Anne Egerman sketch

Next in my "A Little Night Music" lineup is Anne, the teenage bride of the aging lawyer, Frederik Egerman.

They've been married for 11 months, but Anne is still a virgin; she's quite afraid, though she couldn't say why. She's a child trying to be a woman, unsure of how to discipline the servants or be a mother to a son who's nearly her own age. She still sees Frederik as her father's friend, "Dear Old Frederik," and can't manage to make herself feel comfortable with his sexual advances, despite loving him dearly. She's also deeply bothered by knowing he's been with several women before, which makes her "vanish inside" when she thinks about it. Anne seems to be unconsciously wishing for someone with the ideals and inexperience of youth, who will adore her alone, while Frederik can't help but be weary and rather dishearteningly realistic, letting her know that before he married her, some things were better and some things were worse in his life.

The paper in her hand is an invitation to the country estate of Mme. Armfeldt, whose daughter recently had a one-night affair with Frederik that Anne just found out about.