The significance of the missing "A"

#1

The significance of the missing "A"

Posted: 3/13/06 at 10:25am

Since I got it, I have been pretty obsessed with the CR of See What I Wanna See. It's amazing, obviously. And one of the most brilliant things I have ever heard. Obviously, the missing "A" is a motif and I just can't figure it out. Can someone explain what the significance of the missing "A" is?

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"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#2

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 10:49am

well what i heard, straight from MJL's mouth when he came to Dallas to see our production of "Wild Party", is that he literally went to a screening of "Rashomon" at a local movie house and the "A" was gone. pretty boring explanation, i'm sure someone else can think up something more elaborate but the truth is pretty simple.

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Don't f*ck with me fellas. This ain't my first time at the rodeo.

#3

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 12:03pm

the truth, the truth, the truth, the truth.

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"I know now that theatre saved my life." - Susan Stroman

#4

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 12:25pm

During "Quartet:You'll Go Away With Me(Reprise)" The medium and the husband list words that start with A. The characters seem to be trying to put meaning to the missing letter. These are the words- I couldn't understand all of them:
A for Anger
Ambition
...?
America
Alarm
Amnesia
Actress
Asshole
...?
...?
Adultery
Ambivilance
Ache
...?
Art
...?



My dad thought it had something to do with The Scarlet Letter, with the A representing Adultress.



ETA: children&art- even if that's true, wouldn't he still have a reason for putting it in the show?

Updated On: 3/13/06 at 12:25 PM

#5

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 12:49pm

Thank God this was an intellegent thread. I was afraid it was going to be about the significance of Galinda changing her name to Glinda!

#6

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 1:40pm

WOA! I'm listening to that song right now as I read the thread title!

The missing a-words are:
Andrews Sisters
Abandonment
Annulment
Abase
All Gone

I love how Michael John linked such strong words to the Husband's character with one tiny missing letter. It really shines a light on something that appears insignificant at first, but grand in the long-run. The Husband tryies to put his mind on something other that his Wife and the Thief making love and all he can think of are all the linked a-words based around his feelings. It's so beautiful and smart.

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Variations on a Theme blog: http://panekattack.blogspot.com/

#7

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 2:31pm

Adultery is the strong word...the list of A's used goes on an on.

Some discussion here:
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=887624#1933577

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The smallest stream is a valent river. It will drown me if it can.

#8

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 2:32pm

I know all the words that start with A are in there, I just didn't know if that was the only thing. I really like what Breaking said and the scarlet letter thing crossed my mind. I would love to hear what MJL has to say about it.

Jon, I'm glad I pleased you with an intelligent thread.

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"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#9

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 2:33pm

Ass-hole!

#10

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 2:47pm

Bso- I love that thread and have been reading it. Great discussion.

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"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#11

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 3:13pm

If you listen to the Act Two opener as well, the Priest says, "My life became like a sentence where every word was missing a letter".

#12

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 5:05pm

My dad thought it had something to do with The Scarlet Letter, with the A representing Adultress.

That's the way I interpretted it.

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"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird

#13

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 5:17pm

It definitely can be (and frequently WILL be) linked to The Scarlet Letter. It's just a very appropraite allusion. I'm guessing the fact that the wife's dress is scarlet as well isn't exactly a coincidence.

#14

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 6:30pm

If you listen to the Act Two opener as well, the Priest says, "My life became like a sentence where every word was missing a letter".

Noticed that one, too. It's just all intertwined. Part of the genius. I was just wondering if there was one overall significance.

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"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#15

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 6:37pm

I said it is because of the little a that haunts his name.

I am pretty sure that's it.

Life becomes art.
And art becomes life.

A lie becomes the truth.
And the truth becomes a lie.

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The smallest stream is a valent river. It will drown me if it can.

Updated On: 3/13/06 at 06:37 PM

#16

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 6:41pm

I would think the "i" would be the letter that haunts his name. I used to never be able to remember where it went. I remember you said that. I wonder...

EDIT: Doesn't Mr. LaChiusa sometimes post here? Would love to hear his thoughts.

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"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

Updated On: 3/13/06 at 06:41 PM

#17

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 7:08pm

Well, see, it's MICHAEL JOHN LaCHIUSA....crazy A.

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The smallest stream is a valent river. It will drown me if it can.

#18

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 7:22pm

Right. But... would he have based his whole musical after that? Ok, it's not totally based after that, but you know what I mean.

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"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#19

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 10:21pm

The first thing that I would have said would be the scarlet letter theory.

Thanks for bringing up the priests line in the act 2 opener, I never caught that.

However, the real reason would be that the real movie theatre had the a missing. He used it then to build such a strong place for the husband's character to go.

#20

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/13/06 at 11:52pm

I said this before in the other thread, the Marquee glitch really happened. When it originally appeared there was a missing A. I think LaChiusa found that and then used that as a springboard to the missing A's. But generally the A is missing because that's how the original 1954 premier looked.

#21

re: The significance of the missing 'A'

Posted: 3/14/06 at 12:00am

Actually, the missing A stands for ABSENT (OF ANY MEANING WHATSOEVER).


Daisy Gamble
New York, New York