A Wink and a Wiggle and a Giggle on the Grass

/ jt

Maria Friedman.

Maria Friedman has gotten a lot of attention in recent years as a director, in particular for her direction of the West End and Broadway productions of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along, which was recently released in a movie version.

But before that she was known for her work as an actress and singer, especially in several Sondheim shows.

In 1990 she sang the role of the maid Petra for the recording made at the famed Abbey Road studios of A Little Night Music. 

Many years after that studio recording was released, it was revealed that the recording sessions had been video taped as well, and an edited video was released of the entire session. The sound from the finished recording was used for the video, so it didn’t always sync up perfectly with the takes of the video that was cut together of the ensemble numbers, but nevertheless it gave an interesting visual representation of the recording of the album.

Here is a very young Maria Friedman singing my favorite song from the show, “The Miller’s Son”. Well, that’s not counting “A Weekend in the Country” which is an ensemble number. And I don’t think you can count the “Now”, “Later”, “Soon” trio as a song, can you? This song is so tuneful, I’ve never understood how people can claim that Sondheim couldn’t write tunes.

 

The Miller’s Son
By Stephen Sondheim

  
I shall marry the miller’s son
Pin my hat on a nice piece of property
Friday nights, for a bit of fun,
We’ll go dancing.
Meanwhile . . .

It’s a wink and a wiggle
And a giggle on the grass
And I’ll trip the light fandango,
A pinch and a diddleIn the middle of what pass- 
Es by.

It’s a very short road
From the pinch and the punch
To the paunch and the pouch
And the pension.
It’s a very short road
To the ten-thousandth lunch
And the belch and the grouch
And the sigh.

In the meanwhile,
There are mouths to be kissed
Before mouths to be fed,
And a lot in between
In the meanwhile.
And a girl ought to celebrate
What passes by. 

 Or I shall marry the businessman:
Five fat babies and lots of security 
Friday nights, if we think we can,
We’ll go dancing.
Meanwhile . . .

It’s a push and a fumble
And a tumble in the sheets
And I’ll foot the Highland Fancy,
A dip in the butter
And a flutter with what meets
My eye.

It’s a very short fetch
From the push and the whoop
To the squint and the stoop
And the mumble.
It’s not much of a stretch
To the cribs and the croup
And the bosoms that droop
And go dry.

In the meanwhile,
There are mouths to be kissed
Before mouths to be fed,
And there’s many a tryst
And there’s many a bed
To be sampled and seen
In the meanwhile.
And a girl has to celebrate
What passes by. 

Or I shall marry the Prince of Wales:
Pearls and servants and dressing for festivals.
Friday nights, with him all in tails,
We’ll have dancing.
Meanwhile . . .

It’s a rip in the bustle
And a rustle in the hay
And I’ll pitch the Quick Fantastic,
With flings of confetti
And my petticoats away
Up high.

It’s a very short way
From the fling that’s for fun
To the thigh pressing un-
Der the table.
It’s a very short day
Till you’re stuck with just one
Or it has to be done
On the sly.

ln the meanwhile,
There are mouths to be kissed
Before mouths to be fed,
And there’s many a tryst
And there’s many a bed.
There’s a lot I’ll have missed,
But I’ll not have been dead
When I die!
And a person should celebrate
Everything passing by.

And I shall marry the miller’s son. 

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