''Her First Roman'' is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by

Ervin Drake Ervin Drake (born Ervin Maurice Druckman; April 3, 1919 – January 15, 2015) was an American songwriter whose works include such American Songbook standards as " I Believe" and " It Was a Very Good Year". He wrote in a variety of styles and his ...

, based on the 1898

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

play '' Caesar and Cleopatra''.

Original production

During its out-of-town tryout, the original director

Michael Benthall Michael Pickersgill Benthall CBE (8 February 1919 – 6 September 1974) was an English theatre director. Background Michael Benthall was born in Mayfair on 18 February 1919, the son of the British businessman and public servant Sir Edward Ch ...

was fired and succeeded by

Derek Goldby Derek Tomlin Goldby (1940 – 9 January 2022) was an Australian-born theatre director who has worked internationally, particularly in Canada, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States and France. Early life Derek Goldby was born in Adel ...

, and the original choreographer was fired and replaced.

Jerry Bock Jerrold Lewis Bock (November 23, 1928November 3, 2010) was an American musical theater composer. He received the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with Sheldon Harnick for their 1959 musical '' Fiorello!'' and the Tony A ...

and

Sheldon Harnick Sheldon Mayer Harnick (April 30, 1924 – June 23, 2023) was an American lyricist and songwriter best known for his collaborations with composer Jerry Bock on musicals such as '' Fiorello!'', '' She Loves Me'', and ''Fiddler on the Roof''. Ear ...

were brought in to write new songs and wrote "Ptolemy", "(Kind) Old Gentleman", and "Caesar is Wrong". Goldby cut a lot of Drake's score and replaced whole sections of his libretto with lines from Shaw's play. The show opened at the

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by C ...

on October 20, 1968 and closed after 17 performances. The rest of the crew had set design and costume by Michael Anania, lighting design

Martin Aronstein Martin Aronstein (November 2, 1936 – May 3, 2002) was an American lighting designer whose Broadway career spanned thirty-six years. Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Aronstein attended Queens College in Flushing, New York. In 1957, following a ...

, musical director and dance and incidental music Peter Howard, music orchestrated and vocal arrangements Don Walker, production manager Tom Porter, stage managers George Rondo and Ellen Wittman, and press by Max Eisen and Carl Samrock. The opening night cast was

Richard Kiley Richard Paul Kiley (March 31, 1922 – March 5, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor and singer. He is best-known for his distinguished theatrical career in which he twice won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Kile ...

(

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

Leslie Uggams Leslie Marian Uggams (; born May 25, 1943) is an American actress and singer. After beginning her career as a child in the early 1950s, she garnered acclaim for her role in the Broadway theatre, Broadway musical ''Hallelujah, Baby!'', winning a T ...

(

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

), Cal Bellini (

Apollodorus Apollodorus ( Greek: Ἀπολλόδωρος ''Apollodoros'') was a popular name in ancient Greece. It is the masculine gender of a noun compounded from Apollo, the deity, and doron, "gift"; that is, "Gift of Apollo." It may refer to: :''Note: A ...

), Jack Dabdoub (Roman Centurion), Larry Douglas (

Achillas Achillas (; died 47 BC) was one of the guardians of the Egyptian king Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator, and commander of the king's troops, when Pompey fled to Egypt in September 48 BC. He was called by Julius Caesar a man of extraordinary daring, ...

), Philip Graves (

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

), Bruce MacKay (Rufio),

Claudia McNeil Claudia Mae McNeil (August 13, 1917 – November 25, 1993) was an American actress known for premiering the role of matriarch Lena Younger in both the stage and screen productions of ''A Raisin in the Sun''. She later appeared in a 1981 produ ...

(Ftatateeta), Earl Montgomery (Pothinus), and Brooks Morton (Britannus), The ensemble included

Suzanne Rogers Suzanne Rogers (born Suzanne Crumpler, July 9, 1943) is an American actress with film and television credits. Her stage name was inspired by Ginger Rogers, whom she cites as a personal inspiration for joining the entertainment industry. Rogers ...

Trina Parks Trina Parks (born Trina Frazier; December 26, 1946) is an American actress, vocalist, choreographer, principal dancer and dance instructor. Parks is best known for portraying Thumper in the 1971 James Bond film '' Diamonds Are Forever''. Movies ...

, Kenneth Kamal Scott, and

Priscilla Lopez Priscilla Lopez is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She is perhaps best known for originating the role of Diana Morales in ''A Chorus Line''. She has had the distinction of appearing in two Broadway landmarks: one of its greatest hits, t ...

Plot Synopsis

''Note: Based on 25th Anniversary Recording''

Act One

It is night in the Egyptian desert, somewhere near

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

. The invading Roman army sings the song of the unknown soldier (Opening/What Are We Doing In Egypt?). In the darkness, their leader Julius Caesar (Richard Kiley) pays homage to what he mistakenly believes to be the

great Sphinx The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. Facing east, it stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. The original sh ...

(Song of the Sphinx). In reality, it is a little Sphinx and asleep in its shadows is the adolescent Cleopatra (Leslie Uggams). The young Queen does not recognize the Roman conqueror as she confides in him (Save Me From Caesar). Later at the palace, Cleopatra has romantic fantasies (Many Young Men From Now). Caesar appears at the council chamber of Cleopatra's little brother Ptolemy. He is threatened by Pothinus, the power behind the throne. Surrounded by hostile forces, Caesar reveals a complex personality (When My Back is To The Wall). Caesar is now a force which must be dealt with. Ftatateeta (Brenda Silas-Moore), Cleopatra's nurse and slave, lectures her on how to make Caesar her hostage (Pleasure Him). Caesar's general, Rufio (Ron Raines), and a Roman soldier boast of their sexual prowess to Iras (Priscilla Lopez) and Cleopatra's handmaiden; Caesar's British slave Britannus (Jack Eddleman) knows better (Her First Roman). As the Egyptian army against Caesar grows, he retreats to a lighthouse at Alexandria. Cleopatra cunningly plans to join Caesar and wraps herself in a carpet for delivery (Magic Carpet). Meanwhile, in the lighthouse, Caesar expresses his greatest aspirations, which masquerades as a love song to a city (Rome). Rufio confirms Caesar's suspicion that he is romantically over-the-hill (The Dangerous Age). The Greek merchant Apollodorus (Matt Leahy) delivers Cleopatra at Caesar's Feet just as the Egyptian army attacks. To escape, Cleopatra must swim (The Things We Think We Are). One by one they jump off the parapet into the sea, with Cleopatra helped by Rufio's boot.

Act Two

Back at the Palace, Britannus learns things about Caesar and Cleopatra that shock his sensibilities (Her First Roman: Reprise). Iras and the handmaidens gossip about the supposed affair between the 16 year old Cleopatra and the balding, fifty-ish Caesar as the queen overhears (Parable Of the Monkey). Cleopatra confesses to her enemy Pothinus that she has not succeeded in capturing Caesar's heart. Caesar reflects that he is much more involved with the young Queen than she imagines (I Cannot Make Him Jealous/I Can't Help Feeling Jealous). Cleopatra reflects on the fascination of a worldly, older man for a younger girl (The Wrong Man). Suspecting danger to her royal ward, Ftatateeta begs Cleopatra to allow her to guide the queen (Let Me Lead The Way). Insulted by Pothinus, headstrong Cleopatra demands that Ftatateeta prove her loyalty by killing him. At a rooftop party given in Caesar's honor, he and his companions sing a lighthearted but philosophical drinking song (In Vino Veritas). Rufio leads the company in a rowdy soldier's song, well remembered by Caesar and Britannus, who is now quite drunk on Falnerian wine (Evil Companions). As they hear Pothinus' death cries, the Egyptians riot. Rufio discover Ftatateeta is the assassin and in retaliation he kills her. Troubled and regretful, Cleopatra wishes for simpler times. She finds her nurse's body and realizes that she is responsible for her death. Bravely she accepts her role as Queen (Just For Today). The Roman army departs, Caesar bids Rufio to remain and watch over Cleopatra is reunited with Caesar and they are on their way to Rome (Finale Ultimo).

References

External links

* {{ibdb show, id=4337 1968 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on plays Musicals set in Egypt Depictions of Cleopatra on stage Musicals set in the 1st century BC