The Old Man and the Old Moon

Plot

The performance begins with the company of storytellers singing "Song from the Stone" to welcome the audience. One day the Old Woman hears a mysterious melody tied to their forgotten past and flees to find its source. The Old Man pursues her in "The Rain Will Fall. Learning she has gone west by boat, he fails to charter one but receives a hat from a shop owner, despite clerk Mickey's objections that it belonged to his grandfather. Mistaken for the legendary First Naval Lieutenant Pericles Llewellyn McWallander because of the hat, the Old Man boards a warship whose quartermaster is Llewellyn, as sung in "The Sailor's Anthem. The ship is actually heading south for war, and the Old Man realizes the moon is losing light due to his absence. Matheson, also the ship's first mate, tells the crew that McWallander sailed west seeking a mysterious city at the world's end and was last seen at Malefria before his crew mutinied. The Old Man proposes following him to that city, but a rebel attack kills the captain. Facing death in war or desertion charges, the Old Man suggests sailing west, claiming the city is filled with light after a strange memory strikes him. He rallies the crew in "Sail for Love," but obstacles erode their faith as the moon dims. Matheson privately warns the Old Man not to take the crew for granted. At Malefria, two men recognize the hat as McWallander's and reveal they were part of the mutiny; they recently met the Old Woman, who has continued west.