Talk:On the Razzle (play)

Plot Summary

ACT ONE

Herr Zangler, who owns a shop in 1830s Vienna, is off to receive the Grocer of the year award, but he has a lot on his mind. For one thing, his niece, Marie, is in love with his employee Herr Sonders. Zangler, a penny pincher, believes Sonders to be broke when a Belgian foreigner runs in trying to deliver a message. Unfortunately, the foreigner can't get through to Zangler and he gets the message wrong. Sonders tries to explain that his rich aunt in Brussels has promised him all her money at her death, but Zangler is determined to make sure that he never sees Marie again.

Suddenly, in walks Melchior, a dimwitted fellow looking for employment. After going through his resume, which is summed up in one word, "classic," (his catchphrase throughout the show). Despite severe stupidity and clumsiness, Melchior is hired by Zangler to be his servant. At the end of the scene, Zangler goes over the whole plot; he has to get his suit fixed, he has a servant he doesn't know what to do with, his niece is in love with his ward, and he's has to meet his fiancee, Madame Knorr, at the Harmonia Gardens cafe that night to propose marriage. "One false move and we could have a farce on our hands," he proclaims as he exits.

We then meet Christopher and Weinberl, two lowly employees of Zangler. Christopher, a sweeper in the store, doesn't have the skills of Weinberl, Zangler's trusted clerk. At the beginning of the scene, Weinberl, otherwise known as "Scaramouche," is sending a letter to his secret pen-pal lover, "Elegant and under 40." Weinberl makes a lengthy speech on his and Christopher's duty to society as members of the working class of Vienna. Just as he finishes, Zangler walks in, telling the two boys that he has to leave to go into town, and they're in charge of the shop for the day. Since Zangler is planning on retiring, he promotes Weinberl to head, and Christopher to Weinberl's old position. As Zangler leaves, Weinberl realizes that if he spends his whole life working in the grocery store, he'll never have a past. For once, he declares, he wants to have a day that he'll remember. Christopher obliges and desperately begs to go with him. It's set: Weinberl and Christopher will go to Vienna together.

But just then, Gertrud, Zangler's monotone servant, enters. In the nick of time, Weinberl puts on Zangler's suit and pretends to be him. Gertrud then leaves, but soon Zangler begins to come back! Weinberl hides in the closet. Suddenly, Sonders and Marie, running in fear, jump in the closet with him. When they realize they're not alone, they see the body of Weinberl fall out of the closet. Not realizing it's him, they believe it to be Zangler and begin frantically apologizing. Weinberl then gets up and touches their heads. Believing it to be Zangler's blessing, they begin to plan their new life together--until Zangler enters and disrupts the party. Sonders and Marie run out, but no one knows where they'll go. With Zangler out of the way, Weinberl and Christopher are free to go to Vienna on Lightning the horse.

Once they arrive in Vienna, they witness a grand parade. But suddenly, they remember that Zangler would be at the parade!!!! Quickly thinking, Weinberl and Christopher run away. When they see Zangler approaching, they hide in the window of a dress shop. Zangler enters with a brass quintet, who plays a song for Madame Knorr. Melchior then runs in, trying to explain that he thinks he's seen Sonders & Marie. Zangler doesn't pay attention and doesn't believe him until he says "It's not proper!," Marie's recurring phrase. Zangler then realizes they have to find them. They run off together.

In the dress shop, Weinberl is pretending to try on a very expensive dress. A servant, Philippine, comes in and catches him in the act. To cover it up, Weinberl pretends he is the husband of Mrs. Fischer, the woman who runs the dress shop. Philippine points out that Mrs. Fischer is a widow. Weinberl comes up with a quick lie saying that they married very quickly a few days earlier. Madame Knorr and Mrs. Fischer come down. Knorr, beside herself at the thought that Mrs. Fischer has married again, does not notice her comrade's immediate dislike to Weinberl. They immediately begin bickering on their first meeting. Madame Knorr expresses her distaste in love, as she disliked her fiancee's little brass band, rather than the little "gold band" she was expecting (of course they have no knowledge that it's Zangler she's mentioning). As Christopher enters to find Weinberl and Mrs. Fischer kissing, Weinberl quickly covers it up, introducing Christopher as "--My Cousin! He's the Country Cousin, and I'm--the Kissing Cousin!" They then proceed to go to the Imperial Gardens Cafe.

INTERMISSION

Zangler and Melchior are hiding behind a bush and a folding screen at the Imperial Gardens, keeping their eye out for a Scottish couple (Melchior said they were dressed in kilts and shawls). Melchior then gets folded in his screen and manages to knock over some waiter's dishes. The only help they get in trying to find Sonders and Marie is from a sexually perverted coachman who is more preoccupied with getting laid than helping them ("What are they like? Round like apples or pointy like pears?" he desperately asks). Despite much banter, they finally secure the Coachman's help with the promise that when he takes Sonders & Marie to their destination, the home of Zangler's sister in law, Fraulein Blumenblatt, he will be able to have his way with the French Maid, as Melchior aptly suggests. "How do you know about the French Maid?" "You mean there IS one?" Melchior replies.

Zangler keeps Melchior on the lookout for Sonders and Marie, who inadvertently cancels Zangler's original order, sees three different couples, and mistakes two of them for Sonders & Marie (who were in all actuality, the first couple). Melchior, embarassed, runs out of the restaurant, just as Weinberl, Christopher, Madame Knorr and Mrs. Fischer enter. They take Zangler's table and Christopher and Weinberl come to the horrific realization that they've run out of money. After trying to fake their way out of a full order, they find Zangler's Wallet and begin to go on a spree. When Melchior sees that they've taken the table, they stand him up and get him out of the restaurant.

In the middle of the dinner, Weinberl and Christopher see Zangler sitting at an adjacent table. They tell Fischer & Knorr to close their eyes and count to ten as they make a hasty escape out the window, leaping into the nearest coach possible, in this case, that of the sexually perverted coachman. A hyperactive constable runs in claiming that a young couple has just leaped into the coach. Zangler, thinking the plan has worked, thinks nothing of it until he sees a cake being delivered to Madame Knorr, after which Sonders and Marie run into the restaurant. As Zangler is handed the bill, he faints.

The lights rise on Mrs. Blumenblatt's parlor. She explains her dillemna to her French Maid, Lisette, who wants to know about love. Mrs. Blumenblatt explains that she was in love for one moment of her life: she saw a man in the Banhofstrasse--three seconds before a horse tram ran him over. The French Maid hopes that she too will find love. Just then, the doorbell rings. In come the constable, dragging Weinberl and Christopher, thought to be Sonders and Marie. "I'm not the woman you think I am!" Christopher exclaims. "I'm not even the woman you THINK is the woman you think I am!" Weinberl and Christopher try to explain their situation, despite a brief interruption from the Coachman, who runs in, finds Lisette, and runs offstage with her to an inevitable conclusion (note: whenever the French Maid re-enters to answer the door, she is in a post-orgasm state. ALWAYS).

As Weinberl and Christopher continue to chat with Mrs. Blumenblatt, Sonders enters, claiming himself to be Herr Weinberl. At that moment, Mrs. Blumenblatt introduces the real Weinberl to the real Sonders, getting their names reversed in the identity-change game. To add to the confusion, once Melchior enters to straighten everything out, she puts HIM under arrest for the impersonation of Weinberl. "This place is teeming with frauds!" Melchior screams. As the constable enters to place him under arrest, Zangler enters with Mrs. Fischer and Madame Knorr, to which Weinberl jumps out the window, Sonders runs into the fireplace, and Christopher runs up the stairs. Mrs. Blumenblatt explains the situation and Zangler and Melchior storm into the garden to find Christopher and Weinberl, completely ignoring Sonders & Marie. Madame Knorr then explains to Mrs. Blumenblatt how her husband died: he was knocked over by a horse tram in the Banhofstrasse. The latter promptly faints.

In the garden, Zangler and Melchior are led to the French Maid upstairs. Weinberl, hiding in the garden, lament their fate, but at that moment, Sonders enters with a ladder to find Marie (really Christopher). He asks for the documents they had used that day to prove that Sonders was her legal guardian. Christopher leads him upstairs. After trying to move the ladder, they find Lightning the horse. Just then, the Coachman enters, causing Christopher to hide in the bushes. He enters the room Sonders has just entered, after which Sonders knocks him out and runs down the ladder. After Zangler leads Melchior, Sonders, Marie, Madame Knorr and Mrs. Fischer out of the garden, Weinberl & Christopher are free to make their escape.

Weinberl and Christopher get back to the shop with little time to hide. When Zangler enters, Christopher comes out of the cellar and pretends to have been sweeping the whole time. But Weinberl is missing. Just at that very moment, Weinberl drops through the delivery chute behind the desk, and Zangler takes it that they've been at the shop the whole time. The rest of Zangler's party follows, and he proceeds to show the rest around the shop. When he tries out the zip line basket for their amusement, it knocks off Sonders' top hat that he swiped from the Coachman, revealing he and Marie. Zangler, ready to kill them both, is stopped by the Belgian foreigner, who has by now learned enough English to explain what he couldn't a while ago: Sonders' aunt in Brussels has died and left him all her money. Zangler accepts his proposal to Marie joyfully and then toasts his engagement to Madame Knorr. Zangler then announces his retirement to them all, and names Weinberl in charge of the store. Just as they are about to exit, Weinberl receives his newest letter from "Elegant and Under 40." As he opens it, he realizes his secret love the whole time was really--Mrs. Fischer!!! They embrace. Before everyone leaves for the garden, Melchior turns to Christopher and Weinberl menacingly. As he reaches into his pocket, the duo backs up. Melchior pulls out a bottle opener and pops a bottle of champagne, exclaiming "Classic!" before joining the rest of his party.

As Weinberl & Christopher reminisce about their day, a young Ragamuffin enters the store, looking for employment. Weinberl leaves it to Christopher to hand the young man a broom. While he tells the young man about his experience in Vienna, Zangler calls out "Weinberl!!!!" and he makes a hasty exit. As the ragamuffin sweeps the floors, he asks Christopher about Vienna. As Christopher puts his arm around his shoulder, he says, "Vienna? It's--it's wonderful."

The lights fade out.

Advertising in article

"The play is currently running at the..."

With all due respect to the terrific Oregon Shakespeare Festival, I think there's a Wikipedia guideline against inserting advertising into an article. This is an encyclopedia; as such, its articles should speak about the play itself and its relationship to theatre and to Stoppard's other work. At any given time now and in the future--including long after you, the author, have left this world--there will be productions of this work occurring in various locations across the world. Each production will open and at some point, close. It is not practical or relevant to insert a plug for one or more such productions. The article needs to be about the play itself--period. 66.26.79.152 17:51, 3 May 2007 (UTC)simonlefranc@hotmail.com

And this appears to have opened the floodgates for every amateur dram. soc. on the planet to plug its version. "Popular Shiphay amateur Lee-James Bovey" eh? Be still my beating heart... AuntFlo (talk) 15:32, 19 June 2008 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:OnTheRazzle.jpg

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BetacommandBot (talk) 14:24, 2 January 2008 (UTC)