For me, Clara is singing about how her love for Fabrizio has opened her eyes to a whole new world that she has never known before. In a sense, the way he cares about her and the way she feels about him has 'light up' what was previously dark, and all the things she didn't understand before now are clear to her. Adam Guettel always intended for it to seem like Clara's romance with Fabrizio had somehow matured her, and he always wanted the audience to think at the end that she
had grown. I think the title song is when that whole concept should really hit home.
Clara spends the majority of the show controlled by what her mother thinks is best for her, but there are persistent hints to show how she wants to break free and be herself while still staying true to Margaret. In this song, she is saying everything she's wanted to say to her mother but previously couldn't, even going as far as to accept that they are not one in the same and that all of the things Margaret cares about (like 'statues and stories') maybe don't mean the same to Clara.
One of the beauties of the show is how wonderfully the concept of symbolism is used. You have to really stand back and look at the big picture, because everything that happens (even something that may seem trivial) has a deeper meaning. Clara finding love in a foreign enviroment with a new person is symbolic of her finding a new part of herself that she maybe didn't know was there before. As she discovers the wonders of Italy and Fabrizio, she finds wonders within too. Poigniancy is also greatly displayed in the show, like how, as a new love is beginning, and old one seems to be dying. While Margaret sees her daughter embarking on love for the first time, she also comes to terms witih her own marriage falling apart. The stakes are very high, because, for Clara, this song is the enthesis of all those things.
I disagree with the pervious poster, however, in saying that Clara is trying to convince her mother about just how profound Fabrizio is for her. I think the whole point of the situation surrounding the song is the complete oppoiste: Clara has discovered a new found independence, and she doesn't
need to convince her mother anymore. All of what she is saying is strictly for her, and I wouldn't interpret it as her trying to please another person. That kind of takes away from the independence factor that is so previlent.
I wish you the best of luck! Let us know how it goes (if that's you in your avatar, btw, you look an awful lot like Katie Clarke. haha.)
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 11/15/06 at 07:01 AM
