a UFO. Anyway she was in Yorkshire and it’s well known that nothing exciting ever happens here. Mostly Yorkshire folk just accepted this and said nowt. As Jack once said “Don’t tell anybody or they’ll all come and spoil it. “ We’d laugh about it as he’d often say “Let them find out for themselves and buy their own programmes.”

The light in the sky stayed for a while and at its brightest it seemed to extend all across the hills towards York. As she remembered the nice times she’d spent in York it gave her an idea. Why not focus on York to look at the talent at the University or at the small theatre or in the streets where many students showed their talents to earn money towards living expenses and university fees. It would be convenient to send her three wise men there since it wasn’t so far by car and with luck she could join them if they struck lucky. They could be the advance troops but in any case she couldn’t afford the time with rehearsals underway. Who better to send in her place than three able men that she knew and trusted? Three men to do one woman’s’ work seemed about right. One job each with no multi-tasking needed.

So that was it. Now she could sleep soundly and 2 nights for Three Wise Men in York should be enough. She had friends there who ran a pub in the centre where she’d sang on their charity nights. She’d ring her old friend Len Broadbent and Kathy his wife first thing in the morning and seek their help. They ran a small hotel and had a bar with a wonderful cabaret where local talent sang or they’d have Karaoke nights. Maybe she could suggest a special audition night and set up her three wise men as a panel and maybe she would join them once they’d decided on a short list.

Why hadn’t she thought of this earlier? She might just find someone with local popularity that might attract the local community and then soon word would spread. Maggi knew this was her only chance so bugger Plan B. She was running out of time and all her years of hard work might come to nothing and she’d be out of a job before Christmas if she couldn’t convince her backers that she was still good enough to put on a top show and match the crowd in London who do it year after year.

As she reached to close the curtains she was surprised to see the bright light intensify. It was a bright star in the sky and the beam of light seemed to shine downwards as if it came from a giant floodlight. This star was bigger and brighter than any she’d ever seen before and the beam shone far over the hills into the distance.

She pulled the curtains back as wide as she could so the strong light lit up the entire bedroom. It was light enough that she could read her notes and scribble out her plan and instructions. As she looked out she knew this was her lucky star and she felt more and more confidence oozing through her body. She could sense that her savior was close on hand and that a star was waiting in the wings who was about to be discovered.

She could feel this person was close and very special. Not a Lady Gaga or a Britney but someone even more special who would appeal to all audiences. She wanted to find her and see if she was right. She wanted someone who’d not been influenced. Someone who could benefit from all her experience and eventually take London and New York by storm.

If only she could find someone young with raw talent who had not been exploited or influenced by modern popularity concerts and TV auditions and promoters looking to cash in. She wanted someone who could set new standards away from the fast buck brigade. Someone that might show that interaction with live audiences is better than being a pop star on TV. Maybe this person would become the daughter she’d always craved for to follow her and finally make her mother proud and happy after her disappointments of losing her husband and then Maggi who she’d rejected after moving in with her lover and deciding to live as a woman.

She stayed awake all night and eventually the bright star disappeared as daylight broke. Whilst she’d had no sleep, somehow she was full of energy like never before. She was full of ideas and her plans ware now set as she brewed her first coffee of the day. At 8am she was on the telephone to the Broadbent’s. The rooms were booked and the cabaret bar was available. Len would put out some circulars around York as well as in the University. Word of mouth in Yorkshire was faster than a bush fire in Australia and long gone were the days of messages tied to carrier pigeons. The internet contacts and Facebook were the modern way of broadcasting. Maybe even a favor to be had on local Radio would help.

Maggi briefed her lover once he’d stirred and then the other two special agents who she gathered for brunch after having briefed each of them by telephone. No time to delay they’d be on their way as much as she could in advance. Each was given a copy of their instructions and the overall plan they were to quickly pack overnight bags and leave that afternoon.

They all believed in her and were captivated. She knew nothing else but the entertainment industry but for the first time for many years she felt young again. She had always been in the theatre since she was a young boy and whilst she was timid and nervous in school and often ridiculed because of her lack of masculine features she was a something very special when she was on stage. She wasn’t always tall with long legs as now but at school she was quite petite. This was the reason that she had been persuaded to take the lead role of Dorothy in school production of The Wizard of Oz and as soon as she put on the dress and the red shoes her fellow pupils and school masters had been amazed at the transformation and it felt so natural.

The confidence that suddenly took over this quiet schoolboy was there for all to see. To Maggi it felt so natural to twirl and dance in these magical red shoes with their heels and she never stumbled once. She had no need to try to lighten her voice when talking or singing. It at never broken and even when she lived as a man she’d had to artificially deepen her voice and try to act in a masculine way. It was as if she was meant to be a girl and whilst in character she had everybody in awe of her. So in the following months Maggi gradually took over and her relationship with her girlfriend who became her wife was different and very special.

They parted a few years later but still kept in touch but had never spoken. When Maggi thought about it they’d married in middle age at twenty and now it was probably 17 or 18 years since they’d broken up. She shivered as it reminded her of her age again. Maggi’s mum had been devastated at the break up and was hoping for time with grand-children like most mums.

When Maggi left she had comforted Helen who told her that the marriage break up was more to do with pressures of work than Maggi’s dressing at home as a woman. Helen had accepted that because it helped their sex life but they argued a lot. Helen craved for a child but Maggi would have none of it and felt it was unfair and impossible. Domestic life became unbearable, especially if he dressed as Maggi for long periods.

Maggi was soon over the marriage split and she only thought of Helen as a former girlfriend to send Christmas and Birthday cards to. Last time she’d had a letter she saw she had moved to Richmond and it annoyed him since where did the postmen send the cards?

She wondered if Helen had watched her stage success and wondered why she never made contact or tried to call her at the theatres where she was appearing. Maggi knew she was equally guilty. A busy life and always under pressure but it was no excuse not to maintain friendships and care about someone who she’d married. Now she had her own life as a woman so the chances of them ever making a go of their marriage was low. He couldn’t have carried on trying to be a man.

To be continued…….