Act One

The curtain rises on a driving thunderstorm, late at night. A man is being chased by someone... or something (PROLOGUE). Through flashes of lightning, we are afforded fleeting glimpses of the figure chasing the man - a sword, a robe or a cloak. We can't see his head. Is it being obscured by a hood, or does he simply have no head?

It is now autumn, and we now move to the town square of Sleepy Hollow, where the new schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane is making his arrival (ICHABOD CRANE). The men find him decidedly odd, but the women are fascinated and even smitten, including the daughter of the county's most successful farmer, Katrina Van Tassel.

As Ichabod takes up his duties and his residence in the schoolhouse, he is greeted by Ezekiel Van Brunt, the 12 year-old brother of Brom Bones, who arrives with a half eaten sweet potato pie him mama has made as a welcoming gift to the pedagogue. Ichabod learns that Ezekiel will be his only pupil until the busy harvest season is complete. Brom arrives on the scene to take Ezekiel back home, telling him that learning "fancy words" will have to wait. Ichabod prepares to leave for the day, donning his hat and coat. Momentarily, he looks thoughtfully at the pages of his book of Psalmodies as Katrina Van Tassel arrives on the scene. He immediately returns the book to his coat pocket. Katrina tells him that she trying to find Ezekiel, who stole her sweet potato pie from her window sill. The mutual attraction between the pair is quite evident as Ichabod offers to walk Katrina home.

Upon arriving home, Katrina finds that Brom Bones has still not arrived to take her for their scheduled picnic. When Brom finally does arrive, Baltus berates him and Gretchen sends him into the house on an errand. Martha, Katrina's best friend, arrives, asking Katrina for help with a note she has received from a secret admirer. Her imagination runs wild thinking about the kind of man who could have written her such a letter.

Baltus emerges from the house carrying a rolled parchment, a Revolutionary War scroll, given to him by his father. Ignoring Gretchen's protests, Baltus tells his oft-told tale about how the scroll came to be (THREE ROSES). Gretchen threatens to dispose of the scroll, so Baltus gives it to Brom for safe keeping. Brom notices that, in addition to devouring every word of Baltus' story, the schoolmaster seems to be setting his sights on Katrina; and worst of all, she is not discouraging him. Brom immediately escorts her Katrina to their picnic, but not before she invites Ichabod to dine with her and her family the following evening.

The following afternoon, Ichabod is preparing for his evening with Katrina (SIX O'CLOCK TONIGHT). A bit later, Ichabod arrives and dines with the Van Tassel family and when he is overheard singing a love song in the sitting room (PARLOR SONG), Gretchen offers him the vacant position of choirmaster at the town church. After the meal, Ichabod, alone with Katrina, fully expresses his feelings for her by giving her a red rose he has kept hidden inside his coat all evening. He says to her, "It is said that if you place the petals of a rose beneath your pillow before you go to sleep, you will dream of the one you will love forever." She gladly accepts the flower, promising to remember that beautiful sentiment forever. Immediately following Ichabod's departure, Brom stealthily enters the room, warning Katrina to stay away from the schoolteacher.

She informs Brom that since he has never asked for her hand, she may keep company with whomever she wishes. In a rage, Brom snatches and destroys her rose keepsake, threatening to do the same to Ichabod if she continues in this way. Katrina furiously chases him out of the house, then sadly attends to her destroyed flower. She realizes that no matter what anyone else may think, Ichabod really is someone unique and wonderful. We learn that Ichabod, on his way home, feels the same (IN YOUR EYES).

Early the next morning, Ezekiel is alone in the schoolhouse practicing his romantic overtures on a pumpkin. He also seems to be very hungry, as he makes his way over to a box where Ichabod keeps his food. Zeke devours a pastry before returning to his romantic pursuits, apologizing for the interruption, that he has not eaten in two days. Ichabod has entered the classroom, but remains unseen to Ezekiel, who nearly jumps out of his skin when he hears Ichabod speak. When Ichabod asks about Zeke's eating habits, he tells him that he is rather ignored at home; being the youngest of five sons. Ichabod, in his empathy for the boy, gives him a large napkin filled with food from the box. While Zeke eats, he explains the reason for the pumpkin; he is smitten with a young lady. Ichabod decides to help (A LADY IS). Martha arrives to deliver the church's choir books to Ichabod and Ezekiel, nervously, makes a hasty exit. Ichabod tells Martha that Zeke is smitten with someone and Martha tells Ichabod that someone is also smitten with her. Upon her departure, Ichabod realizes that Ezekiel and Martha are the romantic pair!

A few days have passed and Ichabod has now begun his work as choirmaster. Five ladies, Martha, Helga, Thelma, Carrie, and Gertrude make up the hopelessly off-pitch church choir Ichabod is charged with directing (CHOIR REHEARSAL). After the fruitless rehearsal, Ichabod tries in vain to alert Martha as to the nature of her secret admirer. Gretchen stops by to give Ichabod his weekly pay, sorry for having missed the rehearsal. As she departs, Brom makes a surprise visit to Ichabod, warning him that if he ever goes near Katrina again, there will be dire consequences. The schoolmaster tries to offer Brom food and drink to diffuse the situation, but only manages to douse him in scalding coffee (HAVE SOME TEA, HAVE SOME CREAM). Ezekiel, who slipped into the church to watch the rehearsal, has seen the whole incident.

About a week later, everyone has gathered together on Hans Van Ripper's farm for a barn raising, a project which Brom is overseeing. Martha has received another note from her secret love and, with excitement and anticipation mounting, shares the information with Katrina. Ichabod arrives with Ezekiel, ready to pitch in with the barn, but Brom is extremely irritated. Someone asks about the coffee incident at the church and Brom immediately blames Ichabod for the leak of information. In a fit of anger, Brom flings a heavy bag of nails at Ichabod, knocking him to the ground. Brom proceeds to tell Katrina that a real man works with his hands, not in a classroom (I WILL). The scene becomes a fun, flirtatious break from working on the barn.

Later that evening, Katrina is sitting on her front porch when Martha comes running up, waving a letter, announcing that her secret love wants to meet her the next morning in the schoolhouse. She excitedly imagines the type of man he will be (JUST FOR ME). Gretchen emerges from the house to encourage Katrina to come in from the cold. As Martha departs, Katrina expresses her confusion and frustration, telling her mother that even though she has known Brom her entire life, Ichabod possesses qualities of kindness and tenderness that she has never experienced. Gretchen reassures Katrina, suggesting that she invite Ichabod to the harvest ball, and telling her to simply follow her heart (YOU WILL KNOW). Brom approaches the house wanting to apologize for his earlier behavior and Gretchen leaves them alone to speak. Katrina tries to tell him that she has made a decision, but before she can, Brom finally proposes marriage. But it is too late; Katrina refuses, and Brom, in his grief and anger, forces himself on her. She slaps him and runs into the house, racked with sobs.

Immediately following, as Brom storms away from the house, he runs into Ezekiel, who is in the process of delivering the harvest ball invitations. He takes the one intended for Ichabod and tears it up, writing a new note the he tells Ezekiel to deliver. Zeke refuses to help him hurt Ichabod but Brom threatens him and he sadly agrees. At the same time, Ichabod is at home at the schoolhouse, thinking about Katrina (I WILL - REPRISE). Ezekiel knocks on Ichabod's door and delivers Brom's letter, while Brom stays just out of Ichabod's view to ensure that the job is done. Ezekiel, nearly in tears, rushes away, leaving Ichabod to discover that the note is a goodbye letter from Katrina. Ichabod, thinking the letter is genuine, makes plans to leave Sleepy Hollow (ONLY A DREAM).

The next morning, Katrina arrives with fresh rolls for Ichabod, completely oblivious to the situation that transpired the previous night. Ichabod confronts her with the false letter. She informs him that she sent Ezekiel with an invitation to the harvest ball. Ezekiel arrives at the schoolhouse carrying a small bouquet of wildflowers and is confronted by Katrina about the letter. He confesses all. Katrina apologizes to Ichabod and explains that Brom had proposed last night, but she refused. Excitedly, Ichabod proposes and she accepts (IN YOUR EYES - REPRISE).

Just then, Martha arrives with the intention of meeting her secret love, only to find that it has been Ezekiel all along. In her shock and disappointment, she refers to Ezekiel as "A little child holding weeds," and Zeke is crushed and runs from the schoolhouse in tears. Martha follows to apologize for her comments. Baltus comes to the schoolhouse looking for Katrina telling her she is needed at home to help her mother with the baking. Ichabod asks Baltus for his daughter's hand in marriage and Baltus is elated beyond measure. Ichabod walks Katrina home just as Brom arrives only to find Baltus. Thinking the schoolmaster is gone, Brom happily explains to Baltus, the letter trick he played. Baltus confronts him about the way he treated his daughter the previous night and explains that not only is Ichabod still in town, but that he will be marrying Katrina. He bans Brom from the party, telling him that he is no longer welcome in his home.

Baltus leaves and Brom flies into a rage, overturning furniture and throwing papers about. He finds Ichabod's book of Psalmodies and is about to tear it apart when a folded piece of paper from its pages. As Brom reads the paper, he is at the revelation it contains. Now, he finally has the power he needs to get rid of Ichabod for good (AFTER THE BALL).