Joshua Mooiweer

Musical Theatre Foundations 2017

Musical Analysis 1936-1943

LADY IN THE DARK

1. Composers
Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Music: Kurt Weil
Book: Moss Hart

2. Premiere Date:
January 23, 1941

3. List of Characters/Type/Voice Part

Character Description Type VOICE PART

LIZA ELLIOT Editor of fashion magazine Leading Soprano
going through personal crisis woman
MISS FOSTER Office stalwart Engenue Mezzo-soprano
RUSSELL PAXTON Narcissistic, works at Lizas Leading man Baritone
magazine
CHARLEY JOHNSON Cynic but genuine, works at Leading man Baritone
Lizas magazine. Liza hates
him.
KENDALL NESBITT Dating Liza while being Leading man Baritone
married to another woman,
dependent on Liza
RANDY CURTIS Movie star, very attractive Leading man Baritone
but lacks confidence

4. Music

TITLE SUNG BY SONG TYPE/BALLAD-

UPTEMPO
Oh Fabulous One CAST Uptempo
Huxley LIZA, MISS FOSTER Uptempo
One Life to Live LIZA Uptempo
Girl of the Moment CAST Uptempo
Mapleton High Choral CAST Uptempo
This is New RANDY Ballad
The Princess of Pure Delight LIZA Uptempo
The Greatest Show on Earth CAST Uptempo
The Best Years of His Life CAST Uptempo
Tchaikovsky RUSSEL, CAST Uptempo
The Saga of Jenny LIZA, CAST Uptempo
My Ship LIZA Ballad
5. Plot Summary with Location of Songs

ACT ONE
In 1940s New York, LIZA ELLIOT is the editor at Allure, the fashion magazine. She is suffering from
depression and anxiety that does not correlate with her success. LIZA decides to visit the psychoanalyst Dr.
Brooks and she stretches out on a couch and her dreams begin. The first begins in LIZAs office with multiple
suitors swooning over her (Oh Fabulous One), her maid MISS FOSTER then tries to organize many invitations
LIZA has received. (Huxley) She then leaves her office to address a crowd at Columbus Circle (One Life to
Live) and then arrives at a bourgeois night club and is praised. (Girl of the Moment) She wakes up with a
scream when a Marine paints a picture of her but a stern, professional her. The psychoanalyst observes that
LIZA enjoys beauty in things other than herself.
In Lizas office RUSSEL PAXTON is organizing a shoot with RANDY CURTIS while CHARLEY
JOHNSON fights with LIZA. KENDALL NESBITT (LIZAs boyfriend) tells LIZA he is getting a divorce and
asks her to marry him and she is shocked. RANDY asks LIZA out to dinner and she accepts. LIZA starts to
dream again. Her high school class enters (Mapleton High Corale). KENDALL is her fianc and they buy a
ring from CHARLEY but it is a knife. RANDY enters as a mythical creature to win over Liza (This is New).
CHARLEY and RANDY dance with LIZA and she remembers her childhood (The Princess of Pure Delight).
Lizas desk appears and morphs into a church for her wedding day. CHARLEY, as her minister, asks if anyone
contests with her marriage with KENDALL and the chorus says that she doesnt love him and she insists
otherwise. The dream ends.
LIZA goes back to the doctor and he thinks she refuses to compete with women for men and she storms out.
KENDALL asks if LIZA wants to marry him but she says no then she fights with CHARLEY, ending with
him resigning. LIZA goes out with RANDY.

ACT TWO
LIZA is in her office when a series of voices happen in her head and a circus dream occurs. The circus then
turns into a courtroom and Liza is charged with the inability of making up her mind. CHARLEY, RANDY,
and KENDALL are all in the dream. (The Best Years of His Life) (Tschaikowsky). Then LIZA is called to the
stand and she defends herself (The Saga of Jenny). The dream ends and LIZA is in Dr. Brooks office. The
dream causes LIZA to reminisce on her childhood and flashbacks ensue. All include men letting her down or
hurting her. (My Ship) LIZA has discovered that her unhappiness is rooted within her childhood.
A week later LIZA is much more calm. CHARLEY asks LIZA out to dinner. KENDALL tells LIZA accepts
LIZAs choice of leaving him. RANDY proposes to LIZA but she does not respond. CHARLEY tells LIZA
that he is not apologizing for his insults and she asks him to be co-editor of Allure.

6. Climactic Plot Structure

Stasis LIZA being editor and her being unhappy but successful
Exposition LIZA choosing to go to psychoanalyst
Inciting Incident Dreams of LIZA leading to major conclusions on her life.
Rising Action KENDALL gets a divorce to be w/LIZA, RANDY asks her out
Crisis KENDALL and LIZA getting married in her dream
Climax KENDALL asking LIZA again to marry and her saying no,
CHARLEY resigning and going on a date RANDY
Denouement LIZAs childhood memories come back
Resolution/Conclusion LIZA realizes her unhappiness rooted in past
New Stasis KENDALL accepting LIZAs rejection, LIZA saying no RANDY,
and CHARLEY becoming coeditor
 WORKS CITED

Hart, Moss, Kurt Weill, and Ira Gershwin. Lady in the Dark:. London: Royal National Theatre, 1997.
Print.
Weill, Kurt, Ira Gershwin, Moss Hart, Ris Stevens, Adolph Green, John Reardon, Lehman Engel,
Danny Kaye, and Maurice Abravanel. Lady in the Dark: Complete 1963 Cast Recording ; Selected Songs from
Lady in the Dark. N.d. CD.