Prologue - Stephen Sondheim.mp3

[00:01.54]Once upon a time
[00:05.99]I wish...
[00:07.03]in a far-off kingdom
[00:08.64]More than anything...
[00:09.87]lived a fair maiden,
[00:10.74]More than life...
[00:11.41]a sad young lad
[00:12.28]More than jewels...
[00:13.03]I wish...
[00:13.51]and a childless baker
[00:15.56]More than life...
[00:16.43]I wish...
[00:16.99]with his wife.
[00:17.72]More than anything...
[00:18.59]More than the moon...
[00:19.59]I wish...
[00:20.15]The King is giving a Festival.
[00:22.00]More than life...
[00:23.24]I wish...
[00:23.67]I wish to go to the Festival.
[00:25.27]More than riches...
[00:26.07]and the ball...
[00:26.63]I wish my cow would
[00:27.93]give us some milk.
[00:28.23]More than anything...
[00:29.84]I wish we had a child.
[00:31.26]Please, pal-
[00:32.00]I want a child...
[00:33.29]Squeeze, pal...
[00:34.29]I wish to go to the Festival.
[00:35.76]I wish you'd give us some
[00:36.14]milk or even cheese...
[00:36.75]I wish...
[00:41.13]You wish to go to the Festival?
[00:42.74]The poor girl's mother had died,
[00:44.03]You, Cinderella, the Festival?
[00:45.51]You wish to go to the Festival?
[00:47.12]The Festival?!
[00:48.26]The King's Festival?
[00:49.81]And her father had taken for his new wife
[00:51.97]The Festival...
[00:53.26]a woman with two daughters of her own.
[00:55.17]Look at you nails!
[00:55.85]Look at your dress!
[00:56.77]People would laugh at you-
[00:57.58]Nevertheless,
[00:58.40]I still want to go to the Festival
[01:00.06]And dance before the Prince.
[01:06.63]All three were beautiful of face, but vile and black of heart.
[01:11.39]Jack, on the other hand, had no father, and his mother-
[01:14.59]I wish...
[01:16.03]Well, she was not quite beautiful-
[01:17.08]I wish my son were not a fool.
[01:20.54]I wish my house was not a mess.
[01:23.74]I wish the cow was full of milk.
[01:26.21]I wish the walls were full of gold-
[01:27.63]I wish a lot of things...
[01:31.40]Why, come in, little girl.
[01:34.05]I wish...
[01:35.60]It's not for me,
[01:36.27]It's for my Granny in the woods.
[01:38.99]A loaf of bread, please-
[01:40.78]To bring my poor old hungry
[01:42.89]Granny in the woods...
[01:44.87]Just a loaf of bread, please...
[01:47.58]Cinderella's Stepmother had a surprise for her.
[01:52.03]I have emptied a pot of lentils into the ashes for you.
[01:56.04]If you have picked them out again in two hours' time,
[01:59.49]you shall go to the ball with us.
[02:02.08]And perhaps a sticky bun?...
[02:03.93]Or four?...
[02:07.94]Birds in the sky,
[02:09.98]Birds in the eaves,
[02:11.10]In the leaves,
[02:11.83]In the fields,
[02:13.21]In the castles and ponds...
[02:14.82]And a few of those pies... please...
[02:16.14]Come, little birds,
[02:18.24]Down from the eaves
[02:19.22]And the leaves,
[02:19.72]Over fields,
[02:20.52]Out of castles and ponds...
[02:22.37]Now, squeeze, pal...
[02:23.85]Ahhh...
[02:36.31]Quick, little birds,
[02:37.62]Flick through the ashes.
[02:38.54]Pick and peck, but swiftly,
[02:39.71]Sift through the ashes,
[02:41.13]Into the pot...
[02:42.17]Listen well, son. Milky-White must be taken to market.
[02:46.19]But, mother, no- he's the best cow-
[02:48.78]look at her.
[02:50.57]There are bugs on her dugs.
[02:52.97]There are flies in her eyes.
[02:56.00]There's a lump on her rump
[02:57.60]Big enough to be a hump-
[02:59.08]But-
[03:00.32]Son,
[03:01.43]We've no time to sit and dither,
[03:03.84]While her wither's wither with her-
[03:06.82]And no one keeps a cow for a friend!
[03:10.02]Sometimes I fear your touched.
[03:12.62]Into the woods,
[03:13.24]It's time to go,
[03:14.16]I hate to leave,
[03:15.04]I have to, though.
[03:16.08]Into the woods-
[03:16.95]It's time, and so
[03:17.94]I must begin my journey.
[03:19.75]Into the woods
[03:20.67]And through the trees
[03:21.53]To where I am
[03:22.40]Expected ma'am,
[03:23.38]Into the woods
[03:24.25]To Grandmother's house-
[03:26.06]Into the woods
[03:27.84]To Grandmother's house-
[03:29.76]You're certain of your way?
[03:30.81]The way is clear,
[03:32.47]The light is good,
[03:34.26]I have no fear,
[03:35.74]Nor no one should.
[03:37.84]The woods are just trees,
[03:39.69]The trees are just wood.
[03:41.36]I sort of hate to ask it,
[03:43.34]But do you have a basket?
[03:45.56]Into the woods
[03:46.11]And down the dell,
[03:46.97]The path is straight,
[03:47.78]I know it well.
[03:48.70]Into the woods,
[03:49.57]And who can tell
[03:50.43]What's waiting on the journey?
[03:52.10]Into the woods
[03:53.14]To bring some bread
[03:54.07]To Granny who
[03:54.96]Is sick in bed.
[03:55.86]Never can tell
[03:56.72]What lies ahead.
[03:57.65]For all that I know,
[03:58.52]She's already dead.
[04:00.37]But into the woods,
[04:02.03]Into the woods,
[04:03.01]Into the woods
[04:03.94]To Grandmother's house
[04:04.87]And home before dark.
[04:08.95]Fly, birds,
[04:11.04]Back to the sky,
[04:13.39]Back to the eaves
[04:14.43]And the leaves
[04:15.12]And the fields
[04:16.90]And the-
[04:17.76]Hurry up and do my hair, Cinderella!
[04:19.06]Are you really wearing that?
[04:20.29]Here, I found a little tear, Cinderella.
[04:22.70]Can't you hide it with a hat?
[04:24.49]You look beautiful.
[04:25.48]I know.
[04:26.22]She means me.
[04:27.21]Put it in a twist.
[04:28.08]Who will be there?...
[04:28.95]Mother said be good,
[04:29.51]Father said be nice,
[04:30.55]That was always their advice.
[04:31.61]So be nice, Cinderella,
[04:32.47]Good, Cinderella,
[04:34.01]Nice good good nice-
[04:36.24]What's the good of being good
[04:37.09]If everyone is blind
[04:38.02]And you're always left behind?
[04:39.44]Never mind, Cinderella,
[04:40.56]Kind Cinderella-
[04:41.60]Nice good nice kind good nice-
[04:42.59]Not that tight!
[04:46.91]Sorry.
[04:48.08]Clawed.
[04:50.74]Who might that be?
[04:51.90]It's the witch from next door.
[04:54.68]The old enchantress told the couple she had
[04:57.79]placed a spell on their house.
[05:00.01]What spell?
[05:02.35]In the past, when your mother was with child,
[05:06.91]she developed an unusual appetite.
[05:10.56]She took one look at my beautiful garden
[05:15.49]and told your father that what she wanted more than
[05:20.06]anything in the world was
[05:23.21]Greens, greens and nothing but greens:
[05:25.25]Parsley, peppers, cabbages and celery,
[05:27.77]Asparagus and watercress and
[05:29.24]Fiddleferns and lettuce-!
[05:29.85]He said, "All right,"
[05:32.07]But it wasn't, quite,
[05:33.13]'Cause I caught him in the autumn
[05:34.36]In my garden one night!
[05:35.72]He was robbing me,
[05:37.01]Raving me,
[05:38.43]Rooting through my rutabaga,
[05:39.67]Raiding my arugula and
[05:40.96]Ripping up my rampion
[05:42.26](My champion! My favorite!)-
[05:43.49]I should have laid a spell on him
[05:45.40]Right there,
[05:47.07]Could have changed him into stone
[05:48.86]Or a dog or a chair...
[05:50.77]But I let him have the rampion-
[05:53.67]I'd lots to spare.
[05:55.46]In return, however,
[05:56.70]I said, "Fair is fair:
[05:57.99]You can let me have the baby
[05:59.28]That your wife will bear.
[06:01.88]And we'll call it square."
[06:03.54]I had a brother?
[06:04.78]No. But you had a sister.
[06:10.52]But the witch refused to tell him anymore of his sister.
[06:14.10]Not even that her name was Rapunzel.
[06:18.72]I though I had been more than reasonable.
[06:21.63]But how was I to know what your father
[06:24.83]had also hidden in his pocket?!
[06:27.30]What?
[06:28.48]Beans.
[06:29.15]Beans?
[06:29.71]The special beans.
[06:30.89]I let him go,
[06:31.62]I didn't know
[06:32.43]He'd stolen my beans!
[06:33.72]I was watching him crawl,
[06:34.96]Back over the wall-!
[06:36.25]Then bang! Crash!
[06:37.61]And the lightning flash!
[06:38.78]And- well, that's another story,
[06:40.14]Never mind-
[06:40.82]Anyway, at last
[06:41.50]The big day came,
[06:42.17]And I made my claim.
[06:43.66]"Oh, don't take away the baby,"
[06:44.89]They shrieked and screeched,
[06:46.13]But I did,
[06:46.86]And I hid her
[06:47.48]Where she'll never be reached.
[06:48.78]And your father cried,
[06:49.89]And your mother died
[06:51.12]When for extra measure-
[06:52.42]I admit it was a pleasure-
[06:53.72]I said, "Sorry,
[06:54.46]I'm still not mollified."
[06:56.43]And I laid little spell on them-
[06:59.14]You, too, son-
[07:02.79]That your family tree
[07:04.08]Would always be a barren one...
[07:12.18]So there's no more fuss
[07:15.21]And there's no more scenes
[07:16.56]And my garden thrives-
[07:18.04]You should see my nectarines!
[07:19.16]But I'm telling you the same
[07:20.20]I tell kings and queens:
[07:21.75]Don't ever never ever
[07:22.92]Mess around with my greens!
[07:25.51]Especially the beans.
[07:29.46]Now listen to me, Jack.
[07:30.94]Lead Milky-White to market
[07:32.61]and fetch the best price you can. Are you listening to me?
[07:38.04]Jack Jack Jack,
[07:39.95]Head in a sack,
[07:41.55]The house is getting colder,
[07:43.53]This is not the time for dreaming.
[07:49.58]Chimney stack
[07:51.37]Starting to crack,
[07:53.10]The mice are getting bolder,
[07:55.01]The floor's gone slack,
[07:57.23]Your mother's getting older,
[07:58.89]Your father's not back,
[08:00.81]And you can't just sit here dreaming pretty dreams.
[08:04.94]To wish and wait
[08:06.86]From day to day
[08:08.65]Will never keep
[08:10.75]The wolves away.
[08:12.91]So into the woods
[08:13.77]The time is now.
[08:14.82]We have to live,
[08:15.74]I don't care how.
[08:16.61]Into the woods
[08:17.59]To sell the cow,
[08:18.52]You must begin the journey.
[08:20.37]Straight to the woods
[08:21.31]and don't delay-
[08:22.23]You have to face
[08:23.16]The marketplace.
[08:24.21]Into the woods to journey's end-
[08:27.79]Into the woods to sell a friend-
[08:32.30]Meanwhile, the Witch, for purposes of her own,
[08:34.64]explained how the Baker might lift the spell;
[08:37.42]You wish to have
[08:38.41]The curse reversed?
[08:39.53]I'll need a certain
[08:40.83]Potion first.
[08:41.88]Go to the woods and bring me back
[08:44.35]One: the cow as white as milk,
[08:47.30]Two: the cape as red as blood,
[08:49.90]Three: the hair as yellow as corn,
[08:53.78]Four: the slipper as pure as gold.
[08:58.04]Bring me these
[08:59.40]Before the chime
[09:00.26]Of midnight,
[09:00.94]In three day's time,
[09:03.29]And you shall have,
[09:04.83]I guarantee,
[09:06.87]A child as perfect
[09:09.21]As child can be.
[09:12.30]Go to the wood!
[09:16.19]Ladies.
[09:17.67]Our carriage waits.
[09:19.03]Now may I go to the Festival?
[09:20.63]The Festival-?
[09:21.74]Darling, those nails!
[09:22.67]Darling, those clothes!
[09:23.59]Lentils are one thing but
[09:24.64]Darling, with those,
[09:25.26]You'd make us the fools of the Festival
[09:26.99]And mortify the Prince!
[09:28.90]Our carriage is waiting.
[09:29.82]We must be gone.
[09:33.72]Good night, Father.
[09:37.42]I wish...
[09:38.89]Look what I found in father's hunting jacket.
[09:41.18]Six beans. We'll take them with us.
[09:43.09]No!
[09:43.83]The spell is on my house.
[09:44.94]Only I can lift the spell,
[09:46.43]The spell is on my house.
[09:47.54]No, no, the spell is on our house.
[09:49.14]We must lift the spell.
[09:50.07]No. You are not to come and that is final.
[09:52.42]Now what am I to return with?
[09:53.65]You don't remember?
[09:54.82]The cow as white as milk,
[09:55.87]The cape as red as blood,
[09:57.28]The hair as yellow as corn,
[09:58.46]The slipper as pure as gold-
[10:00.06]The cow as white as milk,
[10:01.36]The cape as red as blood,
[10:02.97]The hair as yellow as corn,
[10:04.14]The slipper as pure as gold...
[10:06.30]And so the Baker, reluctantly, set off to meet the
[10:07.16]enchantress' demands.
[10:08.02]As for Cinderella:
[10:08.60]I still wish to go to the Festival,
[10:09.71]But how am I ever to get to the Festival?
[10:10.82]The cow as white as milk,
[10:11.75]The cape as red as blood,
[10:12.42]The hair as yellow as corn-
[10:13.16]I know!
[10:13.60]I'll visit Mother's grave,
[10:14.33]The grave at the hazel tree,
[10:15.51]And tell her I just want to
[10:16.31]Go to the King's Festival...
[10:18.14]The hair-!
[10:19.07]Into the woods,
[10:19.69]It's time to go,
[10:20.61]It may be all
[10:21.60]In vain, you/I know.
[10:22.46]Into the woods-
[10:23.33]But even so,
[10:24.19]I have to take the journey.
[10:26.05]Into the woods,
[10:26.91]The path is straight,
[10:27.77]You know it well,
[10:28.63]But who can tell-
[10:29.56]Into the woods to lift the spell-
[10:33.54]Into the woods to visit Mother-
[10:36.94]Into the woods to fetch the things-
[10:38.79]To make the potion-
[10:39.65]To got to the Festival-
[10:40.52]Into the woods
[10:41.45]Without regret,
[10:42.25]The choice is made,
[10:43.11]The task is set.
[10:43.97]Into the woods,
[10:44.84]But not forget-
[10:45.76]Ting why I'm on the journey.
[10:47.81](Little Red Riding hood Joins)
[10:48.73]Into the woods
[10:49.35]to get my wish,
[10:49.90]I don't care how,
[10:50.58]The time is now.
[10:51.26]Into the woods to sell the cow-
[10:52.86]Into the woods to get the money-
[10:55.64]Into the woods to lift the spell-
[10:56.56]To make the potion-
[10:57.37]To go to the Festival-
[10:58.30]Into the woods to Grandmother's house...
[11:01.87]Into the woods to Grandmother's house...
[11:05.32]The way is clear,
[11:07.11]The light is good,
[11:08.79]I have no fear,
[11:10.33]Nor no one should.
[11:12.49]The woods are just trees,
[11:14.03]The trees are just wood.
[11:16.00]No need to be afraid there-
[11:17.97]There's something in the glade there...
[11:27.48]Into the woods,
[11:27.96]Without delay,
[11:28.77]But careful not
[11:29.57]To lose the way.
[11:30.56]Into the woods,
[11:31.36]Who knows what may
[11:32.34]Be lurking on the journey?
[11:34.08]Into the woods
[11:34.81]To get the thing
[11:35.68]That makes it worth
[11:36.54]The journeying.
[11:37.41]into the woods-
[11:38.33]To see the King-
[11:39.20]To sell the cow-
[11:40.13]To make the potion-
[11:41.05]To see-
[11:41.48]To sell-
[11:42.04]To get-
[11:42.41]To bring-
[11:42.83]To make-
[11:43.27]To lift-
[11:43.70]To go to the Festival-!
[11:44.63]Into the woods!
[11:45.37]Into the woods!
[11:48.02]Into the woods,
[11:48.94]Then out of the woods,
[11:53.32]And home before dark!