Current Personal Soundtrack

[khaosworks]

Just assembled a bunch of Sondheim on DVD - Company, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George and, naturally, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum... The following is the version from the 1996 revival.

Comedy Tonight
by Stephen Sondheim
From "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"

Something familiar
Something peculiar
Something for everyone
A comedy tonight!

Something appealing
Something appalling
Something for everyone
A comedy tonight!

Nothing with kings!
Nothing with crowns!
Bring on the lovers, liars and clowns!
Old situations
New complications
Nothing portentous or polite...

Tragedy tomorrow
Comedy tonight!

Something expensive
Something offensive
Something for everyone
A comedy tonight!

Passions and potions
Constant commotions
Something for everyone
A comedy tonight!

Nothing with kings!
Nothing with crowns!
Bring on the lovers, liars and clowns!
Old situations
New complications
Nothing portentous or polite...

Tragedy tomorrow
Comedy tonight!

Something convulsive
Something repulsive
Something for everyone
A comedy tonight!

Something aesthetic
Something balletic
Something for everyone
A comedy tonight!

Nothing with gods!
Nothing with fate!
Weighty affairs will just have to wait!
Nothing that's formal
Nothing that's normal
No recitations to recite...

Open up the curtain
Comedy tonight!

"It all takes place on a street in Rome, around and about these three houses. First, the house of Erronius, a befuddled old man abroad now in search of his children, stolen in infancy by pirates!

Second, the house of Lycus, a buyer and seller of the flesh of beautiful women... that's for those of you who have absolutely no interest in pirates.

And finally, the house of Senex, who lives here with his wife and son. Also in this house lives Pseudolus, slave to the son. Psuedolus is probably my favourite character in the piece. A role of enormous variety and nuance, and played by an actor of such... well, let's put it this way. I play the part."

Anything you ask for
Comedy tonight!

"And now, the entire company!"

Something familiar
Something peculiar
Something for everyone
A comedy tonight!

Something that's gaudy
Something that's bawdy
Something for every bawdy
Comedy tonight!

Nothing that's grim!
Nothing that's Greek!
(She plays Medea later this week!)
Stunning surprises
Cunning disguises
Hundreds of actors out of sight...

Pantaloons and tunics!
Courtesans and eunuchs!
Funerals and chases!
Baritones and basses!
Panderers!
Philanderers!
Cupidity!
Timidity!
Mistakes!
Fakes!
Rhymes!
Mimes!
Tumblers!
Grumblers!
Fumblers!
Bumblers!

No royal curse!
No Trojan Horse!
And a happy ending, of course!
Goodness and badness
Man in his madness
This time it all turns out all right...

Tragedy tomorrow
Comedy
Comedy
Comedy... tonight!

"One... two... three!"