Four by Sondheim
Page 13
Due to the extensive rewriting required by this change of tone in the show, Sondheim fell behind in his writing schedule and rehearsals had to begin before the score was completed. Sondheim is a systematic, skillful writer, and as rehearsals proceeded such material as the “Night Waltzes,” “In Praise of Women,” “Every Day a Little Death,” “It Would Have Been Wonderful,” and “A Weekend in the Country” arrived, and, finally, “Send in the Clowns.”
Sondheim finds the amazing success of this song, though most welcome, a little baffling. Most of his shows, he says, have at least one simple romantic ballad, but none of these had received what seems to him the disproportionate acclamation attracted by what he refers to as a boite song. Perhaps its appeal lies to some degree in the fact that it is written in short phrases in order to be acted rather than sung; in fact, it was tailor-made to suit the abilities of Glynis Johns, who lacks the vocal power to sustain long phrases, and the song does not actually work very well when sung “correctly” by a trained singer.
“Send in the Clowns” was orchestrated overnight in a hotel room in Boston in between orchestra rehearsals. The orchestration for strings, harp, and solo clarinet is quite conventional, and most of the night was spent in deciding between the solo clarinet and ‘cello to play the now familiar unaccompanied introduction and the subsequent obbligato. I chose the clarinet for its haunting, lonely effect in its low register and rejected the ‘cello, which I felt was too closely associated with another character, Henrik. The reprise is scored for the full orchestra in what I refer to as the “Max Steiner” section, a most gratifying romantic climax in the honored Hollywood tradition. It sounds even better in the movie, with three trombones.
Bobby Short heard the song in Boston, fell in love with it, and asked for a copy. Soon he was performing it in New York, where Judy Collins heard it and invited me to record it with her as orchestrator-conductor. The recording orchestration that I prepared for Judy substituted an English horn for the clarinet, but is otherwise similar to that used in the show. The record soared, providing Sondheim with his biggest hit to date.
A Little Night Music has taken its place among the classics of the musical theater, the most popular, along with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Sweeney Todd, of Sondheim’s works. It won for its authors a brace of Tony awards, and the cast album has become a staple in the collections of all lovers of musicals. It is a witty and well-constructed work that embraces and uplifts its audience in an atmosphere of warmth and romantic good nature. There is no better example of Sondheim’s penchant for an erudite, knowing, whimsical chuckle at the human condition.
Jonathan Tunick
New York
September 1990
CAST OF CHARACTERS
MADAME ARMFELDT
DESIRÉE ARMFELDT, her daughter, an actress
FREDRIKA ARMFELDT, Desirée’s daughter
FREDRIK EGERMAN, a lawyer
ANNE EGERMAN, his second wife
HENRIK EGERMAN, his son
COUNT CARL-MAGNUS MALCOLM, a dragoon
COUNTESS CHARLOTTE MALCOLM, his wife
PETRA, the Egerman maid
FRID, Madame Armfeldt’s butler
MALLA, Desirée’s maid
BERTRAND, Madame Armfeldt’s page
OSA, Madame Armfeldt’s maid
MR. LINDQUIST
MRS. NORDSTROM
MRS. ANDERSSEN
MR. ERLANSON
MRS. SEGSTROM
MUSICAL NUMBERS
Overture MR. LINDQUIST, MRS. NORDSTROM,
MRS. ANDERSSEN, MR. ERLANSON, MRS. SEGSTROM
ACT I
“Night Waltz” COMPANY
“Now” FREDRIK
“Later” HENRIK
“Soon” ANNE, HENRIK, FREDRIK
“The Glamorous Life” FREDRIKA, DESIRÉE, MALLA, MADAME
ARMFELDT, MRS. NORDSTROM, MRS. SEGSTROM,
MRS. ANDERSSEN, MR. LINDQUIST, MR. ERLANSON
“Remember?” MR. LINDQUIST, MRS. NORDSTROM, MRS. SEGSTROM,
MR. ERLANSON, MRS. ANDERSSEN
“You Must Meet My Wife” FREDRIK, DESIRÉE
“Liaisons” MADAME ARMFELDT
“In Praise of Women” CARL-MAGNUS
“Every Day a Little Death” CHARLOTTE, ANNE
“A Weekend in the Country” COMPANY
ACT II
“The Sun Won’t Set” MRS. ANDERSSEN, MRS. SEGSTROM,
MRS, NORDSTROM, MR. LINDQUIST, MR. ERLANSON
“It Would Have Been Wonderful” FREDRIK, CARL-MAGNUS
“Night Waltz II” MRS. NORDSTROM, MR. ERIANSON,
MR. LINDQUIST,MRS. SEGSTROM, MRS. ANDERSSEN
“Perpetual Anticipation” MRS. NORDSTROM, MRS. SEGSTROM,
MRS. ANDERSSEN
“Send in the Crowns” DESIRÉE
“The Miller’s Son” PETRA
Finale COMPANY
Time: Turn of the Century
Place: Sweden
Overture
Before the houselights are down, MR. LINDQUIST appears and sits at the piano. He removes his gloves, plunks a key, and begins to vocalize. MRS. NORDSTROM enters, hits a key on the piano, and vocalizes with him. MRS. ANDERSSEN, MR. ERLANSON and MRS. SEGSTROM come out and join the vocalizing.
MEN: WOMEN:
La, la la la La, la la la
La, la la la La, la la la
MRS. NORDSTROM:
The old deserted beach that we walked —Remember?
MR. ERLANSON:
Remember?
The café in the park where we talked —
Remember?
MRS. ANDERSSEN:
Remember?
The tenor on the boat that we chartered,
Belching “The Bartered
Bride” —
ALL:
Ah, how we laughed,
Ah, how we cried,
MR. LINDQUIST: OTHER MEMBERS OF QUINTET:
Ah, how you promised La, la la la
And
Ah, how Ah . . .
I lied. Lie . . . lie... lie . . .
MRS. SEGSTROM:
That dilapidated inn —
Remember, darling?
MR. ERIANSON:
The proprietress’s grin,
Also her glare.
MRS. NORDSTROM:
Yellow gingham on the bed —
Remember, darling?
MR. LINDQUIST:
And the canopy in red,
Needing repair.
ALL:
Soon, I promise.
Soon I won’t shy away,
Dear old —
Soon. I want to.
Soon, whatever you say.
Even
WOMEN: MEN:
Now, Now, when we touch,
When we’re close and
We
Touch, Touching my brow,
And you’re kissing my
Brow, Ahhhh . . .
I don’t mind it
Too much.
And you’ll have to
ALL:
Admit I’m endearing,
I help keep things humming,
I’m not domineering,
What’s one small shortcoming?
And
Unpack the luggage, la la la
Pack up the luggage, la la la
Unpack the luggage, la la la
Hi-ho, the glamorous life!
Unpack the luggage, la la la
Pack up the luggage, la la la
Unpack the luggage, la la la
Hi-ho, the glamorous life!
MR. LINDQUIST: OTHER MEMBERS OF QUINTET:
Ahhhhh ... Unpack the luggage, la la la
Pack up the luggage, la la la
MRS. NORDSTROM: OTHER MEMBERS OF QUINTET:
Ahhhh . . . Unpack the luggage, la la la
Hi-ho, the glamorous life!
ALL:
Bring up the curtain, la la la
Bring down the curtain, la la la
Brin
g up the curtain, la la la
Hi-ho, hi-ho
For the glamorous life!
(After the applause, the QUINTET starts to waltz. The show curtain flies out revealing the main characters doing a strangely surreal waltz [“Night Waltz”] of their own, in which partners change partners and recouple with others. The QUINTET drifts up into the waltzing couples, and reappears to hum accompaniment for the last section of the dance. FREDRIKA wanders through the waltz, too, watching)
ACT I
Prologue
At the end of the opening waltz, MADAME ARMFELDT is brought on in her wheelchair by her butler, FRID. In her lap is a tray containing a silver cigarette box, a small vase with four yellow bud-roses, and the cards with which she is playing solitaire. She is watched by FREDRIKA ARMFELDT, 13 — a grave, very self-contained and formal girl with the precise diction of the convent-trained.
FREDRIKA: If you cheated a little, it would come out.
MADAME ARMFELDT (Continuing to play): Solitaire is the only thing in life that demands absolute honesty. As a woman who has numbered kings among her lovers, I think my word can be taken on that point.
(She motions to FRID, who crosses down and lights her cigarette)
What was I talking about?
FREDRIKA: You said I should watch.
MADAME ARMFELDT: Watch — what?
FREDRIKA: It sounds very unlikely to me, but you said I should watch for the night to smile.
MADAME ARMFELDT: Everything is unlikely, dear, so don’t let that deter you. Of course the summer night smiles. Three times.
FREDRIKA: But how does it smile?
MADAME ARMFELDT: Good heavens, what sort of nanny did you have?
FREDRIKA: None, really. Except Mother, and the other actresses in the company — and the stage manager.
MADAME ARMFELDT: Stage managers are not nannies. They don’t have the talent.
FREDRIKA: But if it happens — how does it happen?
MADAME ARMFELDT: You get a feeling. Suddenly the jasmine starts to smell stronger, then a frog croaks — then all the stars in Orion wink. Don’t squeeze your bosoms against the chair, dear. It’ll stunt their growth. And then where would you be?
FREDRIKA: But why does it smile, Grandmother?
MADAME ARMFELDT: At the follies of human beings, of course.
The first smile smiles at the young, who know nothing.
(She looks pointedly at FREDRIKA)
The second, at the fools who know too little, like Desirée.
FREDRIKA: Mother isn’t a fool.
MADAME ARMFELDT (Going right on): Um-hum. And the third at the old who know too much — like me.
(The game is over without coming out. Annoyed at the cards, MADAME ARMFELDT scatters them at random, and barks at FRID)
Frid, time for my nap.
FREDRIKA (Intrigued in spite of herself, gazes out at the summer night): Grandmother, might it really smile tonight?
MADAME ARMFELDT: Why not? Now, practice your piano, dear, preferably with the soft pedal down. And as a treat tonight at dinner, I shall tell you amusing stories about my liaison with the Baron de Signac, who was, to put it mildly, peculiar.
(FRID wheels her off and FREDRIKA goes to sit at the piano)
Scene 1
THE EGERMAN ROOMS
Two rooms: the parlor and the master bedroom, indicated on different levels. ANNE EGERMAN, a ravishingly pretty girl of 18, is on the bed. She goes to the vanity table, toys with her hair, and then enters the parlor, HENRIK EGERMAN her stepson, a brooding young man of 19, is seated on the sofa, playing his cello. Beside him on the sofa is a book with a ribbon marker. ANNE looks at HENRIK, then leans over the sofa to get his attention.
ANNE: Oh Henrik, dear, don’t you have anything less gloomy to practice?
HENRIK: It isn’t gloomy, it’s profound.
ANNE (Reaches down, takes HENRIK‘s book, and begins reading from it): “... in discussing temptation, Martin Luther says: ‘You cannot prevent the birds from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from nesting in your hair.’” Oh dear, that’s gloomy too! Don’t they teach you anything at the seminary a little more cheerful?
HENRIK (Grand): A man who’s going to serve in God’s Army must learn all the ruses and stratagems of the Enemy.
ANNE (Sitting, giggling): And which of your professors made that historic statement?
HENRIK (Caught out): Pastor Ericson, as a matter of fact. He says we’re like generals learning to win battles against the devil.
(Her ball of silk falls off her lap)
ANNE: Oh dear, my ball!
(HENRIK bends down to pick up the ball. He stands beside her, obviously overwhelmed by her nearness. ANNE pats her lap)
You can put it there, you know. My lap isn’t one of the Devil’s snares.
(Flushing, HENRIK drops the ball into her lap and moves away from her)
HENRIK: Anne, I was wondering — could we go for a walk?
ANNE: Now?
HENRIK: I’ve so much to tell you. What I’ve been thinking, and everything.
ANNE: Silly Henrik, don’t you realize it’s almost tea-time?
And I think I hear your father.
(She rises, puts down the ball of silk)
I’m sure you’ve made the most wonderful discoveries about life, and I long to talk, but — later.
(FREDRIK enters, followed by PETRA, 21, the charming, easy-going maid)
Fredrik, dear!
HENRIK (Mutters to himself): Later.
ANNE: Look who’s come home to us — holier than ever.
FREDRIK: Hello, son. How was the examination?
HENRIK: Well, as a matter of fact . . .
FREDRIK (Breaking in): You passed with flying colors, of course.
ANNE: First on the list.
HENRIK (Trying again): And Pastor Ericson said...
FREDRIK (Breaking in): Splendid — you must give us a full report. Later.
ANNE: He’d better be careful or he’ll go straight to heaven before he has a chance to save any sinners.
FREDRIK: Don’t tease him, dear.
ANNE: Oh, Henrik likes to be teased, don’t you, Henrik?
Fredrik, do you want your tea now?
FREDRIK: Not now, I think. It’s been rather an exhausting day in Court and as we have a long evening ahead of us, I feel a little nap is indicated.
(He produces theater tickets from his pocket)
ANNE (Grabbing at them, delighted as a child): Tickets for the theater!
FREDRIK: It’s a French comedy. I thought it might entertain you.
ANNE: It’s Woman of the World, isn’t it? With Desirée Armfeldt!
She’s on all the posters! Oh, Fredrik, how delicious!
(To HENRIK, teasing)
What shall I wear? My blue with the feathers —
(FREDRIK pours water)
genuine angel’s feathers — ? Or the yellow? Ah, I know. My pink, with the bosom. And Henrik, you can do me up in the back.
(She goes into the bedroom)
FREDRIK: I’m sorry, son. I should have remembered you were coming home and got a third ticket. But then perhaps a French comedy is hardly suitable.
(FREDRIK takes a pill)
HENRIK (Outburst): Why does everyone laugh at me? Is it so ridiculous to want to do some good in this world?
FREDRIK: I’m afraid being young in itself can be a trifle ridiculous. Good has to be so good, bad so bad. Such superlatives!
HENRIK: But to be old, I suppose, is not ridiculous.
FREDRIK (Sigh): Ah, let’s not get into that. I love you very much, you know. So does Anne — in her way. But you can’t expect her to take your mother’s place. She’s young too; she has not yet learned . . .
HENRIK: ... to suffer fools gladly?
FREDRIK (Gentle): You said that, son. Not I.
ANNE: Fredrik!
(As FREDRIK moves into the bedroom, HENRIK picks up his book and reads. ANNE is sitting on the bed, buffing her nails)
You were sweet to think of the theater for me.
FREDRIK: I’ll enjoy it too.
ANNE: Who wouldn’t — when all the posters call her The One And Only Desirée Armfeldt?
(FREDRIK begins to try to kiss her. She rattles on)
I wonder what it would feel like to be a One and Only!
The One and Only — Anne Egerman!
(She leaves FREDRIK on the bed and moves to the vanity table. As aware as he is of her rejection)
Poor Fredrik! Do I still make you happy? After eleven months? I know I’m foolish to be so afraid — and you’ve been so patient, but, soon — I promise. Oh, I know you think I’m too silly to worry, but I do ...
(As FREDRIK looks up to answer, she gives a little cry)
Oh no! For heaven’s sakes, can that be a pimple coming?
(FREDRIK, deflated, begins to sing as he undresses)
FREDRIK:
Now, as the sweet imbecilities
Tumble so lavishly
Onto her lap . . .
ANNE: Oh Fredrik, what a day it’s been! Unending drama!
While Petra was brushing my hair, the doorbell . . .
(Throughout the song, she continues chattering in pantomime when not actually speaking)
FREDRIK: