Overview
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.
Show Information
- Book
- Hugh Wheeler
- Music
- Stephen Sondheim
- Lyrics
- Stephen Sondheim
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- Smiles of a Summer Night, film by Ingmar Bergman
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- 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
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- College/University, Ensemble Cast, Large Cast, Professional Opera, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Elderly, Child, Early Teen Characters
Context
A Little Night Music opened at the Shubert Theater on February 25, 1973, and played 601 performances before closing on August 3, 1974. The original production was directed by Harold Prince and starred Glynis Johns, Len Cariou, and Hermione Gingold. The first national tour began on February 26, 1974 and closed on February 13, 1975.
The musical has enjoyed several UK productions, premiering on the West End on April 15, 1975 (a production which ran for over 400 performances and featured
to read the context for A Little Night Music and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
ACT ONE
A quintet of Liebeslieder Singers enter, vocalizing at first, and then beginning a nostalgic musical waltz that blends fragments of the later score (“Night Waltz”). The curtain opens on the main characters dancing a surrealistic waltz of their own, their partners frequently changing. Fredrika Armfeldt, thirteen years old, sits with her grandmother, the elderly Madame Armfeldt, who is playing solitaire and has instructed Fredrika to watch for the “night to smile”. The night smiles
to read the plot for A Little Night Music and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Silent |
Songs
ACT ONE
- Night Waltz – Company
- Now – Fredrik
- Later – Henrik
- Soon – Anne, Henrik, Fredrik
- The Glamorous Life – Fredrika, Desiree, 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 – Desiree, Fredrik
- Liaisons – Madame Armfeldt
- In Praise of Woman – Carl-Magnus
- Every Day A Little Death – Charlotte, Anne
- A Weekend in the Country – Company
ACT TWO
- The Sun Won’t Set – Mrs. Anderssen,, Mrs. Segstrom, Mrs. Nordstrom, Mr. Lindquist, Mr. Erlanson
- It Would Have Been Wonderful – Fredrik, Carl-Magnus
- Perpetual Anticipation – Mrs. Nordstrom, Mrs. Segstrom, Mrs. Anderssen
- Send in the Clowns – Desiree
- The Miller’s Son – Petra
- Finale – Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A sad or sentimental song, typically about unrequited love.
A feeling or action that is not returned or reciprocated, such as love.
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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