Question

the show must go on
at first, it didnt seem so bad. peering
from behind the curtain, henry murphy
saw just a handful of faces.
but just ten minutes later, the whole
theater was full of chatter and the
smell of sweat and perfume. henry
could even hear some of the
conversations: \are there really going
to be clowns and magicians?\ \i heard
the song and dance acts here are top-
notch.\ \they say this is going to be
the best vaudeville show of 1895!\
chewing his lip, henry tapped out the dance routine just once more. he could hear
his mothers piano music in his mind perfectly and knew exactly when he and his
sisters would begin to sing.
\the musical murphys\ had been practicing for weeks, but henry still didnt feel
ready. he whispered to himself what his sister sarah had told him: \same music,
same steps. just in front of an audience this time, thats all.\
what is the most likely reason henry is nervous?
he sees someone he knows in the audience.

Explanation:

Henry is about to perform in a high-profile vaudeville show (said to be the best of 1895) with his sisters. Even though he practiced for weeks, he still feels unready, and he is likely nervous because he is anxious about performing well in this top-notch show in front of an audience.

Answer:

Henry is most likely nervous because he is about to perform in a highly regarded vaudeville show, and despite weeks of practice, he still does not feel prepared to perform in front of the audience.