Stephen Flaherty
The Sad Tale of the Beauxhommes
[STORYTELLER (MAN 1), spoken]
The Sad Tale of the Beauxhommes
[STORYTELLER (WOMAN 2), spoken]
A history lesson!
[STORYTELLERS (MEN, EXCEPT DANIEL)]
Some... say... some... say...
[MEN]
Some...
Say...
Some...
Say...
[STORYTELLER (MAN 1), spoken]
Four generations past
In the time of Napoleon
There came to this island
A Frenchman, Armand
[ALL (EXCEPT ARMAND, DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
Armand!
Armand!
[STORYTELLER (MAN 1), spoken]
And he built a great fortune
And he built a grand mansion
And he wed a fine lady
So pale and so blonde
[MADAME ARMAND (WOMAN 1)]
Armand!
[STORYTELLER (WOMAN 2)]
But Armand took his pleasure
With the women who served him:
Black peasant girls from
The village beyond
[PEASANT GIRLS (WOMAN 1, ANDREA)]
Armand!
[STORYTELLER (WOMAN 2)]
And the loveliest one
Bore the Frenchman a son
Such a fine peasant son —
[ARMAND]
For Armand!
[STORYTELLER (WOMAN 2)]
A beautiful child
The pale color
Of coffee mixed with cream
[ALL (EXCEPT DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
The beautiful one
The beautiful son
Beauxhomme
[STORYTELLER (MAN 1), spoken]
They named him:
[ALL (EXCEPT DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
Beauxhomme
[STORYTELLER (MAN 1), spoken]
Beauxhomme
[ALL (EXCEPT DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
The beautiful one
The beautiful son
Beauxhomme
[STORYTELLER (MAN 1), spoken]
And the boy grew to be a man
And the great war began
[ALL (EXCEPT DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
Blacks fought against French
And the hated Napoleon
They fought for their island
And finally won
[MEN (EXCEPT DANIEL)]
We won!
[BEAUXHOMME (MAN 2), STORYTELLER (MAN 1)]
We won!
[STORYTELLER (MAN 1), spoken]
And Armand sailed for France
[STORYTELLER (WOMAN 2), spoken]
By the seat of his pants...
[ALL (EXCEPT DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
...driven out
By his beautiful son!
[ALL (EXCEPT DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
The beautiful one!
The beautiful son!
Beauxhomme, beauxhomme
The beautiful one!
[BEAUXHOMME, DANIEL]
What was his is now mine!
[THE BEAUTIFUL ONE!]
The beautiful son! Beauxhomme!
[STORYTELLER (WOMAN 2)]
But Armand left behind a terrible, terrible curse
[ALL (EXCEPT ARMAND, DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
I curse my son
[ARMAND, spoken]
I curse my only son!
[ALL (EXCEPT ARMAND, DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
I curse his sons
[ARMAND, spoken]
All of his sons!
[ALL (EXCEPT ARMAND, DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
Generations—
[ARMAND, spoken]
All Beauxhommes yet unborn!
[ALL (EXCEPT ARMAND, DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
In advance
[ARMAND, spoken]
Your black blood will keep you
Forever on this island...
While your hearts yearn
Forever for France!
[ALL (EXCEPT DANIEL, TI MOUNE)]
The unlucky one
The unlucky son
Beauxhomme. Beauxhomme
From bad blood to worse
The name of the curse:
Beauxhomme
They despise us for our blackness
It reminds them
Where they’re from
The sad, sad tale
Of the Beauxhommes!
Beauxhomme!
All spit