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Book and Lyrics by JOANNE SYDNEY LESSNER Music and Lyrics by JOSHUA ROSENBLUM Based on the Novel by ALAN LIGHTMAN TALIA COSENTINO AND ZAL OWEN, BACKGROUND: MICHAEL MCCOY, LISA HELMI JOHANSON, STACIA FERNANDEZ, VISHAL VAIDYA, TESS PRIMACK CAST OF CHARACTERS (in order of appearance) Albert Einstein ZAL OWEN Josette ALEXANDRA SILBER Josie TALIA COSENTINO Marta, Mileva TESS PRIMACK Klausen MICHAEL MCCOY Johannes VISHAL VAIDYA Anna LISA HELMI JOHANSON Hilda STACIA FERNANDEZ Besso BRENNAN CALDWELL Place: A patent office in Berne, Switzerland, and the imagination of Albert Einstein Time: 1905 ZAL OWEN & BRENNAN CALDWELL A NOTE FROM ALAN LIGHTMAN I wrote the short novel Einstein’s Dreams mostly in the summer of 1991. I was much influenced by the magic realist writers, such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Italo Calvino, and I also wanted to write a poetic book that would suggest the interplay between the sciences and the humanities. While writing the book, I hardly slept. It was one intense rush of adrenaline for three months. There have been many independent theatrical productions based on the book. It has been a great pleasure, and gift, for me to have inspired so many talented actors, directors, dancers, and musicians with my book. For the different productions over the last 25 years, my approach has always been to keep out of the way of other artists as they translate the book into a different artistic medium. I believe that for a successful production, each new group of artists must have their own artistic vision. The musical by Josh Rosenblum and Joanne Lessner surely has its own vision – its own wit, its lovely text, its beautiful music, and its spectacular set design. Rosenblum created his own universe of musical ideas, textures, and rhythms, each piece suited to the particular dream world it accompanied. I think also that the music and lyrics capture the range of joy and sadness in the book. I have seen the production several times now, and I always laugh at “Now Backwards Moving is Time,” and, although I am embarrassed to say so, always cry when I hear “I Will Never Let You Go.” The Lessner- Rosenblum production brims with energy, light, humor, and life. Over the years, I have gotten to know Josh and Joanne. I think their own gentle spirit and graciousness have somehow entered into their creation. In addition to the beautiful music and lyrics, there is so much here: the portrait of Einstein as a young man and later as the grand man of science; a wonderful creation of the patent office in Switzerland and the boss and secretary who rule over that office; the many characters that Einstein encounters during his dreams; his overly earnest friend Michele Besso; and a glimpse of the role Einstein played in the development of the atomic bomb. All of this immense activity is artfully presented through the words and music of the production – never seeming heavy or didactic. I must also mention the lovely voices of the actors – strong, lilting, sincere. I write these notes in April 2020, as the world is suffering from the novel coronavirus. During this period, we all have the opportunity to re-evaluate what matters to us. For me, the arts are now more important than ever – expressing our imagination, our spirit, our hope. ZAL OWEN, VISHAL VAIDYA & MICHAEL MCCOY MUSICAL NUMBERS SYNOPSIS 1. Are You There? Josette, Einstein Trapped in an unhappy marriage and a job far beneath his intellectual capabilities, the young Albert Einstein escapes into his dreams, 2. The End of Time Ensemble lured by the siren call of an elusive woman named Josette (“ARE YOU THERE?”). When his friend Besso expresses concern that Einstein 3. The Red Hat Einstein, Klausen, Johannes, Josette, Marta, Anna is spending too much time asleep on the job, Einstein confides that he keeps having dreams in which time works differently, i.e. ending 4. The Great-Greats Anna, Hilda, Johannes, Klausen, Ensemble altogether (“THE END OF TIME”), splitting into three potential futures simultaneously (“THE RED HAT”), or allowing everyone to live 5. I Want to Love You Einstein, Josette forever (“THE GREAT-GREATS”). Einstein begins to wonder if time actually does work differently from the way most people think it does. 6. Love is Not a Science Besso, Einstein 7. Fitful Glimpses Ensemble Josette has told Einstein that all she wants is for him to know her, and she keeps appearing in his dreams. But the limitations of the time 8. Greatness Ensemble world in each dream world present unpredictable obstacles to their burgeoning romance (“I WANT TO LOVE YOU”). Soon, Einstein’s 9. Relativity Rag Einstein, Ensemble dreams are more vital to him than real life, drawing Besso’s concern (“LOVE IS NOT A SCIENCE”). One dream shows snippets of the 10. I Will Never Let You Go Marta future that affect decisions in the present (“FITFUL GLIMPSES”). Josette gives Einstein a peek at his own future (“GREATNESS”), and 11. High-Speed Motion Einstein, Klausen, Josie, Ensemble he sees himself surrounded by an adoring crowd that reveres him but doesn’t understand his work (“RELATIVITY RAG”). 12. I Never Told Him I Loved Him Klausen, Besso Einstein tells Besso about the formula that came to him in his last dream, E = mc2, but neither of them can figure out how it relates to 13. Are You There? (Reprise) Einstein time. Josette appears and invites him to join her in a place where time stands still so they can be together forever. With them is a young 14. If You Wait One Moment, I’ll Check Johannes, Hilda mother, clutching her daughter in an attempt to prevent her from growing up (“I WILL NEVER LET YOU GO”). Einstein realizes that he 15. It’s Always the First Time for Love Josette, Einstein, Johannes, Hilda will never be able to unlock the secrets of time and space if he stays with Josette for eternity. As the mother releases her daughter to her 16. Signposts of Time Hilda destiny, Einstein leaves Josette for his. 17. Fitful Glimpses (Reprise) Josie, Josette, Ensemble 18. Letter to Roosevelt Einstein, Ensemble Einstein is thrown into a dream in which time moves slower as a person moves faster (“HIGH-SPEED MOTION”). This, in simplified form, 19. Signposts Transition Orchestra is a key component of what will become his Special Theory of Relativity. When he awakens, Einstein considers his boss, Klausen, from a 20. Now Backwards Moving is Time Mileva, Ensemble different point of view and imagines him trapped in the past with memories of his father (“I NEVER TOLD HIM I LOVED HIM”), a plight 21. Einstein’s Dreams Josette, Einstein he knows Besso shares. 22. I Will Never Let You Go (Reprise) Einstein, Josette 23. Bows Orchestra Einstein plunges back into his dreams, searching for Josette to fill in the missing pieces of his theory, which he’s sure she holds. He finds her in a world where only the present moment exists and people have no memory (“IF YOU WAIT ONE MOMENT, I’LL CHECK”). Einstein and Josette gradually rediscover each other (“IT’S ALWAYS THE FIRST TIME FOR LOVE”), but he isn’t sure if he should reveal his ORCHESTRA Theory of Relativity, fearing that he might lose her. To aid him in his decision, Josette ages him into the future (“SIGNPOSTS OF TIME”) Piano/Conductor MILTON GRANGER and shows him both the positive consequences—a Nobel Prize—and the negative ones—the atom bomb (“LETTER TO ROOSEVELT”). Percussion BRUCE DOCTOR Time now spirals rapidly into reverse, catapulting Einstein backwards through several phases of his life, including his troubled marriage Violin KIKU ENOMOTO to Mileva (“NOW BACKWARDS MOVING IS TIME”). He realizes he’s ready to return his full attention to his actual life and stop living in Woodwinds JONATHAN LEVINE his dreams. In completing his theory, he has figured out who Josette really is: the embodiment of Time itself. She has achieved her goal of Cello ELEANOR NORTON revealing her true nature to the one person capable of understanding and truly knowing her (“EINSTEIN’S DREAMS”). Upon awakening, Bass SAADI ZAIN Einstein distills everything he has discovered in his dreams into a new theory of time and space—and the world is changed forever. 1. ARE YOU THERE? 2. THE END OF TIME ANNA YOU, AMONG ALL MEN. THERE’S SO MUCH I LONG TO DO! BE WISE AND ATTENTIVE JOSETTE JOSIE HILDA WE WON’T PASS THIS WAY AGAIN. ARE YOU THERE? IT’S COMING, IT’S COMING! WHY DID I ALWAYS PUT MY WORK AHEAD OF YOU? EINSTEIN CAN YOU HEAR ME? A YEAR FROM TODAY! ANNA WHO ARE YOU? I NEED YOU! IT’S COMING, IT’S COMING, LET’S MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT REMAINS. WHAT’S YOUR NAME? DOES MY VOICE REACH YOUR EARS FROM AFAR? NOW I GET TO PLAY! LET’S TAKE A TRIP, THERE STILL ARE TRAINS! JOSETTE WHEN I HOLD OUT MY HAND, THE SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED FOREVER, YOU MAY CALL ME JOSETTE. I CAN FEEL THAT YOU’RE NEAR ME, LET’S ALL SHOUT HOORAY, HILDA THAT WILL DO FOR THE PRESENT. BUT I DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. ’CAUSE IT’S COMING! IT’S COMING! IT’S TIME TO SEE THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF BERNE. OTHERS ARE YOU THERE? MARTA ANNA IT’S COMING, IF YOU ARE, I SUPPOSE I SHOULDN’T LET HER RUN SO WILD, LET’S VISIT FRANKFURT TOMORROW’S THE DAY! THEN PLEASE, HELP ME! BUT EVERYBODY’S ACTING LIKE A CHILD. HILDA EINSTEIN DO YOU KNOW I’VE BEEN CALLING YOUR NAME? IT’S HARD TO KEEP A LID ON, AND LEIPZIG IF YOU COME TO MY SIDE, IT’S SILLY TO PRETEND, ALL RIGHT, JOSETTE, I WILL GIVE UP MY SECRETS, WHEN WE ALL KNOW TIME BOTH BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? AND LUCERNE! JUST ANSWER MY PLEA, IS COMING TO AN END! JOSETTE IT MIGHT SET YOU FREE! WHAT’S THE POINT OF KEEPING CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOLS? ALL MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, EINSTEIN THE GENIUSES HAVE NOTHING ON THE FOOLS.

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