Recap / Kids Incorporated S 6 E 9 Play It Again Kids Inc

After four very special episodes in a row; this episode - the 100th for Kids Incorporated^note from all known sources, though an article in the Hollywood Reporter on the series suggests that the following episode was show 100 - has a lighter story to deal with, as the kids are excited about the opportunity to go to a Debbie Gibson concert…only for Flip to lose the tickets.

“Your Mama Don’t Dance” starts the episode off, and as the song is performed we see Flip on the phone - and see that the P*lace gets extremely fast mail service, as shortly before the song ends Flip is handed the mail by an unidentified kid. We then go to the breakroom, where the kids were digging through the mail (consisting of a mix of fan letters and junk mail) in search of tickets for an upcoming Debbie Gibson concert. Devyn then tries calling a friend named Mitch (who worked at an unidentified record label^note it’s unclear if this was a generic label or if the label was supposed to be a reference to Atlantic Records, the label Gibson was signed to at the time) only to get the answering machine (Recording: “Don’t even think about calling for Debbie Gibson tickets”); causing a frustrated Kenny to exclaim that it was “Shutout City”. Enter Flip with good news - as he has 6 tickets for the concert, setting up “All Geared Up”.

Murphy’s Law comes into play, as soon after the kids want to look at the tickets only to learn that Flip misplaced the tickets. Needless to say, we then see five furious kids angrily leaving the P*lace; leaving a dejected Flip - still in the P*lace - watching a late show airing of Casablanca; imagining himself as Rick, the cate owner.

In the cafe, a visitor named Ugarte (Kenny) arrives with 2 tickets to par…er, transport. Soon after, Ilsa (Stacy) arrives; wanting to apologize for not saying goodbye to him in Paris (she also learned that Ugarte had been arrested shortly after delivering the tickets). At this point, a dejected Rick walks over to Samantha’s piano, leading to - naturally - “As Time Goes By”.

Next to arrive is a man known simply as “Fat Man” (Richie); having learned about the tickets and wanting to make a deal to split the profits 50/50 on the black market with Rick. When Rick refuses, Fat Man ups the offer to 60/40. Flip just wants his ice cream delivered. Unfortunately, trouble shows up in the form of Major Strasser (Devyn), who wants the tickets and she wants them now, launching a search party and arresting everyone save for Rick, Ilsa and the already in custody Ugarte (“Smooth Criminal”). Rick then manages to retrieve the tickets and hands them to a just returned Ilsa, who then departs as the movie ends. Flip then wakes up after hearing a knock on the door; then sees the kids and fears they’re still mad at him. However, the kids returned to apologize for blowing up at him earlier. As it happens, the combination of the late show airing of “Casablanca” and the subsequent dream jogged Flip’s memory as the tickets had been placed under the cookie tray - as the tickets were in the dream - setting up closing song “Takin’ Care of Business”.

The following season would see a similar plot line - minus the Casablanca-themed Imagine Spot - involving missing tickets; only this time with newcomer Haylie losing them.

Songs performed in this episode:

• “Your Mama Don’t Dance” (Loggins and Messina cover; lead vocals by Devyn)
• “All Geared Up” (Kids Incorporated original; lead vocals by Stacy)
• “As Time Goes By” (Frances Williams cover^note from the Broadway musical “Everybody’s Welcome”, also recorded by Rudy Vallee but best known for Dooley Wilson’s version from “Casablanca”; lead vocals by Robin)^note in an article marking the show’s 100th episode in the ''Hollywood Reporter'', music director Reg Powell had high praise for Jennifer Love Hewitt after hearing the recording, saying that she got it in one take and adding that he “never heard anyone get the notes out of it she did”
• “Smooth Criminal” (Michael Jackson cover; lead vocals by Kenny)
• “Takin’ Care of Business” (Bachman-Turner Overdrive cover; lead vocals by Kenny)

Tropes associated with this episode:

• Breather Episode: Could count as this following four consecutive “very special episodes”
• Dream Sequence/Imagine Spot: Where most of the plot occurs.
• Freeze-Frame Bonus: After the Imagine Spot ends, you can briefly see the credits for Kids Incorporated on Flip’s TV before the kids return to apologize.
• Shout-Out: In addition to the main plot being based on Casablanca and including a performance of “As Time Goes By”; the episode’s title is a reference to the “Play It Again, Sam” line^note actually a slight misquote, as the actual line from Ilsa has her saying “Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By’”
• Whole-Plot Reference: The Imagine Spot is essentially a condensed version of Casablanca.

Characters in the Casablanca-themed Imagine Spot:

• Flip: Rick
• Stacy: Ilsa
• Kenny: Ugarte
• Robin: Samantha
• Devyn: Major Strasser
• Richie: Fat Man