A Rumor In St. Petersburg

Ensemble:
The Neva flows, a new wind blows and soon it will be spring.

GLEB
We hear you comrades. The revolution hears you.
Together we will forge a new Russia, that will be the envy of all the world.
The Tsar's St Petersburg is now the people's Leningrad.

DMITRY
They can call it Leningrad, but it'll always be Petersburg. New name same empty stomachs.

They tell us times are better
Well I say they're not
Can't cook an empty promise
In an empty pot
A brighter day is dawning
It's almost at hand
The skies are grey, the walls have ears and he who argues disappears.

DMITRY & ENSEMBLE
Hail our great new land

Ensemble
St. Petersburg is gloomy, a city on the rise.

WOMAN 1
It's really very friendly

WOMAN 2
If you don't mind spies.

MAN 2
We stand behind our leaders

Man 3:
And stand in line for bread

ENSEMBLE
We're good and loyal comrades
And our favorite color's red

DMITRY
Now everyone is equal
Professors push the brooms

DMITRY & ENSEMBLE
Two dozen total strangers
Live in two small rooms
You hold a revolution
And here's the price you pay

ENSEMBLE
Thank goodness for the gossip
Thank goodness for the gossip
That gets us through the day
Hey!
Have you heard
There's a rumor in St Petersburg
Have you heard
What they're saying on the street?

MAN 4
Although the Tsar did not survive
One daughter may be still alive

ENSEMBLE
The Princess Anastasia

MAN 4
But please do not repeat

ENSEMBLE
It's a rumor
A legend
A mystery
Something whispered in an alleyway
Or through a crack
It's a rumor
That's part of our history

WOMAN 3
They say her royal grandmamma
Will pay a royal sum

ENSEMBLE
To someone who can bring the princess back

VLAD (spoken)
Dmitry! They've closed another border!
We should have gotten out of Russia while we still could.
(Sung)
St Petersburg was lovely when royalty was in.
I called myself a count as though I'd always been.
I hobnobbed with the royals, but then a change of luck.
The tsar was dead.
The royals fled and comrade now we're stuck!

DMITRY (spoken)
Vlad! I've been thinking about the princess Anastasia.

VLAD (spoken)
Oh not you too, Dmitry!

It's the rumor
The legend
The mystery
It's the Princess Anastasia
Who will help us fly
You and I friend
Will go down
In history
We'll find a girl to play the part
And teach her what to say
Dress her up and take her to Paris

VLAD
Imagine the reward
Her dear old grandmamma would pay

DMITRY & VLAD
Who else could pull it off
But you and me

ANYA (spoken)
No!

GLEB (spoken)
It was a truck backfiring comrade, That's all it was. Those days are over.
Neighbor against neighbor. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore. You're shaking.
There's a tea shop just steps from here, let me…

ANYA (spoken)
Thank you.

GLEB (spoken)
What's your hurry.

ANYA (spoken)
I can't lose this job. They're not easy to come by. But Thank you.

GLEB
I'm here everyday

MAN 5
A ruble for this painting
It's Romanov I swear

MAN 6
Count Yusopov's pajamas
Comrade buy the pair

MAN 3
I found this in the palace
Initialed with an “A”
It could be Anastasia's
Now what will someone pay

DMITRY (spoken)
We need something of hers to show the old lady.
How much is that music box?

MAN 3 (spoken)
Ah. The music box. It's genuine Romanov. I could never part with it.

DMITRY (spoken)
Two can's of beans comrade?

MAN 3 (spoken)
Done.

DMITRY (spoken)
Do you believe in fairy tales, Vlad?

VLAD (spoken)
Once upon a time I did.

DMITRY (spoken)
We're going to create a fairy tale the whole world will believe.
(Sung)
Now it's risky but not more then usual.
We'll need papers, we'll need tickets, we'll need nerves of steel.

VLAD
Yes it's risky, a lot more then usual.

DMITRY
We'll try to cross the border with our princess and our plot.

VLAD
hopefully disaster won't ensue.

Dmitry
With luck it'll all go smoothly

VLAD
And with luck we won't be shot

DMITRY & VLAD
Who else could pull it off
But me and you

DMITRY
We'll be rich

VLAD
We'll be rich

DMITRY
We'll be out

VLAD
We'll be out

DMITRY & VLAD
And St Petersburg will have some more
To talk about

ENSEMBLE
I heard it from a person
I heard it from a person
Who was assured me that it was absolutely true
Shh!
Have you heard
There's a rumor in St. Petersburg
Have you heard
Comrade what do you suppose?

VLAD
A fascinating mystery

DMITRY
The biggest con in history

ALL
The Princess Anastasia
Alive or dead
Who knows
Shh!