Stephen Sondheim
Act II Prologue: So Happy
[NARRATOR, spoken]
Once upon a time—later—

[CINDERELLA]
I wish…

[NARRATOR, spoken]
—in that same far-off kingdom—

[CINDERELLA]
More than anything…

[NARRATOR, spoken]
—lived a young princess—

[CINDERELLA]
More than life…

[NARRATOR, spoken]
—the lad, Jack—

[CINDERELLA]
More than footmen…

[JACK]
I wish…
[NARRATOR, spoken]
—and the baker with his family—

[BABY, spoken]
Waaah!

[JACK]
No, I miss…

[CINDERELLA & BAKER]
I wish…

[BABY, spoken]
Waaah!

[JACK]
More than anything…

[CINDERELLA, BAKER & JACK]
More than the moon…

[BAKER'S WIFE, spoken, to BABY]
There, there…

[CINDERELLA]
I wish to sponsor a Festival...
[BABY, spoken]
Waaah!

[BAKER]
More than life…

[JACK]
I miss…

[CINDERELLA]
The time has come for a Festival…

[BABY, spoken]
Waaah!

[BAKER]
More than riches…

[CINDERELLA]
And a ball…

[JACK]
I miss my kingdom up in the sky

[CINDERELLA & BAKER]
More than anything…
[BAKER'S WIFE]
I wish we had more room…

[JACK]
Play, harp…

[BAKER]
Another room…

[BABY, spoken]
Waaah!

[NARRATOR, spoken]
But despite some minor inconveniences, they were all quite content. 

[CINDERELLA]
I never thought I'd wed a prince…

[CINDERELLA'S PRINCE]
I never thought I'd find perfection…

[CINDERELLA & CINDERELLA'S PRINCE]
I never thought I could be so happy!

[CINDERELLA]
Not an unhappy moment since…

[JACK & JACK'S MOTHER]
I didn't think we'd be this rich…

[CINDERELLA'S PRINCE]
Not a conceivable objection…

[BAKER & BAKER'S WIFE]
I never thought we'd have a baby…

[CINDERELLA, CINDERELLA'S PRINCE, JACK & JACK'S MOTHER]
I didn't know I could be so happy!

[BAKER & BAKER'S WIFE]
I'm so happy!

[STEPMOTHER]
Happy now
Happy hence
Happy ever after—

[STEPMOTHER, FLORINDA & LUCINDA]
We're so happy you're so happy!
Just as long as you stay happy
We'll stay happy!

[CINDERELLA & CINDERELLA'S PRINCE]
Not one row…

[JACK'S MOTHER]
Pots of pence…

[JACK]
With my cow…

[BAKER & BAKER'S WIFE]
Little gurgles…

[CINDERELLA'S PRINCE]
Darling, I must go now…

[JACK'S MOTHER]
We should really sell it

[BAKER]
Where's the cheesecloth?

[COMPANY]
Wishes may bring problems
Such that you regret them
Better that, though
Than to never get them…

[CINDERELLA]
I'm going to be a perfect wife!

[JACK]
I'm going to be the perfect son!

[BAKER'S WIFE & JACK'S MOTHER]
I'm going to be a perfect mother!

[BAKER]
I'm going to be a perfect father!
I'm so happy!

[CINDERELLA, BAKER'S WIFE, JACK & JACK'S MOTHER]
I'm going to see that he (she)
Is so happy!

[COMPANY]
I never thought I'd love my life!
I would have settled for another!

[CINDERELLA]
Then to become a wife…

[JACK & JACK'S MOTHER]
Then to be set for life…

[BAKER & BAKER'S WIFE]
Then to beget a child…

[COMPANY]
That fortune smiled…
I'm so hap—

[Suddenly a loud rumbling noise followed by an enormous crash. All the structures are damaged.]

[BAKER, spoken]
Have you done this to our house?

[WITCH, spoken]
Always thinking of yourself. Look at my garden. 

[BAKER, spoken]
Destroyed!

[BAKER'S WIFE, spoken]
Who could do such a thing?

[BAKER, spoken]
Do you think it was a bear?

[WITCH]
A bear? Bears are sweet
Besides, you ever see a bear with forty-foot feet?

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Dragon?

[WITCH]
No scorch marks—usually they're linked

[BAKER]
Manticore?

[WITCH]
Imaginary

[BAKER & BAKER'S WIFE]
Griffin?

[WITCH]
Extinct

[BAKER]
Giant?

[WITCH, spoken]
Possible
Very, very possible…

[NARRATOR, spoken]
More than possible. Their fears would prove to be very well-founded. 

[BAKER]
Into the woods
It's always when
You think at last
You're through, and then
Into the woods you go again
To take another journey

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Into the woods
The weather's clear
We've been before
We've naught to fear…
Into the woods, away from here—

[JACK]
Into the woods, to find a giant!

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
Into the woods to Grandmother's house…

[BAKER]
Into the woods
The path is straight
No reason, then
To hesitate—

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Into the woods
It's not so late
It's just another journey…

[CINDERELLA]
Into the woods
But not too long:
The skies are strange
The winds are strong
Into the woods to see what's wrong…

[JACK]
Into the woods
To slay the giant!

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Into the woods
To shield the child…

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
To flee the winds…

[BAKER]
To find a future…

[BAKER'S WIFE]
To shield…

[JACK]
To slay…

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
To flee…

[BAKER]
To find…

[CINDERELLA]
To fix…

[BAKER'S WIFE]
To hide…

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
To move…

[JACK]
To battle…

[CINDERELLA]
To see what the trouble is…

[RAPUNZEL, spoken]
Aaarrrggghhh!!!