The Boys from Syracuse
Musical
Writers:George Abbott Richard Rodgers Lorenz Hart William Shakespeare
Overview
Synopsis
Boy loses twin. Boy seeks twin. Boy finds trouble. When Antipholus of Syracuse leaves his home, with his trusty servant Dromio in tow, and spends seven years searching for his long-lost twin brother, he finds his life in danger upon arriving in the city of Ephesus. With Ephesus and Syracuse at war, the travelers try to tread carefully, and make plans to leave as soon as possible. Their attempts to escape from Ephesus go awry when strange things start to happen: the local merchants and craftsmen demand payment for pre-ordered wares, a high-born lady and her lusty cook claim them for husbands, the local courtesans greet them like old friends, and everyone knows their name. When prominent citizen Antipholus of Ephesus sets out, with his faithful servant Dromio in tow, for another day on the town, buying gifts of gold and jewels for his favorite Courtesan, strange things start to happen: the Tailor claims he took two suits when he only took one, the Goldsmith claims he never paid for the gold chain he never received, and when he finally goes home to dinner, his wife locks him out of the house, claiming that he is already by her side. Before brothers are reunited, debts paid, lovers matched in twos -- or threes -- and mother and father miraculously found, Antipholus and Dromio -- and Antipholus and Dromio -- run helter-skelter through a hilarious whirlwind of mistaken identities, mistaken affections, and mistaken valuables, aided by the charming courtesans, officious policemen, single-minded merchants, and other denizens of old Ephesus. The Boys from Syracuse, Rodgers and Hart’s tuneful, rollicking, Golden Age take on Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors, is a delightful tribute to a classic plot -- old when the Coliseum was young -- and a classic playwright. George Abbott’s fast-paced, funny book brings a mischievous 1930s urban flavor to the story, and the score swings with standards such as “Falling in Love With Love”, “This Can’t Be Love”, and “Sing for Your Supper.”
Show Information
- Book
- George Abbott
- Music
- Richard Rodgers
- Lyrics
- Lorenz Hart
- Based On Book By
- William Shakespeare
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- The Comedy of Errors
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1938
- Genres
- Comedy, Farce
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Ancient Ephesus, Ancient Greece, Ancient Turkey, Greco-Roman colony, 200 BCE, 100 BCE
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen, Early Teen Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone |
Songs
Act I
- "I Had Twins" – Sergeant, Aegeon, Duke of Ephesus, Ensemble
- "Dear Old Syracuse" – Antipholus of Syracuse, Dromio of Syracuse
- "What Do You Do With a Man?" – Dromio of Ephesus, Luce
- "Falling in Love with Love" – Adriana
- "The Shortest Day of the Year" – Adriana, Antipholus of Ephesus
- "This Can't Be Love" – Antipholus of Syracuse, Luciana
- "This Can't Be Love (Reprise)" - Luciana
- "Let Antipholus In" – Entire Company (not in 2002 revival)
-
*"Ladies' Choice" - Courtesans, Amazons Act II
-
"You Took Advantage of Me" – The Courtesans (in 2002 revival, from Present Arms, 1928)
- "Ladies of the Evening" – Sergeant, Maids, Citizens(not in 2002 revival)
- "He and She" – Dromio of Syracuse, Luce
- "You Have Cast Your Shadow on the Sea" – Antipholus of Syracuse, Luciana
- "Come With Me" – Sergeant, Angelo, Antipholus of Ephesus, Ensemble
- "Big Brother" – Dromio of Ephesus (comes before "Come With Me" in 2002 revival, and sung by both Dromios)
- *"Twins Dance" - Dromio of Ephesus, Dromio of Syracuse
- "Sing for Your Supper" – Adriana, Luce, Luciana, Courtesans, Ensemble
- "Oh, Diogenes!" – Courtesan, Ensemble
- "Finale: This Can't Be Love" - Ensemble
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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