A widowed artist is thrust back into the life of his childhood girlfriend, his first love, his muse, a musician who spurned him over 50 years ago, and who now suffers from Alzheimer’s.
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Music, memory, an old flame and Alzheimer's - You just hope for a good day.
It’s about the power of music to rekindle memory and awaken the mind.
Undying love . . . too young to appreciate . . . now in spite of Alzheimer’s, she remembers it is there . . . it stayed alive in her heart.
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It’s about, Sam, an artist, a widower after losing his wife of 50 years. After a year, Sam still has not regained his will to paint, or do much of anything, much to his children’s dismay.
It’s about a woman, who as a child, instilled the love of music in her friend. But she gave up the cello and music, and gave up that young man who loved her. She moved on with her life and eventually he (Sam) did too.
Now, 50 years later, Suzanna has Alzheimer’s, and her children would do anything to hear their mother speak their names.
Suzanna’s husband visited her daily, but when he suddenly dies, Suzanna begins to deteriorate rapidly. Looking for anything to spur their mother’s memory, Suzanna’s children find in the attic, a portrait of Suzanna painted by Sam when they were very young. They locate Sam using the internet.
At first reluctant, Sam begins to visit Suzanna. While some memories are painful to recall, the good ones outshine the bad. Sam begins to paint again. He regains his purpose in life, brings joy to Suzanna, and helps her children. There is no cure, and the best that is hoped for are more good days than bad. The show’s uplifting ending occurs on Mother’s Day, which turns out to be a good day.

Another theme which runs through the show is the importance of arts education. While Suzanna and her husband had taught their children well, music and art were neglected. She perhaps was afraid of her children going in that direction as a career. Suzanna’s daughter, Sophie’s husband, an actuary, starts spending time playing in a band, and this ‘mid-life crisis behavior’ as she considers it, irks her to the point of her virtually separating from him, as she spends time out of town in her parents’ house, and asks her husband not to come.
Meanwhile, Sam and his wife had established a small scholarship fund given every year to an art and a music student pursuing that in college. Sophie’s interaction with Sam leads her to understand the passion in an artist, and allows her connect to and reunite with her husband, as she herself tries her hand at painting.
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Synopsis (1-page)
Sam (74), an artist, is a widower after losing his wife, Alicia, of 50 years. His children are dismayed that after a year, Sam still has not regained his will to paint or do much of anything.
Suzanna (72), a recent widow is in the Alzheimer’s ward of a nursing home. Her children are David (45) and Sophie (53). Sophie is somewhat estranged from her husband, Paul, an actuary, who started playing guitar in a band. She is unhappy that David moved their mom into a nursing home. Suzanna has been deteriorating rapidly, not even knowing her children’s names.
Going through old boxes in their parents’ house, hoping to find things to spur memories, Sophie and David find a painting of their mother at age 12, holding a cello. They never knew this about her and music was never part of their family’s lives. The portrait is signed by Sam and they track him down on the internet and visit him. Upon seeing the portrait Sam initially tells them he didn’t know her well; But he did. Sam asks himself, is she “a ghost or an angel?” and realizes he must go to her; But with trepidation, since it could lift him from his darkness or open old wounds. Telling Sophie the truth, he arranges to visit Suzanna. He brings the painting to Suzanna, and looking into his eyes she begins to cry. She gets frustrated and agitated, remembering pieces, but not coherently.
Sophie, still not happy about their mom being in the nursing home, is taking over organizing things from David, who is annoyed that his work in taking care of their parents is unappreciated.
With Suzanna, Sam plays cello music (Saint-Saëns’ The Swan) from his iPhone and reminds her how she would play the cello as he painted. She begins to remember, moving her arms, like she is bowing the cello. She asks him to paint here with her. In a short moment of lucidity, she remembers the night they spent together; But moments later doesn’t know who Sam is.
Sam brings the easel and paints, and imagines Suzanna, healthy again. He questions whether he is betraying the memory of his departed wife. Realizing that Suzanna will never again be whole and with “Is she a ghost or an angel?” repeating terrifyingly in his head, he cries out that he dare not love again, cannot paint again, and rushes out, much to her children’s dismay.

ACT-II: Sam’s children are concerned about this latest turn of events and try to convince him to not give up. But it is when Sam reads an un-mailed letter brought to him by Sophie, that Suzanna wrote to him 50 years ago, he immediately decides to return to her. Sam had needed to forget her to move on; but she never forgot him. In Suzanna’s room, with music playing, Sam begins to paint again, as Suzanna’s memories begin to flow.
Sam arranges for musicians to perform for the nursing home residents and organizes art classes for them. David appreciates how his sister arranged Suzanna’s room and Sophie realizes that having her stay here was the right choice. When Sophie accompanies Sam to a concert, she sees the passion of the musician and feels a need to see her husband. Unknown to her, Paul has already arrived in town. She hears Paul sing a love song he wrote for her and they are reunited.
Sam recognizes Suzanna is not a “ghost” from his past, but his living angel, inspiring him once again as she once did. On Mother’s Day, with music playing, Sam paints a portrait of Suzanna, with her children added beside her. She has moments of greater lucidity as he repeats their names over and over for her. When her children arrive, she greets them by name. While they know that it is only a moment, not always to be repeated, they are overjoyed. Sam learns he has a new granddaughter, named Allie, after Alicia. Her children present Suzanna with a cello. and Suzanna begins to play “The Swan”. Realizing that there will be good days and bad days, and we hope for the best, Sam notes that “Today . . . was a good day.”


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DETAILED SYNOPSIS (with song placement)

Prologue: The ensemble sings the first part of Sundown.

Scene 1: Suzanna and Phil’s house
Suzanna (72), a recent widow is in the Alzheimer’s ward of a nursing home. Her husband of 53 years, Phil, had cared for her at home until he suddenly died. Their children are Sophie (53) who lives in Baltimore apparently somewhat estranged from her husband Paul, and David (45) who lives locally with his family. After their father’s death, David, who had helped his father care for Suzanna at home, had moved her into the nursing home. Sophie is not happy with that decision.
Sophie wishes her mom could still live in her house, while David, having done much of the work to help while she lived there, knows that is not possible. Going through old boxes in their parents’ house, hoping to find things to spur memories, Sophie and David find a painting of their mother at age 12, holding a cello. They never knew this about her and music was never part of their family’s lives. The portrait is signed by Sam Rogowski. They Google him, and learn that he was only two years older than their mom, and grew up in the same small town. He had talent as a child, but there was no art in his high school. Later in life, he founded an organization to keep art in the schools, and funded annual scholarships for a painter and a cellist. They find that he lives nearby and go to visit him.

Scene 2: Sam’s home Sam (age 74) is sitting alone in a dimly lit room. Sam, an artist, is a widower after losing Alicia, his wife of nearly 50 years. After a year, Sam still has not regained his will to paint or do much of anything, much to his children’s frustration. (Empty House) His daughter, Anne, who lives nearby (age 40) arrives at Sam’s home and opens the window shades. We learn that Sam and Alicia had funded annual scholarships for college-bound students, one in art and one in music. (Anne is married with children. His son Michael, is married with a son and lives out of town.)

Scene 3: Suzanna’s room at a nursing home:
Since Phil’s death, Suzanna has been deteriorating rapidly. Her children are at a loss for what to do and her caregiver at the nursing home, Margaret, suggests finding things from her youth that might spur memories. She explains to Sophie and David about sundowning which occurs in Alzheimer’s patients late in the day; as the other characters sing about their own pain. (Sundown)


Scene 4: Sam’s home
Upon seeing the portrait, Sam initially tells them he didn’t know her well; but he did.
When alone, in “A Ghost or an Angel” we learn of a close friendship, turned to love and then loss. “She was a friend, for years stood by me and more than friends, as friendship rose above.
From her I gained a love of music, and loving her, I learned to love.
Inspired me to be an artist; If not for her, I'd not have found my light.
Then she chose a different world and left me. Left me broken, and not all right.”
Sam realizes that he must go to her, but with trepidation, since it could lift him from his darkness or open old wounds. Telling Sophie the truth, he arranges to visit Suzanna.

Scene 5: Lobby and Suzanna’s room at the nursing home
As Sam arrives, Sophie and David are leaving, distraught as Suzanna doesn’t know their names. In Oh, Mama!, they tell Margaret how their parents gave everything to them, and taught them well, except for music, the thing that was absent in their education. In stories she read to them as children, she inserted their names in place of the name of the characters; and they are pleading that she remember them.
Sam brings the painting to Suzanna, and looking into his eyes she begins to cry. (That’s Me) She remembers pieces, but not coherently. She remembers that her father loved that painting; Her father loved Sam; She loved Sam; She sent Sam away. She becomes very agitated. Margaret suggests that Sam just sit with her. Margaret notices that Sam connected with something strong inside her, and when Suzanna falls asleep, inquires about their relationship. (Feelings of My Youth)

Scene 6: Suzanna and Phil’s house
Sophie, still not happy about their mom being in the nursing home, is taking over organizing things from David, who is annoyed that his work in taking care of their parents is unappreciated.
Sophie has somewhat estranged herself from her husband, Paul, an actuary, who started playing guitar in a band; She is spending time at her parents’ house, while Paul is in Baltimore. David is maintaining a good relationship with his brother-in-law.

Scene 7: Suzanna’s room at the nursing home
Sam speaks to his son Michael whose wife is 8 months pregnant. With Suzanna, Sam plays cello music on his iPhone (The Swan by Saint-Saëns) and reminds her how she would play the cello as he painted. She begins to remember, moving her arms, like she is bowing the cello. She asks him to paint here with her. In a short moment of lucidity, she remembers the night they spent together; but moments later, doesn’t know who Sam is. (The Swan).

Scene 8: Rest area on turnpike
Paul has brought work files for Sophie and some if her clothing and they meet halfway at a highway rest area. Sophie had been missing the evenings they spent working together, since Paul has been spending time with his friend in the band. (“I Don’t Get Him”)

Scene 9: Sam’s home
Sophie comes to help Sam as he prepares painting supplies to bring to Suzanna’s. He sets up an easel for the first time in a long while and tries to get Sophie to try her hand at it, putting a brush in her hand. (“Feel”) He is trying to encourage her to relax and not think, as he guides her. Before emotions and sensuality take over, Sam stops.

Scene 10: Suzanna’s room at the nursing home
Sam brings the easel and paints, setting up in Suzanna’s room while everyone else is at lunch. Sam imagines Suzanna, healthy again. He questions whether he is betraying the memory of his departed wife. Realizing that Suzanna will never again be whole and with “Is she a ghost or an angel?” repeating terrifyingly in his head, he cries out that he dare not love again, cannot paint again, and rushes out, much to her children’s dismay. (Act-I Finale)


ACT-II
Scene 1: Paul and Sophie’s bedrooms
Late that night. Sophie is in bed, alone unable to sleep. Paul is asleep alone at home. Sophie misses Paul and calls him. (Sundown - reprise)

Scene 2: Suzanna’s room at the nursing home
Suzanna is alone at night. She is only partially awake, dreaming and remembering bits of memories about Sam. Her thoughts are disjointed. (Suzanna’s Night)

Scene 3: Sam’s home
Sam’s children are concerned about this latest turn of events and try to convince him to not give up. (You Can’t Just Walk Away) But it is when Sophie brings to Sam an un-mailed letter that Suzanna wrote to him 53 years ago, he immediately decides to return to her. Sam had needed to forget her to move on; but she never forgot him. (Dear Sam)

Scene 4: Suzanna’s room at the nursing home
With Suzanna in her room Sam puts on cello music and begins to paint again as Suzanna’s memories begin to flow. (Dreams We Left Behind)

Scene 5: Lobby at nursing home
Sam arranged for musicians to perform for the nursing home residents and organizes art classes for them. Sam invites Sophie to this year’s scholarship awardee’s recital in New York. David appreciates how his sister arranged Suzanna’s room and Sophie realizes that having her stay here was the right choice. Sam learns that Suzanna and Phil had, unknown to him, purchased one of his paintings, which had hung over Suzanna’s desk.

Scene 6: Concert Hall in NY
At the concert, Sophie sees the passion in the cellist’s playing and the fire in her eyes, as they were seated close enough to hear her breathing. She now understands the heart of a musician, and asks Sam to bring her back to the house right away. She wants to get her car and drive to Baltimore that night, to her husband, Paul.

Scene 7: Suzanna and Phil’s house
When Sophie arrives at her parents’ house, her husband is there with David. Paul had come up from Baltimore. She hears him at first unnoticed, playing a love song he wrote for her. (Dearest Sophie). She enters as it concludes and in each other arms are reunited. (Love Renewed).

Scene 8: Suzanna’s room at the nursing home
In the early evening in Suzanna’s room, looking out the window Sam sees the evening star and begins to paint it, although the picture evolves into a painting of Suzanna. (Evening Star on a Mostly Cloud Night) Sam recognizes Suzanna is not a ghost, but his living angel, inspiring him once again as she once did.

Scene 9: Lobby at nursing home
Margaret and the staff are preparing for the busy Mother’s Day. (Mother’s Day is Coming)

Scene 10: Suzanna’s room at the nursing home
Early on Mother’s Day, with music playing, Sam paints a portrait of Suzanna, with her children added beside her. She has moments of greater lucidity as he repeats their names over and over for her. (Remember) When her children arrive, she greets them by name. While they know that it is only a moment, not always to be repeated, they are overjoyed. Sam’s son calls to tell him he has a new granddaughter, named Allie, after Alicia. Her children present Suzanna with a cello. She caresses its neck and when Paul starts to play the accompaniment on his guitar, Suzanna begins to play “The Swan”.
Realizing that there will be good days and bad days, and we hope for the best, Sam notes that “Today . . . was a good day.” (Final Scene)
The ensemble sings the title song. (A Good Day)

Leaving one’s parents, infertility and the search for truth, set against a background of xenophobia; 3000 years ago, but particularly relevant today where “fear of the other” easily translates into hatred.
Set in ancient Mesopotamia, Go, My Child is an original account of the early lives of familiar biblical characters.
The first act is set in the xenophobic metropolis of Ur, controlled by harsh rulers. Young precocious Sarai inspires inquisitiveness in her young friend, Abram.
Sarai, the daughter of a scribe, who was taught to write, becomes a teacher and marries Abram. She is the woman who molded the man, who changed the world.
Narrowly escaping death and forced to flee Ur, his extended family ends up in the welcoming town of Charan, where Act-II is set.
Surrounded by children, but unable to conceive a child of her own, Sarai’s pain grows each month; and nothing Abram can do can help.
Their childless life, with Abram as a shepherd, gives him the time to ponder the world. The arrival of a mysterious refugee with shocking news from Ur, drives the climax.
It is the unity of humanity that leads Abram to conclude the oneness of god, who he is only just beginning his quest to find. To attain their goals, they must move out from under his parents’ roof. Sarai and Abram journey westward to restart their lives in an unknown land, as the curtain falls.
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DETAILED SYNOPSIS WITH SONG PLACEMENT “Go, My Child”
Setting: Ancient Mesopotamia
Act I – Ur
After the Prologue, the curtain rises on the Bazaar in a xenophobic metropolis (City of Ur). Precocious Sarai, the daughter of Arad the scribe, comes to the Bazaar for the first time, meets Abram and they immediately become friends. Abram’s parents, Terach, an artisan and idol maker, and his wife, Tifania, are selling their wares. After a long day, Terach and Tifania sing a Lullaby to their children about a legendary, idyllic, far-away land called Canaan. The priests notice a crack in the great statue of Arak, and ask Terach to repair it before it is generally noticed at the annual sacrificial ceremony (God of Stone).
In Terach's shop, young Sarai points out the inanimateness of the statues, and as Abram and Sarai dance, they accidentally break some (They Can't Boogie). When Abram tells his father that the big idol punished the little ones, Terach tells Abram that he knows that is not true, since they are not gods. He too had once pondered the universal truths, but unlike young Abram and Sarai, he has a family to worry about. (It's a Living)
A stranger passing through Ur is shunned by most, but welcomed by Sarai's parents. (Stranger in Our Midst)
Years pass, and Sarai, a young adult, is a teacher, singing about Lamech's sons, one who invented musical instruments, and one who invented weapons. (Yuval and Tubalcain) Abram and Sarai are given permission to be marry. (Standing Here Before Me). Abram dreams of being a shepherd. Sarai loves the power she has in shaping children’s minds. As the stars appear, Sarai and Abram contemplates the great unknowns (What Is Out There). A celebration is heard in the distance (Party at the Ziggurat).
Seeing her sister-in-law, Milcah, with children, Sarai looks forward to motherhood (I Can't Wait to be a Mother) as she prepares for her wedding.
Ur enters a time of crisis with an impending war against invading armies and a human sacrifice is deemed necessary. Guided by Arak's choice, the priests select a name. (Arak Protect Us)
The procession begins (Sacrifice) and the priests show up at Terach's home to take possession of their youngest boy of age, Lot. When his father, Haron, interferes, he is killed in Lot's stead. Terach's family, now all in danger, must leave Ur quickly, and argue over where to go. (Leave Ur) Tifania lament's the loss of her son. (Tifania's Lament) Sarai must now say farewell to her parents (Sarai's Farewell). Terach's family hastily prepares to leave Ur, for the unknown land of Canaan. (I Have to Leave). They exit just before a mob enters their home.

Act II - Charan
On the way to Canaan, Terach's family comes to Charan, a small town. The people of Charan are welcoming (Stay in Charan). Nahor and Milcah find the town very appealing. (I Could Live Here). Terach's family rests in Charan, but before long, have settled there. Milcah and Nahor have many children and become entrenched in the community. Abram and Sarai remain childless. Abram wants to continue on and Terach tells him he may go, but Abram is reluctant to separate from his parents.
Abram and Lot have become shepherds. Pastoral Scene opens with a lone shepherd boy quietly looking after his sheep; a mysterious character who appears in other scenes. Abram and Lot's sheep have multiplied greatly and they compete for grazing land with the sheep of the native Charanian, Rathal. A dispute ensues and Abram and Lot agree to take their sheep to a farther away grazing area. Tranquility is again restored.
Lot and a maiden Tamila befriend each other. (Well Scene) He opens up, and talks about his father's death at the hands of the priests of Ur. Tamila and he begin to connect, but she cut it off realizing that she is on the verge of falling in love, while she is betrothed to another. Lot is left alone, at the well.
A stranger wanders into town (Stranger from Damascus), and is greeted first by Lot. He claims to be from Damascus, but Lot recognizes his accent as that of the priests of Ur. Uncovering his face confirms his identity, resembling the priest who killed his father. The stranger denies it. Although Tifania points out that this man is much too young to have been the one who killed Haron, Lot is overcome with vengeance and tries to kill him, until he is restrained by others. The stranger admits that he was a priest from Ur, and his father was likely the one who killed Haron. Ur had been overrun by invaders who killed all the priests; he alone escaped. They destroyed Arak's statue and replaced it with their own god. The populace was unharmed, and Sarai's family was safe. Lot realized that he almost killed an innocent man, and that the vengeance he sought already occurred. With nowhere to go, and wanting to forget that he ever came from Ur, the stranger is invited by Terach to stay with them, and in gratitude, the man offers to become his servant. His name is Eliezer, and now he will be called Eliezer of Damascus. He suggests that Abram take another wife, since she has not born a child, a notion which Abram harshly dismisses.
Abram offers to return with Sarai to Ur, near her family, but Sarai could not face them, childless. In Sarai's Soliloquy (I've Taught So May Children), she rejects the multitude of gods and magic charms suggested to help her conceive. Finding himself alone with Sarai, Luban makes an advance, which she rejects. Abram and Eliezer discuss the fallen gods of Ur and in Abram's Soliloquy he ponders the universal truths, concluding the unity of mankind, truth, and an existent, but yet unknown God.
Abram's shepherds again complain about the agreement with Rathal. At night, asleep in their bedroom in Terach's house, Abram and Sarai both have similar dreams, which they relate to each other, in which they are called on to leave their home and travel to a new land, with a promise of blessing. (The Dream)
Sarai and Abram finally decide to continue on to Canaan on their own, if necessary. Terach and Tifania, now too old to be pioneers cannot travel. Nahor, with an extended family well established in Charan, stays, and will care for his aging parents. Lot, still unmarried and looking for adventure chooses to join them. (Charan-reprise).
With no ties in Charan, Eliezer will join them and along with Lot, Abram and Sarai prepare to depart (I have to leave- reprise). Terach gives his blessing (Go My Child) reiterating many of the words from Abram and Sarai's dream, as they leave for Canaan.
The finale is a reprise of "Bringer of rain . ." , sung in the opening number, and again in Abram's Soliloquy, now reprised by the whole ensemble as we see Sarai with a Child.