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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Standards 3
Guidelines for Attending the Theatre 4
Artists 5
Themes for Writing & Discussion 6
Mastery Assessment 8
For Further Exploration 10
Suggested Activities 14
© Huntington Theatre Company Boston, MA 02115
September 2015
No portion of this curriculum guide may be
reproduced without written permission from
the Huntington Theatre Company’s Department
of Education & Community Programs
Inquiries should be directed to:
Donna Glick | Director of Education
[email protected]
This curriculum guide was prepared for
the Huntington Theatre Company by:
Marisa Jones | Education Assistant
with contributions by:
Donna Glick | Director of Education
Alexandra Truppi I Manager of Curriculum & Instruction
COMMON CORE STANDARDS
IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
STANDARDS: Student Matinee performances and pre-show workshops provide unique opportunities
for experiential learning and support various combinations of the Common Core Standards for English
Language Arts. They may also support standards in other subject areas such as Social Studies and History,
depending on the individual play’s subject matter.
Activities are also included in this Curriculum Guide and in our pre-show workshops that support several
of the Massachusetts state standards in theatre. Other arts areas may also be addressed depending on the
individual play’s subject matter.
Reading Literature: Key Ideas and Details 1
• Grades 9-10: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
• Grades 11-12: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences from from the text, including where the text leaves
matters uncertain.
Reading Literature: Key Ideas and Details 2
• Grades 9-10: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and
analyze in detail its development over the course of the text,
including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific
details; provide an objective summary of the text.
• Grades 11-12: Determine two or more themes or central ideas
of a text and analyze their development over the course of the
text, including how they interact and build on one another to
produce a complex account; provide and objective summary of
the text.
Reading Literature: Key Ideas and Details 3
• Grades 9-10: Analyze how complex characters (e.g. those with
multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of
a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or
develop the themes.
Reading Literature: Craft and Structure 5
• Grades 9-10: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how
to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots),
and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks), create such
effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
• Grades 11-12: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how
to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to
begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic
resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as
well as its aesthetic impact.
Reading Literature: Craft and Structure 6
• Grades 11-12: Analyze a case in which grasping point of
view required distinguishing what is directly stated in a text
from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or
understatement).
Reading Literature: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7
• Grades 9-12: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama,
or poem (e.g. recorded or live production of a play or recorded
novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the
source text (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one
play by an American dramatist).
• Grades 11-12: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices
regarding how to develop related elements of a story or drama
(e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the
characters are introduced and developed).
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC CURRICULUM GUIDE
3
MASSACHUSETTS STANDARDS IN THEATRE
ACTING
• 1.7 — Create and sustain a believable character throughout a
scripted or improvised scene (By the end of Grade 8).
• 1.12 — Describe and analyze, in written and oral form,
characters’ wants, needs, objectives, and personality
characteristics (By the end of Grade 8).
• 1.13 — In rehearsal and performance situations, perform as a
productive and responsible member of an acting ensemble
(i.e., demonstrate personal responsibility and commitment to
a collaborative process) (By the end of Grade 8).
• 1.14 — Create complex and believable characters through
the integration of physical, vocal, and emotional choices
(Grades 9-12).
• 1.15 — Demonstrate an understanding of a dramatic work
by developing a character analysis (Grades 9-12).
• 1.17 — Demonstrate increased ability to work effectively
alone and collaboratively with a partner or in an ensemble
(Grades 9-12).
READING AND WRITING SCRIPTS
• 2.7 — Read plays and stories from a variety of cultures and
historical periods and identify the characters, setting, plot,
theme, and conflict (By the end of Grade 8).
• 2.8 — Improvise characters, dialogue, and actions that focus
on the development and resolution of dramatic conflicts
(By the end of Grade 8).
• 2.11 — Read plays from a variety of genres and styles; compare
and contrast the structure of plays to the structures of other
forms of literature (Grades 9-12).
TECHNICAL THEATRE
• 4.6 — Draw renderings, floor plans, and/or build models of
sets for a dramatic work and explain choices in using visual
elements (line, shape/form, texture, color, space) and visual
principals (unity, variety, harmony, balance, rhythm) (By the
end of Grade 8).
• 4.13 — Conduct research to inform the design of sets, costumes,
sound, and lighting for a dramatic production (Grades 9-12).
CONNECTIONS
• Strand 6: Purposes and Meanings in the Arts — Students will
describe the purposes for which works of dance, music, theatre,
visual arts, and architecture were and are created, and, when
appropriate, interpret their meanings (Grades PreK-12).
• Strand 10: Interdisciplinary Connections — Students will
apply their knowledge of the arts to the study of English
language arts, foreign languages, health, history and social
science, mathematics, and science and technology/engineering
(Grades PreK-12).
AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE
Attending live theatre is a unique experience with many valuable educational and social benefits. To ensure that all audience
members are able to enjoy the performance, please take a few minutes to discuss the following audience etiquette topics with
your students before you come to the Huntington Theatre Company.
• How is attending the theatre similar to and different from going to the movies? What behaviors are and are not appropriate
when seeing a play? Why?
• Remind students that because the performance is live, the audience’s behavior and reactions will affect the actors’ performances.
No two audiences are exactly the same, and therefore no two performances are exactly the same — this is part of what makes
theatre so special! Students’ behavior should reflect the level of performance they wish to see.
• Theatre should be an enjoyable experience for the audience. It is absolutely all right to applaud when appropriate and laugh at
the funny moments. Talking and calling out during the performance, however, are not allowed. Why might this be? Be sure to
mention that not only would the people seated around them be able to hear their conversation, but the actors on stage could
hear them, too. Theatres are constructed to carry sound efficiently!
• Any noise or light can be a distraction, so please remind students to make sure their cell phones are turned off (or better yet,
left at home or at school!). Texting, photography, and video recording are prohibited. Food, gum, and drinks should not be
brought into the theatre.
• Students should sit with their group as seated by the Front of House staff and should not leave their seats once the performance
has begun.
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A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC CURRICULUM GUIDE
ARTISTS
STEPHEN SONDHEIM —
FATHER OF THE MODERN MUSICAL
Stephen Joshua Sondheim was born on March 22, 1930, in New
York City, the only child of Herbert Sondheim, a prominent dress
manufacturer, and Janet Fox Sondheim, his former chief designer.
A highly intelligent child, Sondheim picked out tunes on the piano
at the age of four, skipped kindergarten, and read The New York
Times while in first grade. He loved puzzles, games, and anagrams.
His parents divorced when he was 10 years old and Sondheim
moved with his mother to Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where he met
and became close with musical theatre lyricist Oscar Hammerstein
and his family. The Hammersteins became surrogate parents,
and Oscar served as a role model for young Stephen. Enrolled at
the George School, a prestigious private high school, Sondheim
composed his first musical, By George!, a satire of campus life.
He showed it to Hammerstein who gave him a four-hour critique.
“I learned more that afternoon about song-writing and musical
theatre than most people learn in a lifetime,” Sondheim later
recalled. Hammerstein tutored Sondheim in the art and craft of
writing for musical theatre and outlined a course of study that
would last for six years.
In 1951, Sondheim won a two year fellowship to study with
avant-garde composer Milton Babbitt in New York City. Babbitt
later remarked that “[Sondheim] wanted his music to be as
sophisticated and as knowing within the obvious restraints of a
Broadway musical.” In 1955, Sondheim secured his first professional
job in the theatre composing the score for the show Saturday
Night, intended for Broadway. The project collapsed in preproduction, but after hearing Sondheim’s score, composer Leonard
Bernstein asked him to write the lyrics for his new musical based
on Romeo and Juliet. Sondheim hesitated but was convinced by
Hammerstein to accept the offer. The musical became West Side
Story and opened in 1957. It ran on Broadway for nearly two years.
Teaming with composer Jule Styne, Sondheim wrote the lyrics
for Gypsy in 1959, followed by A Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to the Forum in 1962, which was the first musical for which
Sondheim was both composer and lyricist. Sondheim dedicated
it to the memory of Oscar Hammerstein, who died in 1960.
Sondheim then composed Anyone Can Whistle which closed
after only nine performances. Out of loyalty to Hammerstein, but
against his better judgement, Sondheim then agreed to write
lyrics to Richard Rodgers’ music for Do I Hear a Waltz? Although
the show ran only four months, Sondheim received his first Tony
Award nomination for his work. After he had contributed music
and lyrics to the television musical, Evening Primrose, Sondheim
began the collaboration with George Furth, Harold Prince, and
Michael Bennett that resulted in Company, which opened in 1970.
Critics called the work “groundbreaking” and “the first modernist
musical.” It won the New York Drama Critics’ Award and received
12 Tony Award nominations, winning six including, Best Musical
and Sondheim’s first for Best Music and Best Lyrics.
Composer Stephen Sondheim
During the 1970s, Sondheim wrote music and lyrics for Follies,
Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, and A Little Night Music. He also
co-wrote a screenplay called The Last of Sheila and contributed
new lyrics to Leonard Bernstein’s score for Candide. He went on to
write the scores of Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with
George, Into the Woods, Assassins, Passion, and Road Show, and
is considered to be the leading composer in the American musical
theatre. “Send in the Clowns,” from A Little Night Music, however,
was his first major hit, and the show remains one of his most
popular and romantic musicals.
QUESTIONS:
1. Continue your research of Sondheim and his body of work.
Select a song from each of his musicals in chronological order
and evaluate the progression of his music and lyric forms. How
has Sondheim’s work evolved over the past 40 years? In what
ways has it remained the same?
2. Next, listen to examples of music from musicals written by
artists other than Sondheim. Compare and contrast Sondheim’s
work with earlier musical theatre composers and lyricists such
as Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers, and Oscar Hammerstein.
Which songs are structured in the traditional Rodgers and
Hammerstein “character sings his/her emotions while advancing
the storyline’ and which shows the Sondheim ‘concept musical’
influence, which broke the more traditional structure?”
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC CURRICULUM GUIDE
5
THEMES FOR WRITING & DISCUSSION
can admit their true feelings. Desiree is also fortunate that the
Count has misunderstood Fredrik’s intentions towards Charlotte
and after feeling a jealous rage challenges Fredrik to a duel, and
feels compelled to finally take his wife home. Even Petra has found
a more appropriate relationship with another servant during her
“weekend in the country.”
NILE SCOTT SHOTS/NILE HAWVER
QUESTIONS:
Stephen Bogardus (Fredrik Egerman), Haydn Gwynne (Desiree
Armfeldt), and Mike McGowan (Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm) in the
Huntington Theatre Company’s production of A Little Night Music
WINNING THE GAME OF LOVE
Actress Desiree Armfeldt feels an attraction to her former lover,
Fredrik Egerman, during her performance on the night Fredrik
surprises his current wife with tickets to Desiree’s show. Perhaps
Fredrik should have known better than to seek out Desiree, but
after being deprived of a physical relationship for the first 11
months of marriage to the young and pretty Anne, rekindling the
romance with the attractive actress looms large in his mind. Anne,
however, is not a fool and realizes the nature of her husband’s
intentions almost immediately. She is reluctant to consummate the
marriage because she sees him as a father figure or an uncle rather
than her lover. Additionally, it appears she is falling in love with her
stepson, Henrik, who is much closer in age and with whom she
spends a great deal of time. Henrik is in love with his stepmother,
but his attempts to tell her so are constantly thwarted. His
frustration leads him into the arms of the household maid, Petra.
The presence of Fredrik’s wife is not a concern for Desiree. It is also
not a concern that her current lover, Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm,
who is also married, insists on making his presence known. He is
more of a nuisance than anything else and Desiree is clearly not
in love with him. The Count, married to one of Anne’s old friends
named Charlotte, is outraged upon finding Desiree with Fredrik
wearing nothing but a night shirt . . . which unfortunately belongs
to the Count. He is baffled by Desiree’s lack of faithfulness to him,
which is ironic and extremely humorous given his own marital
status. The Count’s frustration with Desiree becomes gossip in his
own home and he implores his wife to seek Anne out in order to
expose Fredrik and Desiree’s secret relationship. Out of loyalty
and desperation, Charlotte agrees, and through their reunion,
Charlotte convinces Anne to accept Desiree’s invitation to Madame
Armfeldt’s chateau in the country to spend the weekend in a
covert operation to win back their husbands.
Desiree admits to her young daughter Fredrika that she is
conspiring to lure Fredrik out of Anne’s grasp. Luckily, Anne and
Henrik finally have a moment alone together during which they
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A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC CURRICULUM GUIDE
1. Consider each character and describe the ways in which they
have “played” the game of love: Did Anne ever flirt with Henrik?
What romantic advice did Charlotte give Anne? How did Fredrik
garner the attention of the famous Desiree Armfeldt? How did
Desiree signal that she was interested in Fredrik? Why does Count
Carl-Magnus Malcolm insist on challenging Fredrik to a duel?
2. After watching or reading the musical, do you believe that the
story has a happy ending? Do you think the romantic shifts
make sense, or do you think that certain characters are being
reckless with their feelings? How well did these individuals play
the game of love?
PROMISE OF YOUTH VS.
WISDOM THROUGH AGING
Madame Armfeldt has all but predicted the events before they
unfold. She speaks to her young granddaughter, Fredrika, with the
authority of a woman who has seen it all. And when she considers
her granddaughter and her own daughter she believes there exists
a poverty in their thinking. Madame Armfeldt speaks of the night
smiling three times: “The first smile smiles at the young, who know
nothing… the second, at the fools who know too little … and the third
at the old who know too much.”
Fredrika watches her mother Desiree’s life unfold with inquisitive
eyes. She listens attentively to her grandmother’s stories and
asks many questions, which display her youth and innocence. It
could also be argued that Anne and Henrik approach life with
a similar naiveté. Henrik insists on making himself a man of the
cloth, consumed with his studies at the seminary, yet practically
speaking, he is more of a tortured soul, certain of nothing. Anne
has made a very practical decision to marry well and chose the
security of an older man instead of following her heart. Their
actions show they lack perspective and are not quite aware of
what will bring them true happiness.
Fredrik, the Count, and Desiree also struggle, especially in their
romantic lives, but not because they lack knowledge. Pride, vanity,
and irresponsibility plague their decision making. Fredrik chooses
a young and beautiful woman for his second wife, because he can,
not because he should. He knows all too well that Anne does not
feel towards him the way a woman should towards her husband,
but having her on his arm boosts his ego. The Count is prepared to
throw away his perfectly decent marriage for the “sport” of chasing
around a mistress. He feels almost as if it is his “right” as a man of his
social status, an entitlement to have a woman to call on in every city.
It is not until he believes he’s on the brink of losing Charlotte that he
look, sizing up the situation approvingly, before following ANNE
into the bedroom.” Fredrik may be completely oblivious to the fact
that he is torturing his son through his marriage to Anne. However,
he certainly wishes for his son to be happy and is proud of his
accomplishments at home and in seminary school.
NILE SCOTT SHOTS/NILE HAWVER
The situation in the Armfeldt household is perhaps more strained.
Madame Armfeldt has made her opinions of Desiree’s lifestyle and
career choices quite clear. She is very disappointed in her daughter
and takes the extreme step of removing Fredrika from Desiree’s
care because she believes it is inappropriate for a child to travel
the world when she should be properly educated in a stable home
environment. In Act I, Scene 1, Madame Armfeldt sings:
The cast of the Huntington Theatre Company’s
production of A Little Night Music
Ordinary daughters ameliorate their lot,
Use their charms and choose their futures,
Breed their children, heed their mothers.
Ordinary daughters, which mine, I fear, is not,
Tend each asset, spend it wisely
While it still endures…
Mine tours.
can actually see her and appreciate her devotion to him. Desiree, of
course, may believe she knows what she wants after seeing Fredrik
again, but has spent the better part of her adult life traveling the
world for her acting career without much serious thought to settling
down, all while her daughter is being raised by her mother. Desiree
makes a gamble with her “weekend in the country” event, which
is ultimately a grand success. As the night smiles on the younger
generations, Madame Armfeldt can close her eyes knowing
she’s saved her best champagne for her final toast to the world,
confident in what she’s learned during her full and long life and
secure in the knowledge that both the youth and the fools have
finally sorted themselves out.
QUESTIONS:
1. Is it fair to say that the “young know nothing?” Do you agree
that Anne and Henrik showed an inability to make good
decisions? Who do you think showed the most wisdom through
his or her actions? Why?
2. Is it surprising when Fredrik says, “How unlikely life is! To
lose one’s son, one’s wife, and practically one’s life within an
hour and yet to feel — relieved. Relieved, and, what’s more,
considerably less ancient.” Has Fredrik really “lost” Henrik?
Why did Anne make Fredrik feel old instead of young?
If Madame Armfeldt, is angry and hurt her by her daughter’s
actions, her granddaughter takes an opposing view, feeling
somewhat in awe of her beautiful mother and her exciting life.
Instead of displaying feelings of disappointment or resentment,
Fredrika sings:
Ordinary mothers lead ordinary lives,
Keep the house and sweep the parlor,
Cook the meals and look exhausted.
Ordinary mothers, like ordinary wives,
Fry the eggs and dry the sheets
And try to deal with facts —
Mine acts!
As complicated as the romantic relationships become in A Little
Night Music, it is family relationships that provide the foundation
for these characters’ lives. Ultimately, as lovers consider switching
partners, the family bond remains intact and is almost certainly
strengthened as a result. Madame Armfeldt can leave this world
peacefully knowing that her daughter has finally chosen a “future”
which includes properly caring for Fredrika and finding real love.
QUESTIONS:
3. What does it mean for the night to “smile?” Does it mean that
everything comes together? Is the ending of A Little Night Music
a happy one? Why or why not?
1. If you were Fredrika, would you be upset by your mother’s
choice to tour as an actress rather than raise you? Would you
be angry with your grandmother for pulling you away from the
touring lifestyle, or would you be relieved to be in one place,
going to school and making friends in that town?
COMPLEXITY IN THE PARENT/CHILD
RELATIONSHIP
2. Would you be angry with a parent, if after a divorce or death of
his or her spouse, for marrying someone your own age?
In a humorous moment during what would otherwise be a tense
one, Fredrik and Anne return from the play and catch Henrik in a
compromising position with the household maid. Instead of Fredrik
feeling anger, the stage directions read: “Fredrik gives HENRIK a
3. What mistakes do you think the parents/children have made
during the course of this story? Do you feel hopeful by the
musical’s conclusion that everyone will be able to forgive each
other and move forward with their lives?
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC CURRICULUM GUIDE
7
MASTERY ASSESSMENT
OPENING
1. Which characters appear onstage first? What are they
singing about?
2. The main characters appear at the end of the song.
What are they doing together?
PROLOGUE
3. At the beginning of the prologue, what game is Madame
Armfeldt playing? Who is sitting with her and what
instructions has she given to this person?
24. What is Fredrik’s excuse for his presence?
25. Explain the irony of Carl-Magnus’ demand for Desiree to be
loyal and faithful to him.
Scene 5
25. What connection does Carl-Magnus make while speaking
with Charlotte?
26. Is Charlotte aware of Carl-Magnus’ extra-marital relationships?
Scene 6
4. Describe the situation in which Fredrika has grown up.
27. Who calls on Anne while she is with Petra?
5. According to Madame Armfeldt, how does one know when
the night smiles?
28. How does Charlotte describe her husband?
6. What instrument does Fredrika play?
29. What news does Charlotte share with Anne? How does
Anne react?
ACT ONE
Scene 7
Scene 1
30. What is Madame Armfeldt’s “advice for the day?” What is her
rationale for this statement?
7. What is Henrik studying in school?
8. How is Henrik related to Anne?
9. Why does Henrik want time alone with Anne and request
to go for a walk?
10. What surprise does Fredrik have for Anne?
31. What favor does Desiree ask of her mother?
32. What invitation has Anne received? How does she react
to it? What does Fredrik think? What is Desiree’s motivation
for this event?
11. Who is Desiree Armfeldt? Why is Anne excited to see her?
33. Why does Charlotte think Anne should accept Desiree’s
invitation?
12. It has been 11 months since Fredrik and Anne married, but
what is Anne is still afraid of?
34. Who is going uninvited to a “weekend in the country?”
13. What word is Henrik tired of hearing? Why might he be
frustrated?
14. How does Fredrik describe the “ordinary mother?”
15. Why is Madame Armfeldt frustrated with her daughter?
How has Desiree disappointed her mother?
Scene 2
16. Who are Fredrik’s typists?
35. What is the snag in Desiree’s plan as she describes it to
Fredrika?
ENTR’ACTE
36. What is the purpose of the Liebeslieder singers during the
transition between Acts one and two?
ACT TWO
Scene 1
17. According to the ladies, what qualities does Desiree possess?
1. Where does Act Two open?
18. Why is Anne upset by the performance during her surprise
night out?
2. Who has arrived early to the “weekend in the country?”
Scene 3
19. Who does Anne catch in the act of “sinning” and what is
her reaction? What is Fredrik’s?
Scene 4
20. According to Desiree, what does Fredrik regularly do during
her performances?
21. What is the nature of Fredrik and Desiree’s relationship?
3. What reason does Carl-Magnus give for his unexpected
arrival? What awkward situation has developed for Desiree?
Scene 2
4. What is Charlotte’s plan to spoil the weekend?
Scene 2A
5. What does Henrik confess to Fredrika?
Scene 3
22. How does Desiree explain why her daughter is no longer
living with her?
6. What “ifs” do Carl-Magnus and Fredrik have about their
relationships with Desiree?
23. Who arrives during Desiree and Fredrik’s liaison?
Why is this guest a surprise to Desiree?
7. What does Fredrik assume when he learns Desiree’s
daughter’s name?
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A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC CURRICULUM GUIDE
Scene 4
8. How is the dining room arranged for the guests?
9. Why is Carl-Magnus embarrassed by Charlotte?
10. To what does Madame Armfeldt toast?
11. Why is Henrik upset and who wants to go after him?
Scene 5
12. What secret does Fredrika tell Anne? Why is Fredrika
worried about Henrik?
RELATED WORKS & RESOURCES
Continue your research of Stephen Sondheim and
his contributions to the world of musical theatre.
The following suggested works were also used in the
development of this curriculum guide.
Other Musicals by Stephen Sondheim:
Company
Into the Woods (with book by James Lapine)
Scene 5A
13. What upsets Henrik at the conclusion of the scene?
Scene 6
14. Desiree reveals her true intentions to Fredrik. Does he feel
the same way?
Sunday in the Park with George (with book by
James Lapine)
West Side Story (with music by Leonard Bernstein
and book by Arthur Laurents)
For Further Research:
Scene 7
15. In what position does Anne finally catch Henrik?
16. How does Anne feel about Henrik?
17. What is Petra’s new plan?
Scene 8
18. What does Charlotte admit to Fredrik? Was her plan a
success?
19. Is Desiree subtle in her attempt to break off the relationship
with the Count? What does Carl-Magnus see that incites
his rage?
20. What happened to the Croation Count?
21. To what game does Carl-Magnus challenge Fredrik?
22. Why is Fredrik relieved temporarily?
23. How does the story conclude? How did the night smile
three times?
Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther.
Abingdon Press; Reprint edition, 2006.
DeWitt, Charlotte J. Sweden-Culture Smart!: the
Essential Guide to Customs & Culture. Kuperard;
Reprint edition, 2006.
Kenrick, John. Musical Theatre: A History. Bloomsbury
Academic, 2010.
Maslon, Laurence. Broadway: The American Musical.
Applause Theatre & Cinema Book, 2001.
Sondheim, Stephen. Sondheim on Music: Minor Details
and Major Decisions. Scarecrow Press, 2010.
Sondheim, Stephen. Look, I Made a Hat. Knopf, 2011.
Secrest, Meryle. Stephen Sondheim: A Life. Vintage, 2011.
Swayne, Steve. How Sondheim Found His Sound.
U of Michigan Press, 2007.
The cast of the Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George (2008)
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC CURRICULUM GUIDE
9
FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION
A scene from Ingmar Bergman’s film Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
A LITTLE INSPIRATION: “SOMMARNATTENS
LEENDE” OR SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT
A Little Night Music, like many other great pieces of art, is based
upon another work, the romantic comedy entitled Smiles of a
Summer Night. This Swedish film received much critical acclaim
when it was released in 1955. The film’s director, Ingmar Bergman,
won international recognition after its 1965 showing at the Cannes
Film Festival. It is considered by many film critics to be a “top 100
film” of all time.
At the heart of this story is the romantic conflict amongst a group
of old acquaintances — which keeps all of the characters, married
or not, in turmoil. Smiles of a Summer Night is set during a party
at the Armfeldt’s estate to celebrate the Midsummer Night, the
shortest night of the year, which was a traditional observance in
Sweden at the turn of the 19th century. On this evening, many
people would stay up until dawn, partying the night away. In the
film, Desiree Armfeldt, a famous theatrical star, invites her current
lover and his wife, a man she is interested in and his young wife
and son, along with various servants to her mother’s country
home. Through a series of conflicts and accidents, the “couples”
break up and rearrange themselves into much more suitable pairs.
The film concludes with a happy ending.
Following the success of the film, Bergman said that he wrote
and directed the movie to show his critics his range as an artist;
at the time, Bergman, already considered widely to be one of the
most talented directors of the 20th century, had a body of work
that was considered dark and contemplative. He is credited with
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A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC CURRICULUM GUIDE
breaking the traditional film structure by experimenting with form
— he was less interested in the spectacle on the large screen and
instead deeply devoted to the analysis of his characters. Themes
which emerged in many of his films and throughout his career
include: the dynamics of marriage, the complexity of the human
mind, the loss of the artist’s identity, man’s relationship to God,
and the inevitability of life ending in a sad, slow decline.
QUESTIONS:
1. Continue researching Ingmar Bergman’s film career. What kind
of films was Bergman known for before Smiles of a Summer
Night? Did Smiles of a Summer Night mark a departure in
Bergman’s career? Were critics and audiences shocked that
Bergman directed this particular film?
2. Choose one of Bergman’s other films to view and compare and
contrast with Smiles of a Summer Night. What aspects of the
films make it clear that they are the work of the same director?
How do they reflect similar ideas but translate them differently
through comedy instead of drama?
3. In addition to A Little Night Music, what other pieces of art have
been inspired by this film?
4. After attending the Huntington Theatre Company’s production
of A Little Night Music, compare and contrast the plot lines and
themes to Bergman’s film. How are the stories and settings
similar and different from each other? Do the characters remain
the same (names, personalities, ages, etc.) from film to stage?
Which artistic form, in your opinion, best tells the story of these
couples in their quest for love — film or theatre?
Jon Cryer, Aaron Lazar, Craig Bierko, Jim Walton, Stephen Colbert, and Neil Patrick Harris
(center) in the New York Philharmonic’s presentation of Company (2011)
COMPANY AND SONDHEIM’S
MUSICAL BREAKTHROUGH
Stephen Sondheim’s Company is considered by many to be a
landmark musical. Actor and playwright George Furth wrote
a series of one act plays based on the culture of romantic
relationships in New York City, and after reading the plays,
Sondheim asked his friend and collaborator Harold Prince if the
work could be the foundation for a musical. Company uses a
central character, Robert, who is himself single and apprehensive
about commitment, to examine the relationships of his married
and engaged friends. The “breakthrough” for the musical theatre
genre occurred when Sondheim, librettist Furth, producer/director
Prince, and choreographer Michael Bennett “broke the rules”
of the traditional structure of the American musical. Sondheim
commented, “[we] realized early on that the kind of song that
would not work in the show was the Rodgers and Hammerstein
kind of song in which the characters reach a certain point and then
sing their emotions . . . In Company the songs are really outside the
scenes rather than part of them. You can’t guess so well in advance
when the dialogue is building to a musical cue.” Instead of being
sequential and linear, Company is “plotless.” Sondheim and Prince
commented on this break with tradition:
Sondheim: A lot of the controversy about Company
was that up until [this musical] most musicals, if not
all musicals, had plots. In fact, up until Company, I
thought all musicals had to have very strong plots.
One of the things that fascinated me about the
challenge of the show was to see if a musical could be
done without one. Many of the people who disliked
the show disliked it for that reason. They wanted a
strong story line and they didn’t get one and were
disappointed.
Prince: Company was the first musical I had done
without conventional plot or subplot structure. The
first without hero and heroine, without the comic
relief couple. There are, of course, plots, but they are
subtextual and grow out of subconscious behavior,
psychological stresses, inadvertent relations: the
nature of the lie people accept to preserve their
relationship.
QUESTIONS:
1. After researching and viewing/reading, Company, compare and
contrast it with A Little Night Music. How are the two musicals
similar? How are they different?
2. Did Sondheim work on any other musicals after Company that
successfully dispensed with a linear plot structure?
MARTIN LUTHER AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
In A Little Night Music, Henrik references his study of the wellknown church reformer, Martin Luther, in his discussions with Anne
regarding his religious training. Luther’s teachings are central to
Henrik’s education in seminary, as Anne discovers when she picks
up one of his books, which quotes Luther as saying, “You cannot
prevent the birds from flying over your head, but you can prevent
them from nesting in your hair.”
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NILE HAWVER / NILE SCOTT SHOTS
Catherine Zeta-Jones as Desiree Armfeldt in
the 2009 Broadway revival of A Little Night Music
Martin Luther, a German, lived from 1483 until 1546. He was born to
hard working parents of modest means. Luther’s father desperately
wanted him to become a lawyer and spent a great deal of
resources securing his son’s education. Luther compared much of
his time in school to “purgatory or Hell” and quickly dropped out
of law school. Feeling uncertain about pursuing a career in the field
of law, he turned his attention to Biblical study, which he believed
held more purpose and promise. Through his schooling he adopted
two important viewpoints that would color his work in the church:
To question authority and recognize that reason and rationalization
would not lead a person to God. A near-death experience drove
him into the Augustinian Friary to study, a move that infuriated his
father who deemed it a “waste” of an education.
Luther continued his education, receiving another bachelor’s
degree and doctoral degree and finally landed at the University
of Wittenberg where he served in the theological department as
a Doctor in Bible for the remainder of his career. The Dominican
Friar Johann Tetzel came to Germany in 1516 to raise funds for the
building and renovation of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He was sent
to offer “indulgences” to the congregation there; the idea being
that man must prove his heart through works and by donating
money to the church, then the “good deed” would be achieved.
Luther was outraged by this practice and expressed his objection
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in a letter to his local bishop. The letter included a document titled
the “Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of
Indulgences,” which came to be known as “The Ninety-Five Theses.”
The Roman Catholic Church considered Luther’s assertions to be
blasphemous, raising especially strong objections to Luther’s 86th
line which asked, “Why does the pope, whose wealth today is
greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of
St. Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with his own
money?”
Luther’s disgust with the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope
continued to grow. He viewed the church as a corrupt organization
in which the most powerful leaders received the largest financial
gains, while the true message of the Bible was largely ignored, as
it did not further the financial goals of the Papacy. Luther came
to believe that the only way to receive “Salvation” or redemption
was when a person accepted Jesus Christ as his or her savior. The
“indulgences” which were supposed to absolve an individual from
their sins, were an inappropriate transaction in Luther’s view, as
forgiveness was God’s alone to grant. Luther’s philosophy and
teachings became the foundation of the Protestant church.
“The Ninety-Five Theses” and Luther’s radical message crossed
Europe and people clambered to hear him speak; however,
Luther attracted negative attention from the Catholic Pope,
who excommunicated Luther in 1520 for refusing to recant his
more heretical statements. In April 1521, at the Diet of Worms, a
general assembly of the estates in the Holy Roman Empire, Luther
continued to publicly refuse to retract his words. As a result, the
Roman emperor exiled Luther, made it a crime to feed or shelter
him, and announced that Luther’s murder would be legally allowed.
Fortunately for Luther, his powerful ally, Elector Friedrich the Wise,
had him rescued and provided safe passage to the Wartburg Castle.
During Luther’s stay, he translated the New Testament from Latin
to German, one of his most important accomplishments, making
the Bible more accessible to the lay person. In another astonishing
break from the Catholic Church, Luther also declared that priests
and nuns should not be afraid to marry, believing that the celibacy
required of these vocations would not secure one’s place in heaven
and the practice was similar to the “indulgences” he so opposed.
Luther himself married Katharina von Bora, a nun he helped escape
from her convent. This marriage laid the precedent for high ranking
church officials in the Protestant church to do the same.
QUESTIONS:
1. Continue your research of Martin Luther. Why might Henrik have
admired Luther’s work?
2. What would Luther think about the lives of the characters in A
Little Night Music?
3. Do you agree with Luther about the corruption in the Catholic
Church? Why or why not? Why do some scholars consider
Luther a controversial figure, beyond his views of the Papacy
and the Catholic Church?
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC — THE REVIVAL!
Nearly four decades after the original production of A Little
Night Music, Sondheim’s masterpiece returned to Broadway in
2009 boasting an all-star cast. The following year, the production
received nominations and awards from the Drama League, Drama
Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and the Tony Awards. Catherine ZetaJones won critical praise and multiple awards, including a Tony
Award, for her performance as Desiree Armfeldt. Angela Lansbury
played the role of her mother, Madame Armfeldt.
With ticket prices averaging $100 each, it is surprising that it took
such a long time for the show to return to Broadway, as it promised
producers and investors to be a commercial success. It ran for
two years, with 425 performance and 20 previews and grossed
over $38 million dollars. Beyond the obvious financial benefits of
a revival, some critics suggested that it seemed “too easy” to put
the story back onstage, arguing that A Little Night Music is not
one of Sondheim’s more complex works such as Sweeney Todd or
Company. Nevertheless, the revival of A Little Night Music enjoyed
success not only in New York City but London as well.
QUESTIONS:
1. The revival of A Little Night Music was an obvious commercial
success, but was it an artistic one? Read some critical reviews
of this particular production. Do you think it was the right time
for this story’s revival? Do you think the production was well
cast?
A map of Sweden and its neighbors in northern Europe
2. What are the potential pitfalls in re-producing an already
famous musical? Why are popular stories sometimes hard
to re-tell?
SET IN SWEDEN…
Smiles of a Summer Night is a Swedish film. Therefore it is not
surprising that the musical it inspired is also set in this Scandinavian
country. Sweden is located in Northern Europe bordering Norway
and Finland. It is geographically the largest country on the continent,
but does not have the largest population, as only 9.7 million people
call Sweden home. The capital is Stockholm and the majority of
the population lives close to urban centers. Sweden boasts the 8th
highest ranking in the world for per capita income and maintains the
Nordic Welfare System, which includes health care and educational
services for its citizens and ranks at the top worldwide in the
category of “quality of life.” Swedes live under a constitutional
monarchy and parliamentary democracy.
After the church reform lead by Martin Luther in the 1500s, the
authority of the Catholic Church was abolished in Sweden and
by the late 1900s, citizens were legally allowed to practice other
religions.
QUESTIONS:
1. Continue your research of Sweden. How do the country’s
geography, history, and culture influence A Little Night Music?
2. After attending the Huntington Theatre Company’s production
of A Little Night Music, reflect on the visual design elements of
the show, including costumes, props, and scenery. Where do
you see a Swedish influence in these design elements?
3. Is this a Swedish musical, an American musical, or something
else? Do you believe that the themes in A Little Night Music are
universal in nature, accessible to a wide audience, or not?
In the late 19th century, the time in which A Little Night Music
is set, Sweden was relatively poor — as other countries were
industrializing, Sweden continued to support an agricultural
economy. The country’s increasing population was attributed to
a combination of the availability of a small pox vaccine, a healthy
potato crop, and peace, as war puts a strain on a country’s
resources. Between 1850 and 1910, over 1 million Swedes
immigrated to the United States.
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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
EXPLORATION IN THEATRE DESIGN — SET DESIGN PROPOSAL
In anticipation of your visit to the B.U. Theatre to see the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of A Little Night Music, think about
what the set and props designers will create for the production. Begin by reading the following stage directions
from the script:
The place: Sweden
The time: Turn of the 19th century
A NOTE ON THE ORIGINAL STAGING:
The Broadway set for A Little Night Music stressed a fluid merging of scenes with no cumbersome set changes.
The stage was multi-level and used tracked platforms which moved the larger set pieces on and off stage.
Rooms were defined by furniture groupings.
The basic frame for the production was screens which moved to mask actors’ entrances and exits and to
define new scenes.
The second act was dominated by the upstage façade of Madame Armfeldt’s country chateau which remained
throughout the last act.
Create a set design for A Little Night Music. Starting with the opening number, notate the set arrangement for each scene from
beginning to the end of the play.
SCENE
SET CONFIGURATION
PROPS/SET PIECES
Opening Number
Act I, Prologue
Act I, Scene 1
Continued…
Reflect: Did you closely follow the instructions from the text or did you arrange the stage as you wished? Share your design proposal
with the class, after seeking advice and critique from peers, and be prepared to defend your choices!
After attending the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of A Little Night Music, compare and contrast your proposal with the
design you saw on stage. Did anything surprise you about the set’s arrangement? Is there anything you, as the scenic designer, would
have done differently?
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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
A SHORT HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATRE
An evening of musical theatre is “when everybody has a good time —
even in the crying scenes.” – Bob Fosse, Director/Choreographer
Emily Blunt as the Baker’s Wife and James Corden as the
Baker in the 2014 film adaptation of Into the Woods
Musical theatre is often considered the most collaborative art form.
To measure a work of musical theatre accurately means to weigh the
contributions of many different artists, including the librettist, composer,
lyricist, director, choreographer, actors, singers, dancers, and designers
of scenery, costumes, and lighting. In his book, The Musical, Richard
Kislan writes that “musical theatre offers an intricate and colorful
puzzle for the senses with each piece complete enough in its artistry to
fulfill a prescribed function while subservient enough to submit to the
assimilation necessary for the total effect of a work that in performance
loses, as if by magic, the seams that separate the parts.”
Musical theatre is also as old as western theatre itself. From its beginnings as ritual chanting of a dithyramb addressed to the Greek god
Dionysus, to the musically underscored pantomime of the pre-Christian days of the Roman Empire, to the origins of the opera during
the Renaissance, musical theatre combines music and drama to create a union that enhances the power of each art, creating a unique
theatrical experience. Over the centuries, different formulas combining music and theatre have led to a myriad of alternative forms
ranging from oratorio to operetta to the rock musical. Many scholars believe that America’s contributions to the evolution of musical
theatre is perhaps our nation’s greatest artistic achievement.
ELEMENTS OF MUSICAL THEATRE
The Book: Sometimes called the libretto, the book of a musical is typically written first. The book generates the “theatre” in the musical
theatre form. It is the glue which binds the other elements together. The book encompasses the necessary components of the dramatic
form, such as:
characters – the people in the story
plot – the sequence of actions and events that drive the characters, ideas, or situations
situation – any moment within the plot that generates drama, sustains audience attention, and begs for resolution
dialogue – speech; generally a companion in tone and style to the lyrics of the musical
theme – main idea (or ideas) of the story
In a traditional musical book the following dramatic elements are generally established within the first five minutes of the performance,
either through action or exposition:
time – morning, afternoon, or night
place – geographical setting
characters – social identity, status, relationships
theme – a hint of the message or purpose of the story is introduced
conflict – obstacles that the characters must endeavor to overcome
tone – mood of the musical (serious, comedic, etc.)
The Lyrics: The lyrics are the words written to accompany the score. Lyrics must be compact and meaningful. Song lyrics differ from all
other forms of literature because lyric form and musical form must synchronize. Sondheim explains, “Lyrics exist in time — as opposed
to poetry. You can read a poem at your own speed, but on the stage the lyrics come at you and you hear them once. Second, lyrics go
with music and music is very rich. Lyrics therefore have to be underwritten.”
The Score: The music! Music expresses and reinforces the emotion in the drama and stimulates or serves the dramatic action. Music
establishes the tone and sets the mood of the story. Its component parts are melody, which represents an aural image of the lyric,
harmony, which creates tones that color the aural image, and rhythm, which contrasts the dramatic values of character and action.
Elements of the score include: the overture, opening number, establishing songs, patter songs, rhythm songs, chorus numbers, musical
scenes, underscoring, segues, and reprises. Songs with dramatic functions are often called: ballads, charm songs, comedy songs, “I am”
songs, and “I want” songs. Consider A Little Night Music and identify one song for each of these dramatic functions.
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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
RESEARCH/GROUP WORK ON THE
HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATRE
Ask students to work in groups to research and
define each of the following musical theatre forms,
citing examples of the influence of earlier forms.
Students should be encouraged to present recorded
examples that will allow the class to appreciate the
variety of music, songs, artists, and musical facts that
represent their findings. Assign teams to one or more
of the following categories:
Opera
Operetta
Ballad Opera
Minstrelsy
Vaudeville
Burlesque
Revue
Follies
Oratorio
Musical Comedy
Audra McDonald as Bess and Norm Lewis Porgy as
in the 2012 Broadway revival of Porgy and Bess
Concept Musical
Rock Musical/Rock Opera
Create student teams and assign one of the following musicals as the subject for a research project to be shared in class.
Show Boat
Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, 1927
Porgy and Bess
George and Ira Gershwin, 1935
South Pacific
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, 1949
West Side Story
Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, 1957
Hair
MacDermott, Ragnis and Rado, 1968
Jesus Christ Superstar
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber, 1971
Les Miserables
Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, 1980
Assassins
Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, 1990
Next to Normal
Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, 2008
Questions to Consider:
Who are the composers, lyricists, directors, and producers?
What themes are prevalent in these musicals?
What historical relationships do these musicals have with their themes?
Why were these “serious” musicals popular, resonating with wide audiences?
What social impacts did these musicals have on their first audiences?
Why were these musicals considered controversial at the time of their world premieres?
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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
BREAKING DOWN PLOT
Part 1: Chart the plot structure of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music (using a piece of graph paper can be helpful for this exercise). Use
the model below to help notate the rising and falling action, central conflict, climax, and finally the musical’s resolution.
Climax
(a decision must
be made about
the conflict)
Rising Action
(events that lead to
the conflict)
Exposition
(intro of characters,
setting, etc.)
Falling Action
(events in which the
conflict unravels)
Resolution
(a new status quo
is established)
Part 2, Option A: Complete the same exercise for Smiles of a Summer Night, the film on which A Little Night Music is based. Do the
charts line up similarly? Or, are there different events that impact how the plot unfolds?
Part 2, Option B: Complete the same exercise for Company, the musical by Sondheim that dispensed with conventional linear
storytelling. How does the plot of Company develop over the course of the story?
The cast of the New York Philharmonic’s
presentation of Company (2011)
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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
ACTING — SCENE STUDY
AND CHARACTER ANALYSIS
Select and perform a scene from A Little Night Music.
Part 1: Begin preparations to perform the scene by
answering the following questions:
• What are the given circumstances (5 W’s) of this
scene?
• What is the scene’s primary conflict?
• Objectives: What does my character want in this
scene? What does my character want in the play
overall?
• Tactics: What is my character doing to get what he
or she wants?
• Obstacles: What or who is standing in the way
of my character’s efforts to achieve his or her
objective?
A scene from Ingmar Bergman’s
film Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
• Stakes: What is at risk for my character? What is
the best thing that could happen if my character
achieves his or her objective? What is the worst
thing that could happen if he or she fails?
• What adjectives describe my character’s personality? Are there any contradictions?
• What statements does my character make about him or herself? What do others say about my character?
• Describe the status of each character in the scene. Does anyone have power over someone else?
Part 2: Create a biographical sketch of your character by answering the following in first person from the
character’s perspective:
• Full name and date of birth.
• Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
• Do you have any siblings?
• Describe your relationship with your parents.
• How did your childhood influence who you are today?
• When you were young, what were your dreams and aspirations? Have these dreams changed over time?
If so, how and why?
• Do you have any secrets? If so, what are they?
• What is your best quality? What is your worst quality?
• Describe your sense of humor.
• Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they? Why do you enjoy them?
• List your favorites: Food, color, music, season.
Part 3: Put the scene on its feet. How can you use stage pictures to communicate the story of the scene? Consider:
• Composition of the onstage images.
• The rhythms of the actors’ movement around the stage.
• The pacing of the dialogue.
• How the actors’ body language and vocal expression reflects the information examined in Parts 1 and 2.
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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
QUOTABLE MOMENTS
Option A: Choose one of the following quotes from A Little Night
Music. Write an essay analyzing the quote’s meaning. Consider:
• Which character said it?
• Does the character mean it literally, or is there an unspoken
subtext?
• What does this statement reveal about the character’s way
of looking at the world?
• How do the character’s actions support or contradict the
quote?
• Do other characters seem to agree or disagree?
• How does the quote contribute to the forward progression
of the scene and of the plot as a whole?
“”
“”
“”
“”
“”
“”
“”
“”
Everything is unlikely, dear, so don’t let that deter you.
“”
How strange that one’s life should end sitting on a bench
in a garden.
Martin Luther says: You cannot prevent the birds from
flying over your head, but you can prevent them from
nesting in your hair.
I’m afraid being young in itself can be a trifle ridiculous.
Good has to be so good, bad so bad, such superlatives!
Option B: Choose one of the following quotes by Stephen
Sondeim and write an essay in which you argue for or against
Sondheim’s perspective. Use evidence from musicals both by
Sondheim and others to support your opinion.
“”
“”
“”
“”
Although one can’t underestimate the importance of
songs, it’s the book that the musical theatre is all about,
and I’m not being modest.
“”
We Americans have a special tendency to ignore history.
We remember only what is pleasant. We must have a
sense of the past. Without it the present is meaningless
and stupid.
“”
“”
“”
As for humor in lyric writing, it’s always better to be funny
than clever — and a lot harder.
A civilized man can tolerate his wife’s infidelity, but when
it comes to his mistress, a man becomes a tiger.
I shall be polite to your guests. However, they will not
be served my best champagne. I am saving that for my
funeral.
WHAT A HORRIBLE PLOT! A WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY!
To lose a lover or even a husband or two during the course
of one’s life can be vexing. But to lose one’s teeth is a
catastrophe.
At least half my songs deal with ambivalence, feeling
two things at once…I like neurotic people. I like troubled
people.
I usually write lying down, so I can go to sleep easily. I
write about ten minutes and sleep for two, on the average.
Obviously the hardest kind of lyric in the world to set
is often the best kind to read. Iambic pentameter is
wonderful to read and terrible to set. I learned from Oscar
and Cole Porter: as you’re writing a lyric, get a rhythm
even if you don’t have a tune in your head.
People mistake sentimentality for feeling. I believe in
sentiment but not sentimentality.
I believe it’s the writer’s job to educate the audience…to
bring them things they would never have expected to see.
It’s not easy, but writing never has been.
A man’s youth may be as remote as a dinosaur… but
with a beautiful woman, youth merely accompanies him
through the years.
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A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC CURRICULUM GUIDE
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