Song and Dance

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Song and Dance
Music Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics Don Black additional lyrics Richard Maltby Jr.
Producer(s) Cameron Mackintosh, Shubert Organization & the F. W. M. Producing Group(N.Y.)
Director John Caird, Richard Maltby Jr.(N.Y.)
Choreographer Anthony Van Laast, Peter Martins(N.Y.)
Scenic designer David Hersey, Robin Wagner(N.Y.)
Costume designer Robin Don, Willa Kim (N.Y.)
Lighting designer David Hersey, Jules Fisher(N.Y.)
Official website

Song and Dance is a musical by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is unique in the fact that the first act is completely sung and the second act is one big dance number.

It was originally conceived as Tell Me On A Sunday with lyricist Don Black as a concert for the theatre, starring Marti Webb. The dance numbers from act two originated on an album Lloyd Webber wrote for his brother, Julian Lloyd Webber and consist of the composer's variations on the A minor Caprice of Paganini. In 1982 both works were combined to form one complete show titled 'Song and Dance', and dubbed as a "concert for the theatre". Webb reprised the role she had originated, performing in the first act, while Wayne Sleep and a number of dancers performed the second act.

In 1984, a special presentation of the show (in a slightly revised format) was broadcast in the UK, with Sarah Brightman in the role of the Girl, and Wayne Sleep reprising his role.

This two-part production was adapted for Broadway in 1985 by Richard Maltby, with changes from the London production (for instance, naming the English girl Emma). It was met with mixed-to-negative reviews; critics loved the performance of Bernadette Peters, who subsequently won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, but had little praise for the show itself. It closed after a year.

The original concept of Tell Me on a Sunday has since been restored and it reopened in London in April of 2003 starring Denise van Outen.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

[edit] London Edition

A newly arrived English Girl in New York stumbles upon her wasted boyfriend, Joe, in her apartment. She confronts him and decides to break up (LET ME FINISH). She tells herself that there are opportunities waiting and that there's more men out there for her (IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD). She writes to her mother in England about what happened, and that she has met a new man, Sheldon Bloom, and she's going with him to California (LETTER HOME TO ENGLAND).

Sheldon Bloom is a Hollywood producer and lives in a mansion named La Boheme. The girl is thrilled and tells Sheldon the things she'll do for him (SHELDON BLOOM). Days pass and the Girl finds out how uneventful Hollywood is (CAPPED TEETH AND CAESAR SALAD). She realises that Sheldon has only been using her as a trophy, and she ends things once and for all (YOU MADE ME THINK YOU WERE IN LOVE). Los Angeles becomes a quick disappointment for her (CAPPED TEETH AND CAESAR SALAD(REPRISE)).

The Girl meets yet another man, this time a younger one (IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD (IF HE'S YOUNGER)). She tells her mother that he is different, unlike anyone (SECOND LETTER HOME). She begins a soliloquy about the man fulfilling her being at last (THE LAST MAN IN MY LIFE). Their moments end as it is time for the younger man to go to work. The Girl can't bear to let him go (COME BACK WITH THE SAME LOOK IN YOUR EYES). The Girl's friend later comes over to tell her about the man's infidelity; the Girl denies this (TAKE THAT LOOK OFF YOUR FACE). But soon in sink in; she tells the man how she wants him to tell her the truth (TELL ME ON A SUNDAY).

The girl walks through the streets of New York and is indeed very depressed (I LOVE NEW YORK). She has met another man, this time he's married. As she did with Sheldon, she tells what she's going to do all for him (MARRIED MAN). She convinces him to believe they're for each other, all withe their similarities (I'M VERY YOU, YOU'RE VERY ME). Her girlfriend comes by again to tell her that their affair is wrong, and the Girl sends her out (LET'S TALK ABOUT YOU/REPRISE: LET ME FINISH). She later reflect about what her friend said, and what the relationship means to her (NOTHING LIKE YOU'VE EVER KNOWN). The married man comes by to confess his love, and she realize that she has been using him (REPRISE: LET ME FINISH). In the end she decides that it wasn't the end of the world to have no one.

Act Two is the examination of one of the man (presumably the younger one), through the music of VARIATIONS, in a series of dance. At the end the man sees the Girl, and they make up (WHEN YOU WANT TO FALL IN LOVE), joining both in Song and Dance.

Marti Webb as the Girl in the 1982 Original London Production
Enlarge
Marti Webb as the Girl in the 1982 Original London Production

[edit] Musical Numbers (London Production)

Shown as listed in the Original London Cast Live Recording of Song and Dance, starring Marti Webb and Wayne Sleep, 1982.

  • Act One: TELL ME ON A SUNDAY
  1. Overture
  2. Let Me Finish
  3. It's Not The End of the World
  4. Letter Home To England
  5. Sheldon Bloom
  6. Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad
  7. You Made Me Think You Were In Love
  8. Reprise: Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad
  9. It's Not The End of the World (If He's Younger)
  10. Second Letter Home
  11. The Last Man in My Life
  12. Come Back With the Same Look in Your Eyes
  13. Take That Look Off Your Face
  14. Tell Me on a Sunday
  15. I Love New York
  16. Married Man
  17. I'm Very You, You're Very Me
  18. Let's Talk About You
  19. Reprise: Let Me Finish
  20. Nothing Like You've Ever Known
  21. Reprise: Let Me Finish
  • Act Two: VARIATIONS
  1. Introduction and Theme
  2. Variations 1-4
  3. Variation 5
  4. Variation 6
  5. Variation 7
  6. Variation 8
  7. Variation 9
  8. Variations 11 and 12
  9. Variations 13 and 14
  10. Variation 15
  11. Variation 15 1/2
  12. Variation 16
  13. Variations 13 and 14 (varied)
  14. Variation 17
  15. Variation 18
  16. Variations 19 and 20
  17. Variation 5 (varied)
  18. Variations 22 and 23
  19. Song-When You Want To Fall In Love
  20. Dance
Bernadette Peters as Emma in the 1985 Original Broadway Production
Enlarge
Bernadette Peters as Emma in the 1985 Original Broadway Production

[edit] Musical Numbers (Broadway Production)

As listed on the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Song and Dance (except act two), with additional lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and starring Bernadette Peters, 1985.

  • Act One
  1. Overture: Take That Look Off Your Face
  2. Let Me Finish
  3. So Much To Do In New York
  4. First Letter Home
  5. English Girls
  6. Capped Teeth And Caesar Salad
  7. You Made Me Think You Were In Love
  8. Capped Teeth And Caesar Salad (Reprise)
  9. So Much To Do In New York (II)
  10. Second Letter Home
  11. Unexpected Song
  12. Come Back With The Same Look In Your Eyes
  13. Take That Look Off Your Face (Reprise)
  14. Tell Me On A Sunday
  15. I Love New York: So Much To Do In New York
  16. Married Man
  17. Third Letter Home
  18. Nothing Like You've Ever Known
  19. Finale-Let Me Finish (Reprise)/What Have I Done?/Take That Look Off Your Face (Reprise)
  • Act Two
  1. Variations 1-23
  2. Unexpected Song (Reprise)



Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals
The Likes of Us • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat • Jesus Christ Superstar • Evita • Cats • Song and Dance • Starlight Express • The Phantom of the Opera • Aspects of Love • Sunset Boulevard • By Jeeves • Whistle Down the Wind • The Beautiful Game • The Woman in White
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