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Pride  and Prejudice: A Musical - Synopsis  
               Pride and Prejudice: A Musical is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's  attempts to find husbands for their five daughters.  In Act One, the  Bennets are introduced to the eligible Mr. Bingley at a ball.  Bingley  falls in love with Jane, the eldest Bennet daughter, but Bingley's friend, the  rich and proud Mr. Darcy, belittles the charms of Elizabeth, the second eldest  of the Bennet girls.  Elizabeth becomes quite prejudiced against Darcy  from this point in time on -- completely unaware that Darcy is beginning, in  spite of himself, to fall in love with her as the play progresses.   However, Jane's heart is broken when Bingley returns to London without  proposing to her.  Further plot complications arise in the form of two  suitors for Elizabeth: a stodgy clergyman, Mr. Collins, and an adventurous  young military officer, Mr. Wickham, who spreads ugly rumors about Darcy's  character.  When Elizabeth refuses Mr. Collins' proposal, her best friend  Charlotte Lucas steps in and marries Collins rather than end her life as an  old maid.  While dining at Lady Catherine de Bourgh's mansion, Elizabeth  again encounters Darcy, who happens to be Lady Catherine's nephew.   Elizabeth learns by accident that it was Darcy who advised Bingley to leave  her sister Jane.  She is furious with Darcy for interfering, and when he  makes an awkward proposal of marriage, she utterly rejects him.

                     In Act Two, Darcy's true generous nature is gradually revealed to Elizabeth,  who is touring the English countryside with her aunt and uncle.   Elizabeth is devastated by the news that Lydia, the Bennet's youngest  daughter, has eloped with Wickham, and she returns home immediately to find  the family in mourning over the scandal.  Eventually, all sorrow turns to  joy when the runaway lovers are discovered and induced to marry.  Soon  after, Bingley returns and proposes to Jane.  Elizabeth learns that it is  Darcy that has made all this possible.  Her feelings for him have  undergone a complete change since the beginning of the musical.  When  Darcy asks once more for her hand in marriage, she gladly accepts.  The  musical ends with the Bennets' rejoicing over having found husbands for three  of their daughters and looking forward with anticipation to marrying off the  remaining two.

Overture:
                             
Marriage Song:   Because much of the subject matter contained in this show pertains to marriage (The Bennets' concern over their daughters' marrying well; Mr. Collins' proposal and Elizabeth's rejection of it; the marriage of Mr. Collins to Charlotte Lucas; the romances between Bingley and Jane, and later, Darcy and Elizabeth; the elopement and later marriage of Wickham and Lydia), we felt that this was the correct song to open the show. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet begin, singing their disappointment in marriage; then the daughters all join in, describing the kind of man they each would like to marry.

MRS. BENNET: I bear the burden all            alone
                        You are no help at all.
                        A single man of fortune comes
                        And you refuse to call.
                        Marriage is not what I expected
                        Thought you’d support me all the way
                        No, marriage is not what I expected it to be
                        Feeling more lonely every day.           
MR. BENNET:                My wife thinks just of            silly things
                        of fashion, balls and such.  
                        I miss the charming girl I wed
                        her tenderness, her touch.
                        Marriage is not what I expected
                        Little in common with my wife.
                        No, marriage is not what I expected it to be.
                        Now all my days are filled with strife.
ELIZABETH:     My father is a learned man.
                        My mother loves to sew;
                        How they came to fall in love
                        we truly do not know.           
KITTY AND MARY: Marriage for me will be more thrilling!           
LYDIA:                        Marriage for me must be for fun.         
ELIZABETH AND JANE:And marriage is sharing all your sorrows, all your dreams,
                        blending two hearts to beat as one.           
MRS. BENNET: (speaking) Sometimes,            Mr. Bennet, I wonder if you care to see your daughters marry at all!
                        (singing) My dear, you’d be no use to us
                        should twenty suitors come           
MR. BENNET: Please rest assured, if            twenty come
                        I’ll visit every one.
MR. & MRS. BENNET: Marriage is not what I expected
                        when I was caught by passion’s fire.
                        No, marriage is not what I expected it to be!           
KITTY AND MARY:  I dream of finding the right suitor!           
LYDIA:                        I want a handsome man to love me!           
JANE:                        Someone who’s kind and understanding!           
ELIZABETH:     A man who’s intelligent and strong!           
BENNET GIRLS: Marriage is what we all desire!  
      
Gigue (dance)   This is the background music for the country dance where Bingley, Darcy, Miss Darcy and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst are first introduced to the Bennets and other residents of the area. The dancing at this event seems less formal and more for fun than the dance at Pemberley in Act II, so this dance form seems to fit the country folk dancing it.

Love's Spell:      Jane has met and captured the heart of Mr. Bingley at the dance. This is her joyful and bubbly description of of being captured by love's spell. "Love's Spell" is reprised later in Act I, after Jane receives the disheartening news that Bingley and company have gone to London; the same basic tune is used as in the original song, although this time it is sung in a much darker key to reflect Jane's belief that she has lost Bingley forever.

JANE: (singing)     When he held out his hand and I lifted my eyes
                                Then I paused at the warmth in his glance                   
As I trembled inside at the power of his touch           
                                I abandoned myself to the dance.
                                Love’s spell then captured me,
                                It took me by surprise.
                                Love’s spell enraptured me,
                                I saw it in his eyes.
ELIZABETH: (Spoken) Well, he was very handsome, which a young man ought to be if he
possibly can.
JANE: (Singing) It was more than good looks that enchanted my heart
                            As he led me out on to the floor.
                            Though we’d only just met something whispered within
                            "You’ve danced with him this way before."
                            Love’s spell then captured me,
                            It took me by surprise.
                            Love’s spell enraptured me,
                            I saw it in his eyes.
ELIZABETH: (Spoken) Why then, his character is thereby complete, and I give you leave to like
him. You have liked many a stupider person.
JANE: (Spoken) Oh, Lizzy!
                (Singing) Though my heart seems to say that he may be the one
                            I know only the future will tell
                            If my feelings are real on this magical night
                            Or tis only the lure of love’s spell.
                            Love’s spell has captured me,
                            It takes me by surprise.
                            Love’s spell enraptures me,
                            I’ve found it in his eyes.

Love's Spell, Reprise #1: 
 
I Do Not Wish To Know:           Elizabeth and her best friend Charlotte Lucas have had many conversations on the subject of whether or not a young lady should or should not be aware of her intended husband's shortcomings prior to their marriage. In this charming and witty duet, the two of them are discussing the subject yet again, Elizabeth insisting that a young lady MUST know about such important things, and Charlotte insisting she does not wish to know!

ELIZABETH:         If a man picks his teeth, or his face, or his feet?
CHARLOTTE:       I do not wish to know!
ELIZABETH:         Should he burp or he snore, be an absolute bore?
CHARLOTTE:       I do not wish to know!
ELIZABETH:         If he walks in his sleep or he bleats like a sheep?
CHARLOTTE:       I do not wish to know!
ELIZABETH:         If he’s rude to his friends, or has breath which offends?
CHARLOTTE:       Surely, I do not need to know!
ELIZABETH:         Charlotte, you cannot, must not mean it! How could one live with such a man?
CHARLOTTE:       Every man has his little weakness, better know as little as one can!
ELIZABETH:         If he drinks to excess or knows not how to dress?
CHARLOTTE:       I do not wish to know!
ELIZABETH:         Should he gamble or swear, wear a false piece of hair?
CHARLOTTE:       I do not wish to know!
ELIZABETH:         If he stays out all night and is eager to fight?
CHARLOTTE:       I do not wish to know!
ELIZABETH:         If he’s lived a wild life or has more than one wife?
CHARLOTTE:      (Spoken) Perhaps that is something I should know! But in general . . .
                               (Singing) Surely, I do not need to know!
                               What can it profit any young woman
                                knowing her future partner’s flaws?
ELIZABETH:        And should you marry someone frightful?
                               Is there nothing that would give you pause?
                               And should he scratch?
CHARLOTTE:       He would still be a catch!
ELIZABETH:         And should he flirt?
CHARLOTTE:       I refuse to be hurt!
ELIZABETH:         If he is lazy?
CHARLOTTE:       Tis better than crazy!
ELIZABETH:         What if he’s stupid?
CHARLOTTE:       It will not stop Cupid!
ELIZABETH:         If he’s too well fed?
CHARLOTTE:       I will still share his bed!
ELIZABETH:         If he’s too hairy?
CHARLOTTE:       I’ll still wish to marry! (spoken) In short my dear Eliza, you see,
CHARLOTTE AND ELIZABETH:
                              When the goal is in sight
                              One should never take flight
                              At the sign of a weakness or so!
                              If to wed is your aim
                              Then you must play the game, of
                               I do not wish to know!
 
Spiteful Banter:  While seeming polite enough to the Bennets on the surface, Miss Bingley and the Hursts actually think they are much better and higher in society than those country bumpkins. When Jane is invited to tea at Netherfield (Bingley's estate) and becomes ill, she is confined to her room and Elizabeth arrives to visit her sister. After Elizabeth is shown to Jane's room, Miss Bingley and the Hursts mock her country ways, maintaining that "scamp'ring about the countryside" with her petticoat "six inches deep in mud" is "shocking...really very shocking".

MR. HURST:             (singing) Scampering about the countryside!
MRS. HURST:           Her sister has a cold!
MR. HURST:             She walked three miles in the mud?
MRS. HURST:           She’s really rather bold!
MISS BINGLEY:      And what of her appearance! She looked so blowsy too.
MRS. HURST:          She did, indeed, dear Caroline! It’s not what ladies do!
ALL THREE:            Shocking! Shocking! That’s all we have to say. Miss Bennet appeared scandalous
today!
MISS BINGLEY:      I hope you saw her petticoat.
MRS. HURST:          Six inches deep in grime.
MR. HURST:            I’ve heard about these country girls. They do it all the time.
MISS BINGLEY:     Her uncle is a lawyer of lower London fame.
MR. HURST:           He lives and works in Cheapside!
MRS. HURST:         What a name!
ALL THREE:          Shocking! Shocking! That’s all we have to say. Miss Bennet appeared
                                 scandalous today!
                                 It’s really rather shocking! That’s all we have to say. Miss Bennet
                                 appeared scandalous today!
(Miss Bingley and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst laugh heartily)

Moth To The Flame: It seems that every time Darcy runs into Elizabeth, she provokes him to anger and exasperation with her feisty personality and honesty. He wishes to have nothing more to do with her, yet at the same time he finds himself falling uncontrollably in love with her, which causes him much frustration.
 
Two-Step (dance)
           
Sarabande (dance)   There is music playing and couples dancing when the scene opens. Darcy has previously asked Elizabeth to dance the Sarabande with him, which they dance in stately style while conversing about why they should be conversing!

Mr. Collins' Proposal:  A clergyman named Collins, a cousin of Mr. Bennett's and the eventual heir to Longbourn since Bennet has no sons, comes to visit and announces to Mrs. Bennet that he feels it appropriate that he should marry one of the Bennets' daughters. Informed that Jane is more or less "taken" by Bingley, Collins sets his sights on Elizabeth and proposes to her; which seems so ridiculously impossible to Elizabeth that she turns him down flat.

The Reckoning:                       Elizabeth's general dislike of Darcy becomes more focused when she accidentally learns that Darcy has been the one behind the scheme to keep Bingley and Jane apart. This song reflects her fury as, in essence, she tells Darcy to go to the devil. Act I closes with Darcy's reprise of "Moth to the Flame", once again expressing his frustration at being a prisoner of love to a woman he doesn't even like!

Moth To The Flame - Reprise:    
   
Take Me To Gretna Green:  Lydia, youngest of the five Bennet sisters, has been taken on a holiday to Brighton as guest of Col. and Mrs. Forster, where soldiers are encamped, including Mr. Wickham. Using all the strategy and wiles she possesses, she begs Wickham in this song to elope with her to Gretna Green, a place of hasty marriages in Scotland. When Wickham tells her he can't marry her because he must hold out for a rich wife, Lydia makes her argument that their REAL destination is London, where Wickham can more easily hide from creditors. In this delightful song and dance number, Lydia makes her conquest and she and Wickham leave for London, where they live together without benefit of marriage, creating a huge scandal for the whole Bennet family.

Ask Me For The Stars:  If this show has a "love theme", this is it. Elizabeth is traveling the lake country with her aunt and uncle when she receives word from Jane at Longbourn of Lydia and Wickham's elopement. As she struggles with this awful news, realizing the devastating effect such a scandal may have on her and her younger sisters' hopes of marrying well, Darcy comes to call on her. He immediately sees her distress and assures her that he wants to help. As he leaves Elizabeth, he sings of his determination to go to any lengths necessary -- to bring her the very stars in the sky if necessary -- to rid Elizabeth and her family of this huge burden.

Lydia's Triumph:   Darcy locates Lydia and Wickham in London, forces them to marry, and purchases a commission in the regiment at Newscastle for Wickham. When they are finally man and wife, Lydia brings her handsome new husband home to Longbourn. In this song, Lydia brags of being the first Bennet sister to marry, and at only sixteen!

Love's Spell, Reprise #2:   Elizabeth learns through Lydia's loose conversation that Darcy provided the money and power to solve Lydia and Wickham's untenable situation. This knowledge, together with the clearing up of an earlier situation between Darcy and Wickham, causes Elizabeth to change her mind and decide that Darcy really is a good man after all. She sings of this change of opinion in the reprise of Darcy's earlier "love theme". In the meantime, Bingley and company return to Netherfield and Bingley proposes to Jane; her eager acceptance of his love is reflected in music from the orchestra, the original, happy version of "Love's Spell".

Lady Catherine's Ultimatum:  Darcy's rich and noble aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has learned through rumors that Elizabeth plans to marry her nephew. She comes to Longbourn and angrily confronts Elizabeth, saying that plans have been in the works for many years that Darcy should marry her daughter Anne, his cousin, and she by no means is going to let a presumptuous social climber like Elizabeth spoil her long-held plans.

Finale: Come, Drink The Cup Of Life:  This finale song brings the Bennet family full circle in their story. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet begin the song, "Come Drink the Cup of Life With Me", as they began Act I, but this time in rejoicing at the marriages of three daughters. Jane and Bingley sing a verse; then Elizabeth and Darcy sing a verse, and the entire cast joins together for a satisfying ending to the story....and the show.

Performance: 
Royalties for "Pride And Prejudice: A Musical" (copyright 2007) are available by writing to me . Signing a performance contract and paying this fee brings you original copies of the script and music, with permission to photocopy as many of each as you need.

We hope you will decide to perform and enjoy "Pride And Prejudice: A Musical".