"The Voice" is the 23rd. episode of the first season of Recess, which was first broadcast on January 10th, 1998.
Summary
When Principal Prickly discovers that Mikey can sing exactly like the real Robert Goulet (who portrays Mikey's singing voice) he hires a beautiful, young music teacher named, Miss Salamone, to nurture his talent and to help him prepare for the school concert. However, Mikey becomes attracted to her and is devastated when he discovers that she is engaged.
Plot
When Brandon swallows a bee whilst singing The National Anthem, Prickly tries to find a kid who can sing as well as Brandon. He overhears Mikey singing in the boy’s bathroom and is instantly impressed by his talent. However, Mikey tries to object as he only sounds good in the bathroom. Mikey is devastated at having to take singing lessons but when he sees his music teacher for the first time, he becomes instantly attracted to her and takes the lessons, nonetheless.
He sounds horrible in the music room, so they move to the boy’s restroom where Mikey hits the right notes.They continue their singing lesson in the bathroom, which has now been transformed to a private music room. Mikey then improves so that he does not need to sing in the bathroom and becomes popular at school. Only though he later tells the gang that he’s in love with Miss Salamone. His friends point out that it probably won't work, noting the big age difference (Mikey's 9 while Miss Salamone's probably in her mid-twenties, practically old enough to be his mother). Mikey refuses to listen to them, but when he goes to try and prove his friends wrong, he ends up walking in on his teacher accepting a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, a Costa Rican opera singer named Antonio. When Antonio offers a handshake to Mikey, Mikey runs away in tears.
On the day of the PTA Spring Fling, Mikey is nowhere to be found. Miss Salamone finds him in the boy’s bathroom, frightening another boy in the process, and Mikey can't keep his jealousy bottled up any longer and Miss. Salamone realizes that Mikey had a crush on her and tells him that someday that he‘s gonna meet a girl his own age and she’ll be the luckiest girl in the world. Miss Salamone convinces him to sing and he eventually shows up and sings the song he sang in the bathroom instead of the national anthem, which everyone loves and gives Mikey a standing ovation. After the performance, Miss Salamone leaves the auditorium and tells Mikey that she’ll see him in middle school.
Goofs
- According to T.J., the gang were outside at the beginning for Van Buren's birthday. Later in the episode, it's mentioned that Mikey has to sing for the Spring Fling. This is incorrect; Martin Van Buren's birthday is December 5th, which isn't during the spring. (Of course, it could be some other person with the last name "Van Buren.")
- Coloring Error: When Spinelli is first shown sipping on her soda, her lips aren't drawn.
- Animation Error: Before Upside-Down Girl falls her nose is missing.
Trivia
- Brandon the Singing Kid makes his first appearance.
- This episode portrays Mikey as one of only three of the main six characters (the others being Spinelli and T.J.) to develop a crush on someone.
- This was the first time Mikey's singing voice was heard.
- A clip of this episode was shown on a behind-the-scenes feature on the DVD of Recess: School's Out.
- Miss Salamone later makes a cameo in Lawson and His Crew during Kurst the Worst and Randall's Ballet Performance.
- This episode is similar to the Rocko's Modern Life episode, "The Lounge Singer", where Rocko finds out that his other best friend, Filburt, is a talented lounge singer.
- The title of this episode is the name of the music award show, The Voice.
Cast
- T.J. Detweiler - Ross Malinger
- Vince LaSalle - Rickey D'Shon Collins
- Ashley Spinelli - Pamela Segall-Adlon
- Gretchen Grundler - Ashley Johnson
- Mikey Blumberg - (Speaking) Jason Davis
- Mikey Blumberg (Singing) - Robert Goulet
- Gus Griswald - Courtland Mead
- Miss Finster - April Winchell
- Principal Prickly - Dabney Coleman
- King Bob - Toran Caudell
- Miss Salamone - Glenne Headley
- Brandon - Michael Shulman
- Antonio - Jess Harnell
- Kid #1/Kid #2/Kid #4 - Ryan O'Donohue
- Kid #3 - Anndi McAfee