I’m grateful for the dialogue. Some of the dialogue tracks are breathtaking. In response to the sentiment by some that the second act feels incomplete, the only moment in the second act that really felt to me like maybe there could have been a song in that scene was the exchange between the Bishop and Marianne. They have that philosophical conversation about “being,” about heaven and hell, and what happens when we die. Ultimately, he says to her all we can do is “be here until we’re not.” For me that scene is the unexpected heart of the piece, and usually a moment like that in a musical would bring about a song, but in this musical the song never comes and that’s okay too. Maybe if Sondheim had seen these actors perform that scene in previews in front of an audience he might have been inspired to write a song to accompany the scene, but maybe he wouldn’t have. Maybe it’s perfect the way it is. To be continued.
Updated On: 5/16/24 at 01:12 PM