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Jeff Weissman
Synopsis
Ophelia retells Hamlet through the eyes of the young woman at its edges. In Shakespeare she is spoken about, spoken for, and finally spoken of as a drowning. Here she speaks for herself.
Ophelia loves the Prince of Denmark, and he loves her. But Elsinore is a court of watchers, and she is caught between them: a father who sees her as his path to a room at the palace, a Prince unravelling under his father's ghost, and a brother, Laertes, who has fled to Paris to escape a love he dares not name. When Ophelia tries to warn Hamlet of the trap being laid for him, her warning goes unread, and every loyalty she holds begins to turn against her.
Book and lyrics by Antonia Tancredi. Music by Jeff Weissman.
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Excerpts from the score
1. I Crown Thee With Starlight
1. I Crown Thee With Starlight. In a meadow outside the castle, Ophelia learns that everyone she loves is leaving: her brother Laertes for France, and Hamlet for Wittenberg. Hamlet promises to write her a letter for every day they're apart. Then he leads her up to the gazebo where royal weddings are held, and imagines the day all of Denmark will bow to Hamlet's new Queen.
2. How Can I Not Love Her
2. How Can I Not Love Her? In Paris, Laertes cannot forget. Wine and women can't free him, and in his dreams Ophelia dances across the sky, calling his name. Alone with his guitar, he sings the truth he fled Denmark to escape: if he cannot love her, how can he love at all? Then a letter arrives in Ophelia's hand. Their father is dead, and she needs him. Laertes packs his bag and sails for home.
3. We've been here before
3. We've Been Here Before. With the King found dead in his garden and Norway's fleet drawing near, Claudius moves fast. He wins over Polonius with a promise of power and sends him to persuade the council. Then he goes to the grieving Queen. Her husband's body is barely cold, but they were lovers once, and Denmark needs a king.
"...a delightfully smarmy duet between two of our resident baddies." — Applause! Applause!
4. A Letter
4. A Letter. That night, the letter Hamlet sent from the feast slips beneath Ophelia's door: "My dearest Ophelia, please come tonight." Breathless, she tears through her gowns, the golden one he said floats like moonbeams, the sapphire as beautiful as her eyes, the white of purity, until she chooses the fiery crimson of passion. Her father would never allow it. And so she goes.
5. Canopy of stars
5. A Canopy of Stars. Dressed in crimson beneath her cloak, Ophelia steps through Hamlet's balcony doors like a star fallen to earth. With not another soul stirring, the two become lovers beneath a canopy of stars. In the morning, as she asks him about the mysteries of the world and the mother she never knew, a knock comes at the door. The King is dead.
"...an exquisite duet." — Applause! Applause!
6. Skoal! Let Us Drink To It All!
6. Skoal! Let Us Drink to It All. At the palace, King Hamlet throws a feast for his son's departure to Wittenberg. Wine flows, the court sings, and the King leads his men in a rousing toast: "Let us drink to today, for who knows when we'll die." Hamlet slips away early to send a letter to Ophelia, as Queen Gertrude looks on with jealousy. And when the King brushes off his brother Claudius, Claudius makes a quiet vow: soon this dog will have his day.
"...a fantastic crowdpleaser." — Ken Jaworowski
7. To Paris To Forget
7. To Paris. At the dock, as his ship prepares to sail for France, Laertes looks out over the sea and admits the truth he has been running from: what he feels for Ophelia is not a brother's love. Torn apart by longing he knows is forbidden, he resolves to root it out of his heart, and to find in Paris a way to forget. What he doesn't yet know is a secret about his own family that will change everything.
8. Evil is near
8. Evil Is Near. Having seen his father's ghost, Hamlet paces the royal battlements alone, trusting no one. He arms himself with shield and sword, vows to harden his heart against Ophelia, and embraces bloody vengeance, then drops the sword and falls to his knees: "Would death bring peace?" Looking up, he finds Ophelia in the doorway. He gazes into her face as if to memorize it, then runs into the night.
"...ingeniously echoes and evokes Hamlet's original soliloquy." — Applause! Applause!
9. Oh! What an opportunity
9. Oh What a Wondrous Opportunity. Ophelia tells her father that Hamlet held her, wept, and ran. To Polonius, it's wonderful news: lovesickness has driven the Prince mad. He devises a plan. Ophelia will return Hamlet's letters at an arranged meeting, dressed to charm, while Polonius and the new King listen from behind a curtain. Ophelia agrees, with a plan of her own: a secret note tucked into the letters to warn Hamlet. Polonius is already imagining the wedding bells, and the room at the palace that will finally be his.
10. Are you honest
10. Are You Honest? In the courtyard, Ophelia holds out Hamlet's letters, with her secret note tucked inside. But from the balcony above, Hamlet has already seen the trap. He denies ever writing to her and flings the letters into the fountain, her warning unread. "Get thee to a nunnery," he rages, demanding to know where her father is. Then he tears back the curtain to reveal the King and Polonius, and leaves Ophelia sobbing alone.
"Ophelia and Hamlet crackle with dramatic intensity." — Applause! Applause!
11. Blame It On The Moon
10. Blame It on the Moon. In a Paris bar, Laertes watches a gypsy dancer and, with his guitar, sweeps her into a wild tango under the full moon. But the night can't make him forget. When she leaves him the next morning, he is still haunted by Ophelia. Then a letter arrives in his sister's hand: their father is dead, and she needs him. Laertes sails for home.
12. Men are swine
12. Men Are Swine. On the night before Laertes leaves for France, Ophelia cooks a farewell feast of venison, wild mushrooms and white truffles. But her brother and father have something to tell her: stay away from Hamlet, because men are swine. Ophelia fills their cups and slices the cheese, refusing to hear a word against him, until her defiance goes one step too far and Polonius strikes her.
13. I Must Hold A Secert
13. I Must Hold This Secret. Kathleen has told Ophelia the truth: she is not Laertes' sister by blood, but a child left on a doorstep, her real mother somewhere near the court. Before she leaves, Kathleen hands her a letter meant for Laertes. Ophelia hides it. He has always been her brother, and she means to keep him that way. But on a boat returning home, Laertes carries a secret of his own: the woman he loves is the sister he can never have.
Stewart Benedict, "exceptionally strong music and lyrics... genuine talents."
"Heavy material that was thought provoking – a comparison of Steven Sondheim and Kurt Weill come to mind."
— Bill Bradford, High Drama
11. Blame It on the Moon. In a Paris bar, Laertes watches a gypsy dancer and, with his guitar, sweeps her into a wild tango under the full moon. But the night can't make him forget. When she leaves him the next morning, he is still haunted by Ophelia. Then a letter arrives in his sister's hand: their father is dead, and she needs him. Laertes sails for home.
"...exceptionally strong music and lyrics... you will surely hear from Jeffrey Weissman and Antonia Tancredi again, and so you should. They are genuine talents."
— Stewart Benedict, Michael's Thing
"...an engaging musical with a plot that will certainly keep your pulse racing and your heart breaking."
— Applause! Applause!
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