Lyrics Lorenz Hart Composer Richard Rodgers | Lyricist Lorenz Hart | |
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Book Lorenz Hart
Richard Rodgers Basis The Warrior's Husband by Julian F. Thompson Productions 1942 Broadway
1967 Off-Broadway revival Playwrights Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart Similar Richard Rodgers plays, Musicals | ||
Peter mintun by jupiter medley richard rodgers lorenz hart 1942
By Jupiter is a musical with a book by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers, music by Rodgers, and lyrics by Hart. The musical is based on the play The Warrior's Husband by Julian F. Thompson, set in the land of the Amazons. By Jupiter premiered on Broadway in 1942 and starred Ray Bolger.
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Synopsis
In the land of the Amazons the women rule and do battle while the men stay at home, mind the children, and buy new hats. An army of Greek soldiers, led by Theseus and Hercules, arrives in search of the Sacred Girdle of Diana, currently in the hands of reigning Queen Hippolyta. Accompanying them is war correspondent Homer, author of a recent bestseller called The Iliad. The Greek warriors are captured by the Amazons, and romance blossoms between Theseus and Antiope, the warrior-leader of the Amazons. A subplot involves Hippolyta's foppish husband Sapiens, forced on her by his wealthy mother, in exchange for financing the war against the Greeks, who employs his "non-traditionally-male wiles" to get his way with the opposite sex.
Productions
The Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre on June 3, 1942 and closed on June 12, 1943 after 427 performances. Directed by Joshua Logan and choreographed by Robert Alton, the cast included Ray Bolger, Benay Venuta, Vera-Ellen, and Constance Moore, who was replaced by Nanette Fabray later in the run. Choreographer Flower Hujer danced in the production.
At one point, 20th Century Fox considered pairing Laurel and Hardy with Martha Raye in a movie version of the show, but the idea was eventually shelved.
A revival opened Off-Broadway at the Theatre Four on January 19, 1967 and closed on April 30, 1968 after 118 performances. This production had new material by Fred Ebb. Directed by Christopher Hewett with choreography and musical staging by Ellen Ray, Bob Dishy headed the cast. An original cast recording was released of this production, reissued in CD on September 11, 2007 by DRG.
Ian Marshall Fisher's Discovering Lost Musicals Charitable Trust presented a concert staging in London at the Barbican Center, Cinema 1 in May 1992, with Louise Gold as Hippolyta and Jon Glover as Sapiens. Issy Van Randwyck was also among the cast.
42nd Street Moon, San Francisco, California, presented a staged concert from April 17 - May 12, 2002.
Musicals in Mufti at the York Theatre in New York City presented a staged concert from April 5 - April 7, 2002.
The musical proved to be not only Rodgers and Hart's longest-running Broadway hit, but their last full-length work. (They collaborated on a revision of their 1927 show A Connecticut Yankee in 1943, writing six new numbers.)