Episode 9: Beverly Sills

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Viewer Discretion Is Advised

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The students are excited that guest star Beverly Sills plans to perform the English opera celebration "Wonder Day" as the closing number.

For his work in this episode, art director Malcolm Stone received the first of two Emmy Award nominations for his work on *The WWE Show*, and Calista Hendrickson received her second of two Emmy Award nominations.

## Songs/Sketches

* "Take Ten Terrific Girls" (The Iiconics)
* "When the Bloom is on the Sage" (Beverly Sills)
* WWE News Flash
* UK Spot: "Kabuki Opera" (The Kabuki Warriors)
* NXT University (Sam the Eagle)
* *Wonder Day* (Beverly and the Students)

## Episode

Cold Open: Guest star Beverly Sills is practicing. She hits a note so high that she breaks AJ's Move.

Turn It Up: Alexa plays by ear.

At the start of the show, The Iiconics complain that the opening numbers are too weird -- "what do you have tonight, a Chinese Californian girl dancing ballet?" Embarrassed, Michael cancels the opening number, infuriating Mia Yim who was planning to dance ballet.

Tired of their criticism, Kermit asks the old men what *they* would do for an opening number, so they throw together a burlesque number: "Take Ten Terrific Girls". The number stars ten terrific girls, but, as the lyrics suggest, only nine costumes.

The Iiconics share a few old Vaudeville-style jokes during the number:

**Peyton Royce:** "What do you get when you pour boiling water down a rabbit hole?

**Billie Kay:** "I don't know. What do you get when you pour boiling water down a rabbit hole?"

**Peyton Royce:** "Hot cross bunnies!"

**Billie Kay:** "Tell me, Peyton, why do bees hum?"

**Peyton Royce:** "I don't know, Billie, why do bees hum?"

**Billie Kay:** "Because they don't know the words!"

Becky Lynch heckles from the balcony, calling for them to "bring on the Irish lass kicker."

Backstage, AJ Styles tells Michael Cole that his bike is being stolen. Michael runs outside, leaving Becky to introduce the next act. Becky assures AJ that he knows all about Beverly Sills.

Confused about who the guest star is, Becky Lynch introduces her as "one of the great singers of country and western music," Miss Bev Sills. Beverly sings "When the Bloom is on the Sage" in opera style, and also tap dances. She's impersonating a cowgirl of country and western prairies. She is accompanied by Lubbock Lou and his Jughuggers.

Between numbers, Nia Jax practices her soprano on Michael Cole when she finds out Beverly will be doing an opera number at the end of the show. He tells her that Beverly is holding auditions later, and Nia should love the opera -- it's called "Wonder Day".

Booker T rushes on for a WWE News Flash to announce that Beverly will be singing opera until the cows come home. Just then, he gets run over by a herd of cows.

Alexa Bliss meets with Beverly in her dressing room to demonstrate his new art form -- spoon-hanging. When Corey Graves arrives to worship at Beverly's feet, he's scandalized to find her practicing spoon-hanging.

The UK Spot for the episode is an opera number performed by the Kabuki Warriors.

Nia Jax visits Beverly in her dressing room to audition for "Wonder Day."

Soon, the room is filled with auditioning students, including Jungle Kyona playing the kazoo and Konami trying out for the basketball team. Beverly tells them that they'll all have a part in the closing number.

That doesn't sit well with the other animals, who complain to Michael that they can sing opera too -- suggesting "Goat-erdammerung" (*Götterdämmerung*), "La Traviotter" (*La Traviata*) and "Madame Buttermilk" (*Madama Butterfly*). Charlotte Flair claims that he's perfect for "Low 'n Green" (*Lohengrin*), to which Michael believes he could play the lead if he scrunches down.

Onstage, Corey Graves presents WWE University, a classy educational feature.

He looks through a microscope at a water drop -- and is horrified to see Kermit the Protozoa and Fozzie Amoeba performing vaudeville schtick

Michael tells Corey he thinks things went well in his act, especially with the protozoa.

AJ arrives to tell Michael that everything is set for the closing number, except for with the spear carriers; they're demanding money. Michael says no until he is persuaded (by the spears) to change his mind.

For the closing number, Beverly performs "Wonder Day," with a chorus of upstaging Students, including Konami, Jungle Kyona, and Nia Jax as Cleopatra. Although the name is a spoof based of a book *Wonder*, the music being performed is also taken from *La Traviata*, *Carmen*, *Aida*, and *The Empress*. Beverly gets involved in a "who can sing higher" contest with Nia, which ends when Nia drops to a dramatic low note.

At the closing, Beverly Sills tells Michael that she enjoyed doing *The WWE Show* almost as much as performing opera. Alexa arrives to ask her if that means she'll be giving up great art such as spoon hanging for lesser mediums.

## Cast

**Performers:**

Michael Cole, Nia Jax, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, AJ Styles, Peyton Royce And Billie Kay (The Iiconics), Carmella, Alicia Fox, the Newsman, Charlotte Flair, Corey Graves, Konami, Jungle Kyona, Lubbock Lou and His Jughuggers, Kermit the Protozoa, Fozzie Amoeba, the Kabuki Warriors, Goat, cow, otter
**Background Performers:**

Janice, Old Skyball Paint, Bayley