[INTRO — CINEMATIC / NO LYRICS] [A small smile.] [The orchestra begins to grow.] [MARIO — SPOKEN] MARIO: Eight years… [He looks at his suitcase.] MARIO: I think I finally found a place where nobody’s waiting for me to perform. [He laughs quietly.] MARIO: Good. [He starts walking.] [MUSICAL INTRO — THE CITY WAKES] [A food truck opens.] [The music begins gaining] [Mario approaches a food truck.] [VENDOR: Talking] Morning. [MARIO: talking] Morning. [VENDOR: talking] Cold one. [MARIO: talking] I’ve been colder. [The vendor hands him his food.] [Mario walks away.] [A beat begins.] [MARIO — Verse 1] I hear the waves whisper stories At the edge of the morning light, Coney Island’s still dreaming Under Christmas stars tonight. The Wonder Wheel keeps turning, Even when the streets are still, And somewhere past the ocean The city waits beyond the hill. I’ve spent eight years chasing stages, Watching skylines disappear, But tonight there’s something different In the air around me here. No curtain. No spotlight. No crowd calling my name. Just snow falling on the boardwalk, And a city waking up again. [SOPHIE — Verse 2] I thought I’d see familiar faces Waiting somewhere down the street, But the crowd keeps moving past me Like a river underneath my feet. Yellow cabs are racing, Subway lights are flashing gold, Christmas bells are ringing Through a city never old. The Empire State is shining Far beyond the winter haze, And the Statue of Liberty Is watching over everything. So many people. So many stories. Every window holds a life. And somehow in a city this big, I still feel out of sight. [PRE-CHORUS — MARIO & SOPHIE] MARIO: The Brooklyn skyline’s glowing… SOPHIE: The whole city feels alive… MARIO: There’s a thousand roads before me— SOPHIE: And a thousand ways to try… BOTH: I don’t know where this road leads, I don’t know what I’ll find, But something in this city Feels like it’s changing tonight. [CHORUS — MARIO, SOPHIE & ENSEMBLE] MARIO: A new day begins! SOPHIE: A new day begins! BOTH: And the city starts to shine! ENSEMBLE: A new day begins! MARIO: From Coney Island— SOPHIE: To the Manhattan lights— ENSEMBLE: From Brooklyn streets To the Hudson skyline! BOTH: Every corner has a story, Every face has somewhere to go! ENSEMBLE: The city keeps on moving! ALL: And we’re moving with it! A NEW DAY BEGINS! A NEW DAY! A NEW STORY! A NEW BEGINNING! [INSTRUMENTAL DANCE BREAK — “NEW YORK WAKES UP”] [Vocals disappear.] [BOOM — the full groove drops: deep electric bass, punchy hip-hop drums, syncopated R&B percussion, rhythmic piano, brass stabs and cinematic strings.] [A deep R&B bass pulse enters with finger snaps, crisp hi-hats, handclaps] [FINAL BUILD: Full ensemble percussion, massive bass, soaring strings, brass fanfares and shimmering bells.] [Verse 3 — MARIO] Eight years on the road Was long enough to see That every place can feel like home And still not feel like me. I’ve chased applause across the world, I’ve watched the seasons change, But standing here beside the ocean, Something feels different today. Maybe I don’t need another stage. Maybe I just need somewhere I can hear myself again. [Verse 4 — SOPHIE] I don’t need to have the whole road Written out beneath my feet. There’s a world beyond these streets And a world inside of me. I can hear the city calling, Not with answers, but with sound. Every stranger passing by me Has a story all their own. And somewhere in this crowd There’s a life I haven’t seen. So I’ll take another step And let the city lead. [PRE-CHORUS — BOTH] MARIO: The ocean keeps on calling— SOPHIE: The skyline keeps on shining— MARIO: The streets are full of footsteps— SOPHIE: And every light is rising— BOTH: There’s a world beyond the moment We’re standing in tonight. And the first page of the story Is already coming to life. [FINAL CHORUS — FULL ENSEMBLE] [Full orchestra. Huge ensemble. Christmas lights illuminate the entire stage.] MARIO: A NEW DAY BEGINS! SOPHIE: A NEW DAY BEGINS! BOTH: And the whole world comes alive! ENSEMBLE: A NEW DAY BEGINS! MARIO: Hear the ocean! SOPHIE: Hear the city! ENSEMBLE: Hear the streets beneath your feet! BOTH: From the Brooklyn Bridge To the lights of Times Square, From the Wonder Wheel To the winter air— ENSEMBLE: Every road! Every dream! Every stranger passing by! BOTH: There’s a story waiting somewhere Underneath these city lights! ALL: A NEW DAY BEGINS! A NEW DAY! A NEW STORY! A NEW BEGINNING! [FINAL BUILD] [Music begins pulling back, leaving piano, strings and soft bells.] MARIO: The city keeps on turning… SOPHIE: The morning’s almost here… MARIO: And whatever comes tomorrow— SOPHIE: I’ll meet it standing here. BOTH: With a city full of stories… And a road that’s just begun. [OUTRO — Soft Piano and Strings] [FINAL TAG] [They walk toward the same corner.] MARIO: A new day… SOPHIE: A new beginning… [They turn the corner.] BOTH: …begins. [outro]
