Johanna...
(As he continues the search, the light comes up on the tonsorial parlor. TODD is seated on the outside stairs, smoking and enjoying the morning. During the following passage, a customer arrives. TODD ushers him into the office and into the chair, preparing him for a shave. Throughout the song, TODD remains benign, wistful, dream-like. What he sings is totally detached from the action, as is he. He sings to the air)
TODD:
And are you beautiful and pale,
With yellow hair, like her?
I’d want you beautiful and pale,
The way I’ve dreamed you were,
Johanna ...
ANTHONY:
Johanna ...
TODD:
And if you’re beautiful, what then,
With yellow hair, like wheat?
I think we shall not meet again —
(He slashes the customer’s throat)
My little dove, my sweet
Johanna...
ANTHONY:
I’ll steal you,
Johanna...
TODD:
Goodbye, Johanna.
You’re gone, and yet you’re mine.
I’m fine, Johanna,
I’m fine!
(He pulls the lever and the customer disappears down the chute)
ANTHONY:
Johanna ...
(Night falls. We see a wisp of smoke rise from the bakehouse chimney, a small trail gradually bellowing out into a great, noxious plume of black. As it thickens, we become aware of MRS. LOVETT, in a white nightdress, inside the bakehouse. The oven doors are open and cast a hot light. She is tossing “objects” into the oven. As the music continues under, a figure stumbles into view from the alleyway beside the chimney. It is the BEGGAR WOMAN, coughing and spitting and carrying a meager straw pallet, her bed)
BEGGAR WOMAN (In a rage, loudly, sings):
Smoke! Smoke!
Sign of the devil! Sign of the devil!
City on fire!
(She tries to interest passers-by but, clearly revolted by her, they move away)
Witch! Witch!
(Spits at the bakehouse)
Smell it, sir! An evil smell!
Every night at the vespers bell —
Smoke that comes from the mouth of hell —
City on fire!
(The smoke trails away as dawn comes up)
City on fire ...
Mischief! Mischief!
Mischief ...
(She shuffles off. It is now the next day. ANTHONY is searching through another part of London. TODD is upstairs and looking pleasantly down at the street. A second customer arrives and is shown into the shop and prepared, as before)
TODD:
And if I never hear your voice,
My turtledove, my dear,
I still have reason to rejoice:
The way ahead is clear,
Johanna...
JOHANNA’S VOICE (Heard only by ANTHONY, she becomes visible behind bars in a section of the madhouse, Fogg’s Asylum, in which she is incarcerated):
I’ll marry Anthony Sunday ...
Anthony Sunday ...
ANTHONY:
I feel you ...
TODD:
And in that darkness when I’m blind
With what I can’t forget —
ANTHONY:
Johanna...
TODD:
It’s always morning in my mind,
My little lamb, my pet,
Johanna...
JOHANNA’S VOICE:
I knew you’d come for me one day ...
Come for me ... one day ...
TODD: ANTHONY:
You stay, Johanna — Johanna ...
(As they both sing the second syllable of the name, TODD slashes the second customer’s throat so that his mouth opens simultaneously with theirs)
TODD:
The way I’ve dreamed you are.
(Dusk gathers; TODD looks up)
Oh look, Johanna —
(He pulls the lever and the customer disappears)
A star!
ANTHONY:
Buried sweetly in your yellow hair ...
TODD (Tossing the customer’s hat down the chute):
A shooting star!
(Night falls again. Smoke rises. MRS. LOVETT is again in the bakehouse. The BEGGAR WOMAN reappears, coughing fit to kill)
BEGGAR WOMAN (Pointing):
There! There!
Somebody, somebody look up there!
(Passers-by continue to ignore her)
Didn’t I tell you? Smell that air!
City on fire!
Quick, sir! Run and tell!
Warn ‘em all of the witch’s spell!
There it is, there it is, the unholy smell!
Tell it to the Beadle and the police as well!
Tell ’em! Tell ’em!
Help!!! Fiend!!!
City on fire!!!
(The smoke thins; dawn rises)
City on fire ...
Mischief... Mischief... Mischief ...
(She makes a feeble curse with her fingers at the bakehouse)
Fiend ...
(Shrugs, turns pathetically to a passer-by)
Alms ... alms ...
(She shuffles off again. During the last section of the song which follows, TODD welcomes a third customer. He does not kill this one because a wife and child are waiting outside — the child has entered the room and sits on the chest watching TODD. By the end of the song TODD is again looking softly up at the sky)
TODD (Shaving the customer):
And though I’ll think of you, I guess,
Until the day I die,
I think I miss you less and less
As every day goes by,
Johanna...
ANTHONY:
Johanna ...
JOHANNA’S VOICE:
With you beside me on Sunday,
Married on Sunday ...
TODD (Sadly):
And you’d be beautiful and pale,
And look too much like her.
If only angels could prevail,
We’d be the way we were,
Johanna ...
ANTHONY:
I feel you ...
Johanna...
JOHANNA’S VOICE:
Married on Sunday ...
Married on Sunday ...
TODD (Cheerfully, looking up at the sky):
Wake up, Johanna!
Another bright red day!
( Wistful smile)
We learn, Johanna, (Wistful smile)
To say
Goodbye ...
(Having completed the shave, TODD accepts money from the customer, who leaves with his family)
ANTHONY (Disappearing into the distance):
I’ll steal you ...
(The scene fades and we see the barred door to Fogg’s Asylum. From inside we hear a weird and frightening sound, the cries and gibbering of the inmates. After a moment, rising above the bizarre cacophony, we hear JOHANNA’S voice from inside a window, singing a snatch of “Green Finch and Linnet Bird. ” A few moments later, she breaks off singing and the inmates quieten too as ANTHONY, dejected, enters. As he starts across the stage, once again we hear JOHANNA’S voice, singing)
ANTHONY (Incredulous, overjoyed, stops in his tracks): Johanna!
(Calling excitedly up at a window)
Johanna! Johanna!
(A male passer-by enters)
Oh sir, please tell me. What house is this?
PASSER-BY: That? That’s Mr. Fogg’s Private Asylum for the Mentally Deranged.
ANTHONY: A madhouse!
PASSER-BY: I’d keep away from there if I were you.
(He exits. Once again we hear JOHANNA ’s voice)
ANTHONY Johanna! Johanna!
(He starts beating wildly on the door)
Open! Open the door !
(The BEADLE, falsely amiable as ever, swaggers on, recognizes him)
&nbs
p; BEADLE: Now, now, friend, what’s all this hollering and shouting?
ANTHONY: Oh, sir, there has been a monstrous perversion of justice. A young woman, as sane as you or I, has been incarcerated there.
BEADLE: Is that a fact? Now what is this young person’s name?
ANTHONY: Johanna.
BEADLE: Johanna. That wouldn’t by any chance be Judge Turpin’s ward?
ANTHONY: He’s the one. He’s the devil incarnate who has done this to her.
BEADLE: You watch your tongue. That girl’s as mad as the seven seas. I brought her here myself. So — hop it.
ANTHONY: You have no right to order me about.
BEADLE: No right, eh? You just hop it or I’m booking you for disturbing of the peace, assailing an officer —
ANTHONY: Is there no justice in this city? Are the officers of the law as vicious and corrupted as their masters? Johanna! Johanna!
(With a little what-can-you-do? shrug, the BEADLE blows a whistle. Two policemen hurry on. The BEADLE nods to ANTHONY. The policemen jump on him but just before they subdue him, he breaks loose and runs away. The policemen start after him)
BEADLE (Calling after them): After him! Get him! Bash him on the head if need be! That’s the sort of scalawag that gets this neighborhood into disrepute.
(As the scene dims we hear first, in the darkness, the shrieks and moans of the asylum inmates. Then loud and raucous, banishing them, we hear the sound of MRS. LOVETT singing, as lights come up on her back parlor)
MRS. LOVETT (Sitting at the harmonium:
I am a lass who alas loves a lad
Who alas has a lass
In Canterbury.
‘Tis a row dow diddle dow day,
’Tis a row dow diddle dow dee ...
(The parlor has been prettied up with new wallpaper and a second-hand harmonium. TODD is sitting on the love seat, cleaning his pipe. MRS. LOVETT is using the harmonium as a desk. She has a little cash book and is counting out shillings and pennies in piles)
Nothing like a nice sit down, is there, dear, after a hard
day’s work?
(Piling up coins)
Four and thruppence ... four and eleven pence ...
(Makes a note in the book and does some adding)
That makes seven pounds nine shillings and four pence for this week. Not bad — and that don’t include wot I had to pay out for my nice cheery wallpaper or the harmonium ...
(Patting it approvingly)
And a real bargain it was, dear, it being only partly singed when the chapel burnt down.
(Glancing at the unresponsive TODD)
Mr. T., are you listening to me?
TODD: Of course.
MRS. LOVETT: Then what did I say, eh?
TODD (Back in his reflections): There must be a way to the Judge.
MRS. LOVETT (Cross): The bloody old Judge! Always harping on the bloody old Judge!
(She massages his neck)
We got a nice respectable business now, money coming in regular and — since we’re careful to pick and choose —only strangers and such like wot won’t be missed — who’s going to catch on?
(No response; she leans across and pecks him on the lips; sings)
Ooh, Mr. Todd —
(Kisses him again)
I’m so happy —
(Again)
I could —
(Again)
Eat you up, I really could!
You know what I’d like to
Do, Mr. Todd?
(Kisses him)
What I dream —
(Again)
If the business stays as good,
Where I’d really like to go —
(No response)
In a year or so ...
(No response)
Don’t you want to know?
TODD (Dully): Of course.
MRS. LOVETT:
Do you really want to know?
TODD (Feigned enthusiasm): Yes, yes, I do, I do.
(Music continues under)
MRS. LOVETT (Settling back, after a pause): I’ve always had a dream — ever since I was a skinny little slip of a thing and my rich Aunt Nettie used to take me to the seaside August Bank Holiday ... the pier ... making little castles in the sand. I can still feel me toes wiggling around in the briny.
(She sings)
By the sea, Mr. Todd,
That’s the life I covet;
By the sea, Mr. Todd,
Ooh, I know you’d love it!
You and me, Mr. T.,
We could be alone
In a house wot we’d almost own
Down by the sea ...
TODD:
Anything you say ...
MRS. LOVETT:
Wouldn’t that be smashing?
(TODD gives her a pained smile)
With the sea at our gate,
We’ll have kippered herring
Wot have swum to us straight
From the Straits of Bering.
Every night in the kip
When we’re through our kippers,
I’ll be there slippin’ off your slippers
By the sea ...
With the fishies splashing,
By the sea ...
Wouldn’t that be smashing?
Down by the sea —
TODD:
Anything you say,
Anything you say.
MRS. LOVETT:
I can see us waking,
The breakers breaking,
The seagulls squawking:
Hoo! Hoo!
(She thinks she’s being charming; TODD looks at her in terror)
I do me baking,
Then I go walking
With you-hoo ...
(Waves)
You-hoo ...
I’ll warm me bones
On the esplanade,
Have tea and scones
With me gay young blade,
Then I’ll knit a sweater
While you write a letter,
(Coyly)
Unless we got better
To do-hoo ...
TODD: Anything you say ...
MRS. LOVETT:
Think how snug it’ll be
Underneath our flannel
When it’s just you and me
And the English Channel.
In our cozy retreat,
Kept all neat and tidy,
We’ll have chums over every Friday
By the sea ...
TODD:
Anything you say ...
MRS. LOVETT:
Don’t you love the weather
By the sea?
We’ll grow old together
By the seaside,
Hoo! Hoo!
By the beautiful sea!
(She speaks, music under)
Oh, I can see us now — in our bathing dresses — you in a nice rich navy — and me, stripes perhaps.
(Sings)
It’ll be so quiet
That who’ll come by it
Except a seagull?
Hoo! Hoo!
We shouldn’t try it,
Though, till it’s legal
For two-hoo!
But a seaside wedding
Could be devised,
Me rumpled bedding
Legitimized.
Me eyelids’ll flutter,
I’ll turn into butter,
The moment I mutter
“I do-hoo!”
(TODD gives her a rather appalled glance)
By the sea, in our nest,
We could share our kippers
With the odd paying guest
From the weekend trippers,
Have a nice sunny suite
For the guest to rest in —
Now and then, you could do the guest in —
By the sea.
Married nice and proper,
By the sea —
Bring along your chopper
To the seaside,
(Two slashes)
<
br /> Hoo! Hoo!
By the beautiful sea!
(Just before the end of the song, she plays a measure of “Here Comes the Bride” on the harmonium. After the song, she nuzzles up to TODD on the love seat)
Come on, dear. Give us a kiss.
(Kisses him)
Ooh, that was lovely. Now, Mr. T., you do love me just a little bit, don’t you?
TODD: Of course.
MRS. LOVETT: Then how about it? Of course, there’d have to be a little visit to St. Swithin’s to legalize things. But that wouldn’t be too painful, would it?
TODD (Back with his obsession): I’ll make them pay for what they did to Lucy.
MRS. LOVETT (Almost scolding): Now, dear, you listen to me. It’s high time you forgot all them morbid fancies. Your Lucy’s gone, poor thing. It’s your Nellie now. Here.
(She takes a bon-bon from her purse)
Have a nice bon-bon.
(She kisses him over the bon-bon, has a thought)
You know, it’s seventeen years this Whitsun since my poor Albert passed on. I don’t see why I shouldn’t be married in white, do you?
(From the pieshop, upstage, we hear ANTHONY calling)
ANTHONY (Off): Mr. Todd! Mr. Todd!
(He comes running in)
I’ve found her!
TODD (Jumping up): You have found Johanna?
ANTHONY: That monster of a Judge has had her locked away in a madhouse!
TODD: Where? Where?
ANTHONY: Where no one can reach her, at Mr. Fogg’s Asylum. Oh, Mr. Todd, she’s in there with those screeching, gibbering maniacs —
Four by Sondheim Page 33