Say No to This (2014 Workshop)

[HAMILTON]
When I’m alone in my room, sometimes I stare at the wall
On this particular night I felt my conscious stall
I heard a knock on the door, I knew it wasn't my wife
That’s when Miss Maria Reynolds walked into my life
She said:

[MARIA]
I know you are a man of honor
I’m so sorry to bother you at home
But I don’t know where to go, and I came here all alone…

[HAMILTON]
She said:

[MARIA]
My husband’s doin’ me wrong
Beatin’ me, cheatin’ me, mistreatin’ me...
Suddenly he’s up and gone
I don’t have the means to go on

[HAMILTON]
So I offered her a loan, I offered to walk her home, she said

[MARIA]
You’re too kind, sir

[HAMILTON]
I gave her thirty bucks that I had socked away
She lived a block away, she said:

[MARIA]
This one’s mine, sir

[HAMILTON]
Then I said, “well, I should head back home,”
She turned red, she led me to her bed
Let her legs spread and said:

[MARIA]
Stay?

[HAMILTON]
Hey…

[MARIA]
Hey…

[HAMILTON]
That’s when I began to pray:
Lord, show me how to
Say

[HAMILTON/ENSEMBLE]
No to this

[HAMILTON]
I don’t know how to

[HAMILTON/ENSEMBLE]
Say no to this

But my God, she looks so helpless
And her body’s screaming, “hell, yes”

[MARIA]
Whoa...

[HAMILTON]
Oh show me how to say

[HAMILTON/ENSEMBLE]
No to this

[HAMILTON]
I don’t know how to

[HAMILTON/ENSEMBLE]
Say no to this

[HAMILTON]
In my mind, I’m tryin’ to go

[ENSEMBLE]
Go! Go! Go!

[HAMILTON]
Then her mouth is on mine, and I don’t say…

[ENSEMBLE]
Nooooooo!
Nooooooo!

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[MARIA]
Yes

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[ENSEMBLE]
Nooooooo!

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[MARIA]
Yes

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[ENSEMBLE]
Nooooooo!

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[MARIA]
Yes!

[ELIZA] [ENSEMBLE] [ANGELICA] Helpless! Hey hey hey hey I look into your eyes Hey hey And the sky’s the limit Hey hey I’m helpless! Hey hey hey hey Will he ever be satisfied? Down for the count, He will and I’m never drownin’ in ‘em be satisfied
[HAMILTON]
I wish I could say that was the last time
I said that last time. It became a pastime
A month into this endeavor I received a letter
From a Mr. James Reynolds, even better, it said:

[JAMES]
Dear Sir, I hope this letter finds you in good health
And in a prosperous enough position to put wealth
In the pockets of people like me: down on their luck
You see, that was my wife who you decided to

[HAMILTON]
Fuck!

[JAMES]
Uh-oh! You made the wrong would-be sucker a cuckold
So time to pay the piper for the pants you unbuckled
And hey, you can keep seein’ my whore wife
If the price is right: if not I’m telling your wife

[HAMILTON]
I hid the letter and I raced to her place
Screamed “How could you?!” in her face
She said:

[MARIA]
No, sir!

[HAMILTON]
Half dressed, apologetic. A mess, she looked
Pathetic, she cried:

[MARIA]
Please don’t go, sir!

[HAMILTON]
So was your whole story a setup?

[MARIA]
I don’t know about any letter!

[HAMILTON]
Stop crying
Goddamnit, get up!

[MARIA]
I didn’t know any better

[HAMILTON]
I am ruined...

[MARIA] [HAMILTON] Please don’t leave me with him helpless I am helpless —how could you do this!? Just give him what he wants and you can have me I don’t want you Whatever you want, I don’t want you If you pay I don’t want you You can stay
[HAMILTON]
Lord, show me how to

[HAMILTON/ENSEMBLE]
Say no to this

[MARIA]
And I

[ENSEMBLE]
Say no to this

[HAMILTON]
Cuz the situation’s helpless

[MARIA]
Helpless

[HAMILTON]
And her body’s screaming, “Hell, yes”

[MARIA]
Whoa!

[HAMILTON]
Lord show me how to say

[HAMILTON/ENSEMBLE]
No to this

[HAMILTON] [MARIA] How can I say no to this? How can you say no to this?
[HAMILTON]
There is nowhere I can go

[ENSEMBLE]
Go! Go! Go!

[HAMILTON]
When her body’s on mine I do not say…

[ENSEMBLE]
Nooooooo!

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[MARIA]
Yes

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[ENSEMBLE]
Nooooooo!

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[MARIA]
Yes

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[ENSEMBLE]
Nooooooo!

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[MARIA]
Yes!

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[ENSEMBLE]
Nooooooo!

[HAMILTON]
Yes

[MARIA]
Yes!

[HAMILTON] [MARIA] [ENSEMBLE] Say no to this… I don’t say no to this Don’t say no to this There is nowhere I can go. Go go go...
[JAMES]
So?