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
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
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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
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in A Little Night Music.
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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.
Key Terms
A sentimental ballad about unrequited love, often featured in musicals or cabaret performances.
Describes love or affection not returned or reciprocated, a common theme in classical and romantic drama.
