Based on the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, this musical with a book by Hugh Wheeler, concerns three mismatched couples. Desiree Armfeldt, an actress, is seeing Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm who is married to Charlotte Malcolm. Frederik Egerman, Desiree's past lover, is married to the still-virginal Anne, who is half his age. Henrik Egerman, Frederik's son who is also a divinity student, loves his stepmother Anne, who is a year younger than him. Petra, Frederik and Anne's maid, Madame Armfeldt, Desiree's mother, and Frederica, Desiree's daughter round out the action which occurs in town and at "A Weekend in the Country" at Madame Armfeldt's house in the land of the midnight sun. Also features a lieder quintet as a Greek chorus.