 BY JUPITER
musical in two acts, music by Richard
Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, book by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz
Hart based on Julian F. Thompson's The Warrior's Husband.
Produced at the Shubert Theatre, New York on June 3rd 1942. (427 perfs)
Story
Act I
The Greeks are encamped near Pontus, where Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazon
Warrior-Women, reigns. They have a ticklish assignment: as one of the
Twelve Labours, Jupiter has ordered Hercules to acquire the sacred girdle
of Diana from around Hippolyta's waist, and it looks like being quite
a fight.
At the Palace, the women soldiers are squabbling, using the usual epithets,
but with a feminine slant! Three Councillors discuss Palace politics;
Pomposia needs Caustica and Heroica's support to promote her son at Court
with a good prospect of marriage, but first has to explain what marriage
is - a strange Greek system, at which the others laugh. When Hippolyta
arrives, she leads the company in a celebration of their country. Pomposia
presents her son Sapiens, who instantly takes Hippolyta's fancy and flirts
wickedly with her: A heavy clinch is interrupted by a herald, who announces
the landing of two foreigners. Hippolyta leaves to deal with this and
when she returns, she is with her huntress sister Antiope and proudly
introduces Sapiens to her, saying that one of them should marry him -
then quickly hustles him offstage for herself! Antiope pretends not to
mind.
Theseus and Homer, the foreigners, are announced. They are effusive to
Hippolyta, and Theseus sings a number that Homer has written for him which
develops into a huge swing dance routine. The men demand the girdle: Hippolyta
refuses and throws them out, but Theseus manages to steal back to flirt
with Antiope. Another out-of breath messenger announces that an army of
Greeks - MEN! - is a week's march away: Hippolyta has to marry Sapiens
to get from his ambitious mother the army equipment she needs, so a marriage
is hastily arranged, delayed only by Sapiens fussing over his cape and
veil! Hippolyta and the army then dash off to fight and Sapiens, like
all wartime spouses, starts knitting furiously.
Act II
In the Greek camp, we meet Hercules, who may be massive, but is a
frightened wimp. Theseus broods on Antiope and in the Amazon camp,
the sergeant broods on "The Boy I Left Behind Me". Sapiens
arrives to claim his honeymoon, but even flirting and foot-stamping
don't move Hippolyta. A Greek delegation enters, bringing a personal
challenge from Hercules to Hippolyta; everyone drinks to the battle,
Hippolyta trades girdles with Antiope so Hercules cannot grab the sacred
one, and leaves. Sapiens shows Antiope how really to defeat a man -
by kissing him - and she learns very quickly!
Theseus and Hercules arrive: Hercules is terrified by Antiope and takes
refuge in Sapiens' tent, while Antiope and Theseus fight, until she defeats
him in the special way she just learned and he happily carries her off,
not knowing she is wearing the girdle! When Hippolyta returns and realises
that the girdle is gone, Sapiens promises to lead the fight to get it
back, as he knows how to deal with men .....
In the Greek camp, the girdle gets mislaid by Antiope in a big love
scene with Theseus, and is found and tried by four nubile Greek camp-followers.
When Sapiens meets them, his is electrified by their femininity and
un-Amazon looks (not to speak of their behaviour). After a lot of horseplay,
in which the girdle mysteriously disappears and Sapiens celebrates
his new discoveries, it turns out that Antiope is off to Greece with
Theseus, all the Greeks and Amazons are fraternising like anything,
and Sapiens shows he has got - and is wearing - the girdle, which as
King of the Amazons he presents to Hercules, though "You may have to have it let out a little!"
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Characters
THESEUS |
He is strong, handsome and masterful, but not the silver-tongued
negotiator that Homer is. His winning of Antiope is in the best
Errol Flynn tradition - and she loves it.
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HOMER |
Shown as a war correspondent with a quick line in terrible
verse - but he complains the source material is no good! Like all
journalists (so they say), he never refuses a drink. However, he
is daring enough to demand the belt outright for Hippolyta.
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HERCULES |
All brawn and no brain - and certainly no bravery, either:
he lets Theseus and the army do all the belt-hunting, even though
it's one of his Twelve Labours.
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SAPIENS |
A personable young man, eager to experience all the joys
of marriage; although very masculine in his inclinations, he is
an adapt gender-bender when it comes to using what we consider feminine
wiles" to get his own way. The prospect of being King is delightful,
too.
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HIPPOLYTA |
Marriage starts as a way to close an armaments deal, but
she quickly gets the taste for it. However, her husband's demands
are a distraction from her main activity - fighting!
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ANTIOPE |
More susceptible than her sister Hippolyta to the idea of
making love rather than war, even if she is a formidable huntress
and the Commander-in-Chief. An outdoors girl with a highly-developed
sense of fun, and quite cut out for being abducted over Theseus'
shoulder.
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POMPOSIA |
Ambitious, manipulative and domineering. She is a mother
hen to Sapiens, but a business powerhouse to everyone else.
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CAUSTICA & HEROICA |
Councillors loyal to Hippolyta; a little empty between the
ears, but quick enough with their tongues.
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BURIA |
An officious Captain of the Guard, with a soft spot for the
boy she left behind her.
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PENELOPE |
The arch-courtesan camp follower, with one eye on the available
soldiery and the other on her investment portfolio.
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