Tipping the Scales

Summary
The school choir is excited about singing in Crown City, but they aren't so excited about Ms. Krasny's replacement, Dr. Fugue.

Plot
Arthur’s class is expected to perform a song at Bartleby Hall in Crown City. Binky has fond memories of the Finkelmeyers Deli where the class will eat after the concert. However, they learn that instead of Miss Krasny Dr. Fugue will train them for the concert.

Title Card

Dr. Fugue is as strict and perfectionist as ever and has the class sing scales over and over until everybody is in tune. He also tells them that they will have to audition for the solo part. This upsets Francine, because Miss Krasny had already promised that part to her.

On the way home Arthur assures the others that Dr. Fugue is strange but nevertheless a good teacher. Binky tells them, that he is not going to sing, because he is a bad singer and Dr. Fugue would lose all respect for him.

The next day Francine auditions for the solo, but Dr. Fugue does not make his decision yet. The class begins rehearsing “In the Good Ole’ Summertime”. Binky misses the auditions on purpose, and Arthur notices that he moves his lips without singing.

The rehearsals go on. Francine does breathing practices at home, and the kids begin singing during lunchtime.

Eventually Dr. Fugue announces that their singing is now perfect, but the children are not having fun. He describes to them about how magical it was when he performed at Bartleby Hall as a boy. He finally gives the solo part to Francine. At the end of the rehearsal, Binky confesses that he has been lip-syncing. Dr. Fugue already knows and encourages Binky to sing for real.

The class travels to Crown City on a school bus during heavy snow. When the road in front of them is closed by the police, the class stops at Remy’s Truck Stop. They are downhearted because they will not make it to the concert.

At four o’clock Dr. Fugue makes the class assemble and sing, arguing that they all worked to hard not to hear how good they have become. The children sing and are well received by the other guests. The chef treats them to pies which are as good as the ones in Crown City. Francine thanks Dr. Fugue for making her realize that she still has a lot to learn.

In the evening the school bus follows a snow plow back to Elwood City. Everyone is singing.

Major

 * Francis Haney
 * Arthur Read
 * Frederique Fugue
 * Buster Baxter
 * Binky Barnes
 * Francine Frensky
 * Fern Walters
 * The Brain

Cameo

 * D.W. Read (title card)
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Helen
 * Luke
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Sue Ellen Armstrong
 * George Lundgren
 * Jenna Morgan
 * Maria Pappas
 * Alex
 * Norman Hedgehog
 * Otis
 * Steve
 * Lisa
 * Brian
 * John
 * Patrick
 * Violinist Hippopotamus
 * Violinist Cow
 * Tuba Playing Pig

Mentioned

 * Ms. Krasny

Trivia

 * In this episode, the kids get a glimpse into the past of Dr. Fugue.
 * This is the only episode that Alan Silberberg wrote.
 * This is another episode focusing on music (with the others being Arthur vs. the Piano, Arthur's Almost Live Not Real Music Festival, My Music Rules, Arthur Plays the Blues, Brother, Can You Spare a Clarinet?, Big Horns George, and Lights, Camera... Opera!).
 * Like the previous episode, this episode also takes place in winter.
 * We learn that Binky went to Crown City with his class the previous year at Finkelmeyers where he ate a pastrami sandwich and cheesecake.
 * D.W. is absent from the episode except for the title card.
 * Moral:don't be a strict music teacher.

Episode connections

 * Frederique Fugue returns again from Arthur Plays the Blues.

Cultural References

 * Among the books Francine uses for breathing practise are „Horses for Dunces“ (a parody of the „For Dummies“-books) and „Black Beauty“, an 1877 novel by Anna Sewell abut the life of a horse.
 * The Lakewood Elementary Choir sings In the Good Old Summer Time during a snowstorm which impeded them from getting to Crown City. This may be a reference to the 1930 Laurel and Hardy short Bellow Zero in which the characters attempt to earn money as street musicians by singing the song on a cold winter day.

Errors

 * When the kids are done singing, the waitress brings them the pie. There is ice cream on the plates beside the pie, but when she puts the pie on the table gives it to the kids, the ice cream disappears. But when the shot is a close up of Buster and Binky that are eating the pie, the ice cream reappears.
 * Lisa appears in the cafeteria, but she's in Elwood City Preschool NOT Lakewood Elementary School.
 * A sign in the music room reads "Plese sign out...“.

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