A Weekend in the Country (Act One) - Company

Look, ma’am, an invitation

Here, ma’am, delivered by hand

And, ma’am, I notice the station-

Ary’s engraved and very grand

Petra, how too exciting!

Just when I need it!

Petra, such elegant writing

So chic you hardly can read it!

What do you think?

Who can it be?

Even the ink--

No, here, let me…

«Your presence"--just think of it, Petra!

«Is kindly"--it's at a chateau!

«Requested"--etcet'ra, etcet’ra

«Madame Leonora Armf--» Oh, no!

A weekend in the country--

We’re invited?

What a horrible plot!

A weekend in the country--

I’m excited!

No, you’re not

A weekend in the country, just imagine--

It’s completely depraved

A weekend in the country!

It’s insulting

It’s engraved

It’s that woman, it’s that Armfeldt!

Oh, the actress?

No, the ghoul!

She may hope to make her charm felt

But she’s mad if she thinks I would be such a fool

As to weekend in the country

How insulting!

And I’ve nothing to wear

A weekend in the country--

Here!

The last place I’m going is there

Guess what?

An invitation!

Guess who?

Begins with an «A.»

«Armfeldt"--is that a relation

To the decrepit Desiree?

Out of the blue isn’t it strange

Well but it’s true we need a change

Oh, no!

A weekend in the country

Would be charming

And the air would be fresh

A weekend with that woman?

In the country--

In the flesh

A weekend in the country

Smelling jasmine

Watching little thing grow

A weekend in the country

My darling, we’ll simply say no

Oh

A weekend!

How very amusing

A weekend!

But also inept

A weekend;

of course we’re refusing

Au contraire!

You must accept!

Oh, no!

A weekend in the country--

But it’s frightful!

No, you don’t understand

A weekend in the country

Is delightful

If it’s planned

Wear your hair down, and a flower

Don’t use makeup, dress in white

She’ll grow older by the hour

And be hopelessly shattered by Saturday night

Spend a weekend in the country

We’ll accept it!

I’d a feeling you would

A weekend in the country--

Yes, it’s only polite that we should

Good

Well?

I’ve an intriguing little social item--

What?

Out of the Armfeldt family manse

Well, what?

Merely a weekend, still, I thought it might am-

Use you to know

Who’s invited to go

This time with his pants

You don’t mean…

I’ll give you three guesses

She wouldn’t…

Reduce it to two

It can’t be…

It nevertheless is

Egerman!

Right!

Score one for you

A weekend in the country

We should try it

How I wish we’d been asked

A weekend in the country

Peace and quiet--

We’ll go masked

A weekend in the country…

Uninvited?

They’ll consider it odd

A weekend in the country

I’m delighted

Oh, my god

And the shooting should be pleasant

If the weather’s not too rough

Happy birthday, it’s your present

But--

You haven’t been getting out nearly enough

And a weekend in the country--

It’s perverted!

Pack my quiver and bow

A weekend in the country--

At exactly 2: 30, we go

We can’t

We shall!

We shan’t!

I’m getting the car

And we’re motoring down

Yes, I’m certain you are

And I’m staying in town

Go and pack my suits!

We’ll go

I won’t

My boots!

We will?

Pack everything I own that shoots!

We should

No!

Pack everything white

Charlotte!

Ma’am, it’s wonderful news!

I’m thinking it out.

Are you sure it’s all right?

Charlotte!

We’d be rude to refuse

We are?

Charlotte!

We’ll take the car!

All right, then--

We’ll bring champagne and caviar!

We’re off on our way

What a beautiful day

For a weekend in the country

Taking rambles

Having leisurely chats

A weekend in the country

With the brambles

And the gnats!

A weekend in the country

Full of craning to see?

in their nests

A weekend in the country

Entertaining other guests

I’ll recieve them in the red room

Then impress them with a feast

Then retire to my bedroom

Where I am planning to stay

Until monday a least!

A weekend in the country

Rising early to go out and lie down

A weekend in the country

Where--

A weekend in the country, the bees in their hives

The shallow worldly figures, the frivolous lives

The devil’s companions know not whom they serve

It might be instructive to observe

Charlotte!

We’re off!

A weekend in the country

The bees

In their hives…

I’m thinking We are?

It out

We’ll take

Charlotte!

The car

There’s no need We’ll bring champagne We’re off!

We are?

To shout.

And caviar!

We’ll take the car!

We’ll bring

Champagne

And caviar…

We’re off on our way

What a beautiful day

We’re laying our plans We’re off on The bees in

While we’re playing croquet, Our way, Their hives…

With riotous laughter we quietly suffer

The season in town, which is reason enough for

A weekend in the country

A refresher for the body and mind

A weekend in the country

With the pressure far behind

A weekend in the country

Gently gliding over manicured lawns

A weekend in the country

Gently hiding little yawns…

With the pheasants in the thickets

And the peasants mowing hay

In the presence of the crickets

We’ll be laying our plans while we’re playing croquet

A weekend in the country

With umbrellas to avoid getting brown

A weekend in the country

Where

Twice as upset as in…

Are you sure?

We’re going!

Town!