The Boys from Syracuse
The Boys from Syracuse is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. The book by William Shakespeare's comedy of errors wrote George Abbott, who also produced the show and directed. The choreography George Balanchine developed.
The piece is considered the first musical setting of a Shakespeare work on Broadway. The title is an allusion to the Shubert Brothers, the most powerful theatrical producers on Broadway, who came from the New York town of Syracuse.
The premiere took place on 23 November 1938 at the Alvin Theatre in New York and reached 235 performances. An Off -Broadway Revival 1963/64, at the Theatre Four brought it to 500 ideas. The London West End premiere of the musical was on November 7, 1963 at the Drury Lane Theatre. The German -language premiere, on 24 November 1971 at Pforzheim Theater, under the title of The Boys from Syracuse, differs from the original, were among others the dance numbers deleted. The German text got Heiner Bruns.
Action
Place and time: Ephesus, Ancient Greece Initial situation: heroes are identical twin brothers from a Syracusan merchant's house - both called Antipholus - as well as their assigned as a servant twins of the same age, also identical twins and the same name - they are called Dromio. Her family was separated by a shipwreck in early childhood. Aegon father returned with a son and a servant back to his homeland. Mother, twin brother and twin servants remained missing. Pre- Grown, made to Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant on the search for the missing. Alone and without notice, a few years later, Aegon went on the trip.
In his quest, the Syracusan master-servant team arrives in Ephesus. There it finds that a stay due to the enmity between Syracuse and Ephesus would be too dangerous and decides to leave. The fact that her twin brothers live in the city, begin the trials: the two Syracusan land later in the House of Ephesuser Antipholus where the Syracusan Antipholus whose sister confesses his love, the Syracusan Dromio is adjusted by the wife of the other Dromio - and both in the end the night to spend with the wives of their brothers. Meanwhile, is the Ephesuser Antipholus front of a locked door, then embittered to spend the night with courtesans. A gold chain ordered is received by the Syracusan brother, payment refused by Ephesuser brother, however, whereupon he was arrested. When the two Syracusans then be viewed with the jewelry, they flee into the temple. For the finale it comes to family reunification. Aegon, which was condemned as Syracuse because of the feud cities, passes by on the way to his execution at the temple. There he sees his son, but the Ephesian, who does not know his father and has now escaped from prison in order to ask for justice in front of the mayor. The resolution made by the seer of the temple, which reveals itself as a mother and wife, so that even the Syracusan Antipholus dares out from the temple.
Well-known musical numbers
- Falling in Love with Love
- This Can not Be Love
- Sing for Your Supper
Filming
The film adaptation of the same name in 1940 by A. Edward Sutherland is based on the musical.