Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the performance of "La Ragazza Bella". Would you please turn off all pagers and cell phones and we hope you'll enjoy the performance. Thank You.
ACT ONE
Scene: A Village Square.
Curtain opens to reveal a quiet village square. The door of the one the house opens as Isabella steps out taking a deep breath with a grin on her face. It is her 18th birthday and she can’t wait to get all her presents. As the first beat of the music starts, Isabella takes several slow steps into the center of the stage. After which the music bursts into a quick lively tempo and Isabella breaks into a dance.
At the end of her dance, the villagers start appearing from both sides bringing out their carts and baskets and waving and greeting each other. Isabella’s three friends come onstage, holding a present for Isabella. Isabella runs over to them as they give her the box. Happily, Isabella opens the present and discovers a pretty hat inside. She hugs each of her friends as the four of them go into a dance (2).
During the dance, Jacques enters the village square also holding a present for Isabella. After the dance, Jacques takes Isabella’s hand and brings her to the front of the stage and gives her his gift. Opening it, Isabella takes out a necklace. Surprised, she flings her arms around Jacques as he twirls her around. After which, he helps to put on the necklace for her then taking her hand, kisses it gently. Isabella shyly looks away, not wanting to look at him. Taking her to the center of the stage, the crowd parts as Isabella and Jacques dance together in a beautiful Pas De Deux (3).
After which, Isabella’s family enters the village square. Isabella sees them and excitedly runs to them and hugs them, also giving her father a kiss on the cheek. Isabella’s father takes his hands from behind his back presenting a big box. Excitedly, Isabella tears the wrapping off and throws open the box and takes out a beautiful dress. It the exact one she had asked for a few months ago! Again, Isabella hugs her entire family, thanking them for the wonderful gift. Just then, Isabella’s father tells the village to gather for a dance in honor of the birthday girl. As Isabella shows off her new dress to Jacques and her friends, the rest of the village does a dance together (4). Straight after the villagers dance, Claudine grabs Isabella and Elizabeth and the three sisters dance together (5).
Night is starting to fall on the village after the celebrations and the villagers slowly leave until everyone is offstage including Isabella. As the strands of the music begin, Isabella steps out of her house, wearing the hat her friends gave her and holding onto a suitcase. She’s ready to head for the city! She does a slow dance (6), trying to remember every corner of her village. Just then, Jacques steps onstage. He tries to convince her to stay but to no avail. As the music ends and Isabella picks up her suitcase to leave, she blows Jacques a kiss and slowly walks off.
INTERMISSION
ACT TWO
Scene: An industrial city
Isabella enters the city, looking all around her in awe. She has never seen buildings so tall! The city looks completely different from her village. All around her, people are walking around, trying to get to work or to meet someone. As Isabella looks around the City People go into a dance (7). As Isabella watched the people dance, she does not notice a good looking stranger standing across from her, looking at her watch the city dwellers dance.
At the end of Isabella’s dance, Elliot approaches her and takes her hand, gently planting a kiss on her knuckles. Taken aback, Isabella takes a step back but Elliot holds on to her hand and takes a step behind her as the music starts and they start to dance a Pas De Deux (8). At the end of the dance, Elliot leads her offstage as if showing her around trying to impress her with his knowledge of the city.
When Isabella comes onstage again, she is dressed in some sort of rags walking around with her 2 friends. As people walk across the street Isabella goes up to them asking for some money. As one person after the other rejects her, the strands of the music start and Isabella and her friends go into a Pas de trios (9).
As the dance comes to an end, Elliot comes onstage. He is angry and Isabella’s friends can see it and they leave as quietly as possible. (10) Elliot takes the bag Isabella was using to collect money and puts all the money in his pocket. He turns to leave but Isabella holds onto him, begging him not to leave. Elliot pushes Isabella away and stomps offstage leaving Isabella to sob by herself onstage.
When we see Isabella onstage again, she is holding her suitcase and walking around aimlessly… Not knowing what to do. She sits down and opens her suitcase and people around her walk. She takes out the hat her friends in the village had given to her and then takes out the dress her father had given to her. Caressing it against her chest, Isabella dances in the moonlight (11). As the music ends, Isabella walks off stage with her suitcase, vowing that she would return to her village as soon as she had the money to.
As she does, Jacques enters the stage. He had gone to the city to search for Isabella not wanting to leave her by herself in the city. As he looks around for her, Isabella walks onstage again trying to ask people for money and she goes up to Jacques to ask him without noticing who he was. Jacques recognizes Isabella and they dance together (12). As the dance ends, the curtains close ending the ballet.
