Montage, Part One- Hello 12, Hello 13, Hello Love

"Montage, Part One: Hello 12, Hello 13, Hello Love" is the sixth musical number in A Chorus Line, and is performed by the whole company.

Lyrics
Mark: [spoken]Well, I get the feeling that most of you always knew what you wanted to do. Me,I didn't! I was just a kid for awhile. Oh, then one day, well, my father had this fabulous library in the back of the house, and when I was about eleven, I guess, I found this medical textbook. It had pictures of the male and female anatomy. Well, I thought that was pretty interesting. I used to read that book a lot! Zach: Were you interested in medicine, or just the pictures? Mark: Well, no, I...

(Sung variously as solos until all join in) Hello, twelve, hello, thirteen Hello, love Changes, oh, down below Up above Time to doubt, to break out It's a mess (it's a mess) Time to grow, time to go Adolesce (adolesce) Too young to take over, Too old to ignore Gee! I'm almost ready But what for? There's a lot I am not Certain of Hello twelve, hello thirteen Hello, love

Mark: And from the book I diagnosed my own appendicitis. Next day I went to the doctor down the block, Sure enough, acute appendicitis! They rushed me right to the hospital Well, I figured this book would cover everything The rest of my life! And then when I turned thirteen, I had my first - wet dream. Well, I went right to the medical journal. Milky discharge...milky discharge, milky discharge Gonorrhea! I was in shock. Gonorrhea! Before I'd even started. I was terrified. I couldn't tell my mother I had Gonorrhea! So, the book said drink a lot of water Zach: Is that all it said? Mark: No, it said take penicillan-strepto-something or other, but I couldn't do that unless I told someone, So all I could do was drink the water, And I drank like twenty glasses a day For three weeks. I almost drowned! Finally, I went to Confession, and I told the priest I had gonorrhea. He was in shock, too. Who have you been with, my son? Nobody, nobody Then how can you have gonorrhea? Well, I told him about the medical diagnosis and he set me straight. And, you know, it's the only time the Church ever helped me out! Well, I was...

Connie: four foot ten, four foot ten That's the story of my life I remember when everybody was my size! Boy, was that great. Then everybody started moving up, and there I was, stuck at Four foot ten, four foot ten But I kept hoping and praying. I used to hang from a parallel bar By the hour Hoping I'd stretch just an inch more Cause I was into dancing then, and I was good! And I wanted so much to grow up to become a prima ballerina. Then I went out for Cheerleader! But they told me "No dice. You'll get lost on the football field. The pom-poms are bigger than you!" I spent my whole life waiting to grow...

Val: ...Tits! When am I gonna grow tits? Paul: Secret, my whole life was a secret Mike: One little fart and they called me stinky for three years. Ahhh!!

All: Goodbye 12, goodbye 13, hello love Bebe: Robert Goulet, Robert Goulet, my God, Robert Goulet! All: Oh, down below, up above Don: Playing doctor with Evelyn All: La la la la la Richie: I'll show you mine, you show me yours All: La la Kristine: Seeing daddy naked! All: Time to grow, time to go Sheila: Surprise! All: La la la Sheila: Mom and dad were doing it. Bobby: I'm gonna be a movie star

Connie: But the only thing about me that grew was my desire I was never gonna be Maria Tallchief. I was just This peanut on pointe! That was my whole trip. It still is. I mean, my last show I was 32 and I played a 14-year-old brat- Zach: A-ha! 32, Year of the Chicken. Richie: Puck-puck-puck, girl! Connie: So I got caught. But I don't look it, and I guess I shouldn't knock it, cause I've always been able to get work From the time I was five in King and I, King and I Up to now, I've never stopped Cause whatever I am, I am...

Alternate Lyrics
If the actress playing Connie is not Asian, there is an alternate verse for the reveal of her age:

Zach: 32? I thought you said you were 25. Richie: (laughs) Connie: So I got caught. But I don't look it, and I guess I shouldn't knock it, cause I've always been able to get work From the time I was five in Summer stock, summer stock Up to now, I've never stopped Cause whatever I am, I am...