Musicals Spoken Quotes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Into the Woods

"Into the Woods," by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, combines many well-known fairy tales into one story. The second half shows the dark side of these stories, and what happens after the 'happily ever after.' This quote is said by Cinderella's prince shortly after he admits to cheating on Cinderella, whom he has recently married.

Answer: Sunday in the Park with George

Another Sondheim-Lapine masterpiece, this show tells the story of the artist George Seraut (originally played by Mandy Patinkin) and his fictional mistress, Dot (originally played by Bernadette Peters). This quote is said by George at the beginning of the play, while George is sketching Dot.

She is complaining about her bustle, and George asks her why she is wearing it. She replies, "Why wear it? Everyone is wearing them, you know they are. I read they're even wearing them in America."

Answer: Fiddler on the Roof

"Fiddler on the Roof" is based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, and follow Tevye, a Jewish peasant living in pre-Revolutionary Russia. One of the things this colourful character is notorious for is quoting the good book, often incorrectly.

Answer: Sunday in the Park with George

The second half of "Sunday in the Park with George" shows George's great grandson, also named George, who is a sculptor and inventor. His sculptures, called 'Chromolumes,' use music, lasers, and state-of-the-art computers to create their 'art.' This quote is from Dennis, George's friend and technician, and the line of work he is referring to is making Chromolumes.

Answer: The Secret Garden

"The Secret Garden," based on the novel by Francis Hodgson Burnett, is a story of loss. Archibald, a cripple, thought he would never find love. Then he meets Lily, who is sweet and kind, and who loves him. When she dies, he is heartbroken, and he closes up her garden and distances himself from their son.

When Mary, his orphaned niece comes to live with him, she reminds him of Lily, and he is forced to remember. This line occurs in a flashback scene. Archie has just been dreaming about Lily and Mary, and the scene moves to when Lily and her sister Rose were both still alive, and Rose is telling Lily not to marry Archibald, a cripple.

Answer: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Yet another Sondheim show, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" features wrongly convicted and exiled barber, Sweeney Todd, and his landlady, Mrs. Lovett, who make meat pies out of Sweeney's clients. This line precedes the song, "A Little Priest," in which the pair first get their fiendish idea.

The Italian they are referring to was a man who knew Sweeney's old identity and tried to blackmail him, causing Sweeney to kill him.

Answer: Rent

"Rent," by Johnathan Larson, follows a year in the life of a group of New York City bohemians in their struggle to survive and live life as though there was "No day but today," a philosophy that was very true to Larson's life. Larson, who suffered from AIDS, died the day his dream came true, and never saw Rent performed on Broadway.

Many scenes in this show, including the one from which this quote is taken, are set by Mark, a struggling film artist, who provides some narration as he films those around him.

Answer: Martin Guerre

"Martin Guerre" takes place in a time when it was thought that natural disasters occurred because a village had fallen out of favour with God, and, in a Catholic-dominated society, all who did not strictly follow the teachings and beliefs of the church were shunned or punished.

This quote is said several times during the show by the priest of Artigat, the village where the story takes place, who means that it only takes one person to fall out of favour and bring God's wrath against an entire village.

Answer: Rent

This is another one of Mark's 'camera narrations.' It's Valentine's Day, and he has just described to his audience what all of his friends are doing, and who they are with. He, on the other hand, is nowhere, doing nothing, alone. He uses the excuse of living for and in his work, but eventually realizes that he is numb and detached.

Answer: Into the Woods

This quote is also from the second half of the show, after the 'Happily Ever After.' It is said by the Witch (originally played by Bernadette Peters) to Rapunzel, who has gone insane due to her traumatic childhood and marriage. The line that preceeds it, after the Witch asks Rapunzel what is wrong, is: "Oh, nothing. You just locked me up in a tower without company for fourteen years, then blinded my prince, and banished me to a desert, where I had little to eat, and, again, no company, and then bore twins! Because of the way you've treated me, I'll never, never be happy."