A Little Night Music

Musical

Writers: Hugh Wheeler Stephen Sondheim

Overview

Show Information

Based on the Play/Book/Film
Smiles of a Summer Night, film by Ingmar Bergman
Category
Musical
Number of Acts
2
Tony Award®
Best Musical 1973
First Produced
1973
Genres
Comedy, Romance
Settings
Multiple Settings
Time & Place
late nineteenth-early twentieth century, sweden
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Musical Staging
Ideal for
College/University, Ensemble Cast, Large Cast, Professional Opera, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female
Casting Notes
Mostly female cast
Includes adult, mature adult, late teen, young adult, elderly, child, early teen characters

Synopsis

In turn of the century Sweden, trysts abound. Lawyer Fredrik Egerman has married the virginal 18-year-old Anne, with whom Fredrik’s son, the melancholy academic Henrik, has fallen in love. Desiree Armfeldt, a stage actress of great beauty (and a reputation for taking on as many lovers as she does theatrical roles) is involved with the buffoonish Count Carl Magnus Malcolm, the husband of the cynical and wryly comedic Countess Charlotte Malcolm. When Desiree spots her old flame Fredrik Egerman in the audience of her most recent production, however, her interest in him is immediately rekindled. All parties meet for a “Weekend in the Country” at Desiree’s mother, Madame Armfeldt’s, estate, where the tangled web of romantic involvements continues to surprise us with its twists and turns. Featuring the classic song “Send in the Clowns” and a beautiful, lush score, A Little Night Music is a story of love, nostalgia, regret, and the magic of music on a summer’s night.

Lead Characters

A Little Night Music guide sections