That
Emperor's
Foo
L
A musical about nothing
SONG:
“The Fabric of Our Lives / Out of Nothing (reprise)
(All the Courtiers arrive at the Weaving Room to preview the cloth. The Courtiers slip into coordinated pantomime with the “cloth.”)
Courtiers
I’M RAVISHED, I’M THRILLED,
I’M IMPRESSED, SO SKILLED.
IT IS THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES!
I’M GUSHED, I’M GRACED,
I’M FLUSHED, I’M BRACED.
IT IS THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES!
SO BEAUTIFULLY RED.
SO GORGEOUSLY BLUE.
DELICIOUSLY GREEN.
A MAGNIFICANT HUE!
IT IS THE FABRIC, THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES!
SO PERFECTLY PURPLE.
LUMINOUS AND WHITE.
BRILLIANTLY YELLOW.
MARVELOUS AND BRIGHT!
IT IS THE FABRIC, THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES!
Mach
Ladies and gentlemen, I see you are impressed.
YOU NOTE THE DRAPE,
THE RUFFLES IN ROWS,
THE EDGINGS OF GOLD,
CASCADING BOWS.
REMARK THE SHIMMERY,
SATINY GLOW
THE PASSELS OF TASSELS
IN RANK PUNCTILIO.
BUT YOU’LL PARDON ME
IF I HUMBLY ANNOUNCE,
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SEE,
IT’S WHAT YOU DON’T SEE . . . THAT COUNTS!
(Terrified at Mach’s bold, suggestive statement, the Courtiers respond in rigid correctness.)
Courtiers
(flustered)
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SEE,
YES, NO,
IT’S WHAT YOU DON’T SEE,
THAT COUNTS! NO, YES.
Mutschka
Yes, I have never been quite, no, more impressed with what I have, yes, never seen before and see so plainly, no, unplainly beautiful now.
Mach
What you don’t see is . . .
THE POWER AND COMMAND THAT FLOWS FROM THESE CLOTHES,
THE STATURE AND DIGNITY THAT GOES WITH THESE CLOTHES.
THE GREATNESS, DOMINATION, EMINENCE, NOBILITY
THAT FLOWS FROM THESE CLOTHES.
Courtiers 1 Courtiers 2
POWER,
IT ISN’T THE THREAD,
COMMAND,
IT ISN’T THE RED,
STATURE,
IT’S NOT IN THE WEAVE,
DIGNITY.
OR THE LACE BROCADE SLEEVE.
GREATNESS,
IT’S MORE, YOU SEE,
DOMINION,
IT’S MORE THAN YOU SEE,
EMINENCE,
IT’S AUTHORITY, ELEGANCE,
NOBILITY.
SHEER DIVINITY.
All
IT IS THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES!
[Some dialogue and Mundo verse omitted in recording]
Mundo
THERE’S NOTHING THERE!
SAY WHAT YOU SEE
THERE’S NOTHING THERE!
WHY CAN’T YOU SAY?
WHY CAN’T YOU SPEAK?
LIES! LIES! ALWAYS LIES!
TONGUES THAT ARE FORKED,
TONGUES THAT ARE TIED,
TONGUES THAT HAVE LICKED
THE DEVIL’S BACKSIDE!
Courtiers
HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!
Ladyship
(to Eldora)
What, Eldora, do you see?
Courtiers
Eldora.
(Turning her gaze from the “cloth” to Mundo, Eldora “splits her words like a diplomat,” letting the Courtiers think she is talking about the cloth, while she speaks her feelings for Mundo.)
Eldora
I SEE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE, SOMETHING SO FINE.
MORE THAN LAVISH, MORE THAN BOLD,
MORE THAN LOVELY, MORE THAN GOLD.
AND IT TURNS ME ROUND AND ROUND WITH JOY DIVINE.
(Eldora grabs the empty air where the “cloth” might be, flings it upward in spangles of shimmery lights and tinkles of sound, and swirls it around to envelop Mundo.)
Courtiers 1 Courtiers 2
POWER,
IT ISN’T THE THREAD,
COMMAND,
IT ISN’T THE RED,
STATURE,
IT’S NOT IN THE WEAVE,
DIGNITY.
OR THE LACE BROCADE SLEEVE.
GREATNESS,
IT’S MORE, YOU SEE,
DOMINION,
IT’S MORE THAN YOU SEE,
EMINENCE,
IT’S AUTHORITY, ELEGANCE,
NOBILITY.
SHEER DIVINITY.
Mundo
NO FOOL AM I
A HOPE HAVE I,
TO HAVE A LOVE SO HIGH.
NO FOOL AM I!
THIS MAN WILL TRY,
WON’T LET THIS CHANCE SLIP BY!
All
IT IS THE FABRIC, THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES!
Mundo & Eldora
(Staring at each other from opposite sides of the stage.)
HERE WE ARE,
WONDERING WHO,
SUDDENLY THERE,
SUDDENLY YOU!