Andrew Caplan:
I have a question for Robert St. Laurence: What goes through you mind as you sing "One Song Glory," and how do you think the song affects the rest of the opera?
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Dear Andrew,
One Song Glory is a tough number to perform, mainly due to the fragmentation of the thoughts expressed. I mean, just getting the lyrics right is an enormous task, with all the random 'one song' and 'glory' lyrics scattered about the number. The song mainly expresses Roger's feeling behind the need to write this "one great song." These thoughts and feelings are what drive his actions throughout the story.
There are many layers-- the first being his need to connect with the world and the people around him. He is so plagued by his inability to open himself up to his friends, and he works to do that the only way he knows how, through music. Part of the reason he fails to connect to the world is his constant reliving and inability to accept the past; the main events relevant to this song being the loss of April and contracting HIV. He has already declared his life to be over, and sees his only hope in making a mark on the world as leaving behind "one great song," before he dies.
As the number begins, Roger is in a place of doubt, mocking his 'mantra' of writing one great song. It's the one thing he's held on to for the last couple months/years, and as time passes he loses faith that he can complete this task or that he is even worthy or capable of writing something worthy of glory. He jabs at himself, mocking his previous image and lifestyle as the "pretty boy front man." This is one of Roger's go-to defense mechanisms: to deflect or push away. He grapples with what glory even means, and what is deserving of it. He resents April for taking the easy way out and leaving him to suffer a seemingly endless life of self-imposed isolation and torment. He repeatedly tries to block out his demons, refocusing on the task at hand. Toward the end of the song, a large truth is revealed when he questions a greater power condemning a "young man" to such a bleak fate, and expresses his fear and desire for release from the prison of life.
One Song Glory encompasses much of what drives or inhibits Roger, and much of the drama of the show regarding his character's arc focuses on how this objectives and beliefs hold-up or change when in direct conflict with other characters'. The biggest moment being the final song: Your Eyes. He finally finds the song that will leave his mark on the world and allow him to connect to Mimi, but realizes that the 'perfect song' can't do what an honest and open 'I love you' can. He spends most of the play building a wall to protect himself from the outside world, while others chisel away at it, and in the end he makes the decision to take it down completely. And in that moment, he completes his growth into embracing his loved ones and the fragile present he lives in.
That was a really long answer to a short question, but I hope that gives you an idea of in inner process throughout the song and show.
Sincerely,
Robert St. Laurence
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