Prologue--2 to 3 minutes
Style: Bright, happy, party music. The band would be playing at Page's party.
Business: Before the actual script starts, but the first moments of the show. The town has gathered at the Page house for a party for the visiting dignitary, John Falstaff. In the course of this piece of party music/hoe down, we meet the principal characters and establish their relationships. I see it starting as a meeting of the townswomen--a chance to catch their breath and celebrate one another. They would be interrupted by their kids, who would send them in a bunch of different directions. Servants would be sent after the children. Anne Page and her friends would come in as would Fenton and Dr. Caius. We would see Anne's parents reacting to both men and their affection towards their daughter. The other men (including Falstaff and his coterie) would be a part of this. We would see Falstaff's lack of money and George Page would call everyone into dinner. The piece would end as the party clears the stage and Shallow, Slender and Sir Hugh take it.
Garter Dance 1--2 to 3 minutes or so
Style: Bright, but more dance hall
Business: Transition to the Garter Inn (Scene 1 to Scene 2). We will see the establishment of the brothel and the characters that come from there: the Hostess, the ensemble, Fenton, Falstaff and his men. The girls bring in the set and flirt with the men. One of the girls who has to tend bar is being worn down, and is ready to quit. The Hostess enters, and we have a bit of actual dance (32 to 64 counts) for the girls to do. This dance ends (though the music goes on) as Falstaff enters. He is called over to the posse's table as they want to be paid, he has no money for them. The worn down bartender has packed her bag and is ready to quit, when Falstaff starts the scene and the music is out.
Music Cue 3--30 seconds or so
Style: Could be a solo instrument here. A bit of a bustle, but this could be "theme" music for Mistress Quickly, as she is the focus of the next business
Business: Transition to French Doctor's house (Scene 2 to Scene 3)
Music Cue 4--30 seconds or so
Style: Wives' music. A duet? Meg Page is traditional and staid at first glance but mischievous and wily. Alice Ford is bold, forward and funny, but a little needy too. They aren't melancholy in the least. This focuses a bit more on Meg Page as she has the opening minute or two to herself.
Business: Transition to bare stage (Scene 3 to Scene 4). Could underscore a bit of the beginning of the next scene (Meg alone).
Music Cue 5--30-45 seconds or so
Style: A short reprise of a bit of the Garter Dance 1, perhaps.
Business: Transition back to the Garter Inn (Scene 4 to Scene 5)
Music Cue 6--30-45 seconds or so
Style: Ford's theme. He's the jealous husband who becomes quite ma as the play goes along. He's conflicted and suspicious and always wrong. Wouldn't want it to be dark by any means, but not necessarily bright
Business: Transition to the Duel (Scene 5 to Scene 6), and the music could fade into a low bass note(s) as the characters are pacing waiting for the duel to start. The piece could start before the end of the last scene and underscore Ford's descent a bit.
Music Cue 7--30 seconds or so
Style: The low bass note(s) from before, as a throwback as new characters are pacing about.
Business: Underscore, Sir Hugh's nervousness for the duel to start (embedded within the middle of Scene 6).
Music Cue 8--30 seconds or so
Style: Could be a funny (recognizable) stinger as a girl (Robin, Falstaff's Page) who has been dressed as a boy is now in a flowery and frilly dress. And she hates it. Or could be a play off of Sir Hugh's use of Amazing Grace in the last scene.
Business: Transition to a recap scene (Scene 6 to Scene 7) of where every plot is.
Music Cue 9--30-45 seconds or so
Style: Wive's theme again. More emphasis on Alice Ford part.
Business: Transition to the first assignation scene (Scene 7 to Scene 8).
Music Cue 10--1 to 2 minutes or so
Style: Full on Wive's theme? Something fun and bright? Almost anything goes here.
Business: Transition to intermission
Music Cue 11--30 seconds to a minute or so.
Style: Almost anything goes here. Bring the audience back into the play. Could be a reprise of the opening or the the wives' theme again.
Business: Transition from intermission to Anne throwing a fit with Fenton (Intermission to Scene 9)
Music Cue 12--30-45 seconds or so
Style: Reprise of Garter Dance 1 or another such dance hall song. A bit of preview of Garter Dance 2? A bit of Ford's theme?
Business: Transition to Garter Inn (Scene 9 to Scene 10)
Music Cue 13--30 seconds or so
Style: Quickly theme here again, as she quickly becomes the focus of the next bit.
Business: Transition to street (Scene 10 to Scene 11)
Music Cue 14--30-45 seconds or so
Style: Wive's theme again.
Business: Transition to second assignation scene (Scene 11 to Scene 12)
Garter Dance 2--3 minutes or so
Style: Bright dance hall number
Business: Transition to Garter Inn (Scene 12 to Scene 13). Girls come in for dance and the customer line up (32 bars of dance perchance). Caius comes in and chooses no one, Sir Hugh comes in and the girls break up their line up. He and Caius meet. They are obviously waiting on someone. Three Germans come in in ridiculous costumes and beards. Caius and Sir Hugh go up to meet them, they pay the three men (Pistol, Nym and Robin/Rugby), and then leave. The girls start to seduce the men (16 bars if dance). There's a bit where the two young girls put them off, and then Bardolph comes over to get their drink order. The Germans want to buy horses and the girls go to show them the stables, Bardolph comes down to tell the Hostess and the dialogue begins/music out.
Music Cue 16--1 minute or so
Style: We are headed into the woods, so it could be almost anything.
Business: The production moves into the wilderness and we have a pretty big set transition (Scene 13 to Scene 14). This is the moment where all the plots come together and much wackiness is ended. The scene takes place at midnight, in the woods and there are children dressed as fairies, men wearing antlers on their head in order to get laid and 2 boys and a girl dressed alike so that Anne's suitors are thrown off.
Darlin' Clementine--2 minutes or so
Style: Fast and fun
Business: Kids sing around Falstaff as they pinch and burn him (embedded in Scene 14). There are different lyrics
Music Cue 17--3 minutes or so
Style: This could be the wives' theme full out; it could be something great and new that sends us off into a bright and shiny new day together.
Business: Final kiss into curtain call.
There may be a couple of times where we pull in Ford's theme, or Quickly theme for a few measures or so just to give us a taste. I'm not planning on that at this point, but these cues will undoubtedly change.
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