BEFORE YOU

Download the piano/vocal score.

NICHOLAS And it's my job to feed you, is it; to free you from poverty's fetters?

Do you want to know the real reason I never answered your letters?

GREGORY Tell me.

(Music starts)

NICHOLAS WITHOUT YOU IN MY LIFE IT'S BEEN PARADISE. PARADISE.

EVERYTHING I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.

NO GREGORY TO FEED OR TO GIVE ADVICE;

PEACEFUL AND GREGORY FREE.

GREGORY You wanted to be rid of me. Why didn't you—

NICHOLAS MY FATHER.

GREGORY Don't drag Dad into this.

NICHOLAS You worshipped him and you didn't even know him.

BEFORE YOU, SAINT QUITE

HIT THE BOTTLE EVERY NIGHT,

HIT MY MOTHER AND I BY DAY.

HE HAD HIS OWN PERVERSE

LITTLE WAY WITH EVERY NURSE.

YES HE TOOK THE LADIES' TEMPERATURES IN MOST PECULIAR WAYS.

IF YOU THINK HE WAS A GOOD SUMERITAN,

LIVING LIFE ACCORDING TO GOD'S PLAN.

IF YOU THINK HE HAD A HEART MADE OF SOLID GOLD,

WELL, YOU REALLY DIDN'T KNOW THE MAN.

BEFORE YOU, DOCTOR QUITE

WAS OFTEN OUT ALL NIGHT

MAKING HOUSE CALLS OF A DUBIOUS BRAND.

IF YOU THINK FATHER THERESA

IS RESTING IN PEACE,

WELL, YOU REALLY DIDN'T KNOW THE MAN.

(Music continues through the following.)

But then out of nowhere one morning, after a bout of heavy drinking nearly licked him,

He spies an article about a poor orphaned boy: a lowly domestic violence victim.

GREGORY You mean, me. Say it. Me!

NICHOLAS NOW WHAT LITTLE HEART HE HAS STARTS BEATING.

AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT NOW IT'S BLEEDING.

AND TO MAKE UP FOR EVERYTHING HE PUT US THROUGH

THE CRAZY OLD MAN ADOPTS YOU. YOU! YOU.

ALL AT ONCE OLD QUITE

CHANGES SPOTS OVER NIGHT,

GIVING YOU THE BOYHOOD I NEVER HAD.

HE READS SOME STORIES, TUCKS YOU IN

PLAYS SOME BALL , LETS YOU WIN,

AND SUDDENLY HE'S SUPER DAD!

GREGORY HE WAS SO MUCH MORE.

YOUR RESENTMENT ISN'T FAIR.

I KNOW THAT YOU WERE THE NEGLECTED SON.

I'VE ALWAYS FELT SO BAD

FOR THE THINGS HE DID,

BUT THE PAST IS THE PAST, JUST FORGIVE HIM AND MOVE ON,

BUT INSTEAD YOU WASTE YOUR EFFORT BLAMING HIM

FOR THE WAY YOUR LIFE TURNED OUT.

YOU SPEND ALL YOUR ENERGY SLAMMING HIM,

WHEN THERE'S REALLY MORE TO HIM THAN THAT.

THOUGH IT MAKES YOU CRINGE

PEOPLE CHANGE,

THEY CAN OVERCOME THEIR PREVIOUS SINS.

HE STARTED DOWN THE PATH TO GOOD,

WHEN HE TOOK IN AN ORPHANED KID

I, FOR ONE, OWE MY LIFE TO THE MAN.

(Music continues through the following:)

NICHOLAS Yes, he treated you as if you grew on his own family tree,

Waited on you hand and foot. Spoiled you and coddled you like a baby.

"STOP THAT RACKET! GREGORY IS TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH! GREGORY IS GOING TO WEEP!"

GREGORY YOU WERE SO CRUEL TO ME.

NICHOLAS BECAUSE YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE.

GREGORY WE DO WHAT WE CAN TO SURVIVE.

NICHOLAS YOU DID NOTHING! MY FATHER, MY FAMILY KEPT YOU ALIVE.

GREGORY WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE, GIVEN MY CIRCUMSTANCES?

NICHOLAS (music continues) CIRCUMSTANCES? EVERYONE HAS CIRCUMSTANCES,

SOME ARE MUCH WORSE OFF AND YET WE OVERCOME. LOOK AT ME:

A LONELY BOY, FATHERED BY DEBAUCHERY AND DRINK.

YET, I TURNED OUT THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK.

I BECAME RESOURCEFUL, CHARMING, INDEPENDENT,

A SELF-SUFFICIENT MAN OF REFINEMENT AND RESPLENDENCE—

(Music continues through the following.)

GREGORY Resplendance? You live off the money you stole from him! Don't make me laugh.

You switched wills on him while he was sick in bed with no relief,

Tricked him into signing. He died having no idea that he'd left you everything.

If you call that resplendence, you're wrong.

NICHOLAS WELL, LISTEN TO YOU,

PURE AS MORNING DEW,

THE VOICE OF REASON, OF GOODNESS, OF RIGHT.

HAD I NOT TRICKED THAT SWINE

HAD I NOT MADE HIM SIGN

SOME NURSE WOULD BE DRINKING HIS MONEY TONIGHT.

YOU SHOULD THANK ME, GODLY GREGORY,

MOST OF THE MONEY WENT TO HELPING YOU.

BUT WHEN I'D HAD IT WITH HOSTING A PARASITE,

I KNEW WHAT I NEEDED TO DO—

GREGORY (With sudden apprehension) What? Kill me?

(Music stops on a tense chord.)

NICHOLAS Kill you. (a beat) Don't be so base. (laughs) Killing is too good for you.

I wanted to hurt you. (Music resumes) THE ONLY JUSTICE DUE

TO A MAN LIKE YOU,

WHO FLOATS THROUGH LIFE LIKE A BAG ON A BREEZE.

IS TO FORCE YOU TO FEND

FOR YOURSELF. FOR IN THE END

IF THAT DOESN'T KILL YOU, IT'LL BRING YOU TO YOUR KNEES.

IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS SINCE YOU FLEW

FROM YOUR OLD LIFE AND HOW DO I FIND YOU?

NEARLY WASTED AWAY, WAITING FOR ME TO COME

AND SAVE YOU FROM THIS WRETCHED SLUM!

NICHOLAS I KNEW ALL ALONE

OUT HERE ON YOUR OWN

YOU WOULDN'T LAST A SINGLE DAY.

WHY GO THROUGH THE STRESS?

WHEN IT'S FAR LESS OF A MESS

JUST TO LET YOU DIE SLOWLY TRYING TO MAKE YOUR OWN WAY.

GREGORY NO, YOU'RE WRONG. I'VE MADE IT THIS FAR ON MY OWN.

I'M STILL HERE, DESPITE HOW MUCH YOU WANT ME GONE.

I DON'T NEED YOU.

(Music holds another tense chord.)

NICHOLAS WELL, THEN. GOODBYE. GOODBYE, GREGORY.

(Music becomes frantic as GREGORY throws himself at NICHOLAS, smashing him up against the low wall.)

GREGORY (Music resumes, slower, more plaintive.) DON'T YOU WALK AWAY.

DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

NICHOLAS BACK TO MY NEW LIFE.

WHERE AFFABLE AMANDA

WAITS ON A VERANDA

FOR ME TO PLAY POOL BOY TO HER NEGLECTED WIFE.

THERE ATOP THE SOCIALITE LADDER

I HAVE EVERYTHING THAT REALLY MATTERS:

SEX, MONEY, ART, POPULARITY—

GREGORY YOU USED ME. YOU USED ME!

NICHOLAS JUST LIKE YOU USED MY FAMILY.

(NICHOLAS clumsily throws GREGORY off and hurls him down to the ground. He makes to kick GREGORY, but GREGORY springs up and lunges at him again. NICHOLAS dodges him and speeds toward the banquet table. GREGORY faces him, seeing red, poised to attack again.)

NICHOLAS (Pants, visibly rattled, holding one hand out to fend GREGORY off, while behind his back his fingers slowly wrap around a wine bottle. Music becomes soft but tense..)

Take it easy, Gregory, steady, now, steady.

That's it. Don't step any closer to me.

I think it's best that we part ways now. Forever.

You will not contact me again. Ever.

We are no longer brothers. At long last—

(Music stays soft, but grows more intense as NICHOLAS as the sound of chattering becomes audible offstage as the patrons from the gallery begin to come up to the roof for the party.)

The party! Get out of here. Fast!

GREGORY No. (shouting) You shut your mouth.

Let them come. I'm telling them the truth.

NICHOLAS You will not!

(Music resumes as NICHOLA swiftly picks up the bottle and swings it at GREGORY'S head. GREGORY dodges as NICHOLAS continues to slash at him while singing the following.)

BEFORE YOU

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