Musical Comedy/ Multiple characters, playable by 10 Men, 2 Women/ Full Length, Two Acts

Synopsis (from newyorktheatre.com): “A Night in the Kremlin is a wonderfully imaginative look at what happens when Harpo Marx travels to Moscow in 1933 amidst the building of the Soviet Union’s ‘Utopia.’ Once Harpo arrives he receives an interpreter, Valentina, and he befriends the Foreign Diplomat’s English wife, Ivy. After the two women take him to an audition at the Chekhov Theater (a hilarious moment), Valentina breaks down with unbearable grief. She shares with Harpo and Ivy that her boyfriend, Igor, is going to have to stand before the Party Committee to be judged and that it is likely he may be sent away. After getting all the details Harpo and Ivy both decide that Igor is being treated unfairly and that they will do whatever it takes to ensure that Valentina and Igor can live together without corrupt politics. So they go to Stalin!

“Stalin is deeply concerned with maintaining the Soviet Union and ensuring that it is for the working people. It is as he receives the good news that the US is recognizing the USSR that he encounters Harpo and Ivy. Unaware of the duo’s mission to challenge the Party Committee’s decision, Stalin starts to fall in love with Ivy. In turn, Ivy, uses her feminine ways to try to sway Stalin to reverse the committee’s eventual decision to send Igor away. Meanwhile Harpo attempts to use his comedic antics to trick and confuse Stalin into signing official papers to release Igor.”

Harpo met Stalin? Well, actually no. But he did visit Moscow in November 1933 as a kind of goodwill ambassador following the opening of US-Soviet diplomatic relations. We can imagine the rest.

Although Harpo is clearly the main character, Stalin runs him a close second. A set-piece scene at the close of the first act plays on Stalin’s (approximate) physical resemblance to Groucho Marx and the fact that Stalin was known to have a wicked sense of humour — of the dark variety, obviously.

Though the play’s humour is often farcical, the story structure is firmly based on historical reality and many of the events portrayed — for example, Stalin kissing ambassador Bullitt full on the lips — actually happened. Though enjoyment is the ultimate goal, the show aims also to cast a shaft of light on one of the great tragedies of the 20th century.

“A wonderfully imaginative look at what happens when Harpo Marx travels to Moscow in 1933 amidst the building of the Soviet Union’s “Utopia” . . . Although it would be very easy to assume that a musical about the Soviet Union might be dark, the musical numbers are primarily light and fun . . . Then there are sweet love songs . . . Overall a great time. I had a wonderful night at the Kremlin!”
– Michael Lockley, nytheatre.com

Bernard Besserglik interviewed about A Night in the Kremlin

About the Composer/Lyricist: Bob Barton studied musical theory when young and has played jazz as a solo artist and with bands since his teens, touring the US extensively. He has written original scores and lyrics and arranged existing music ranging stylistically from pop to classical for publicity and educational films and videos. He is adept in all styles, ranging from blues and boogie to pop and rock. His influences come from the great tradition of jazz piano players: Fats Waller, Earl Hines, Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, etc., but he has developed his own unmistakeable personal style.

A Night In The Kremlin premiered at the Midtown International Theatre Festival, New York in August, 2009.

Sample songs:

• SOMEBODY STOP ME
• Harpo’s song NOBODY’S FOOL
• OUR PLAN FOR LOVE

Musical Comedy/ 8 Characters, 4 Women, 4 Men/ Full Length, Two Acts

Synopsis:
A musical satire of Greek mythology and epic adventure, written in the style of Greek allegory, except that most of its characters are original inventions.

Taking place in Ancient Greece, Delphi or Bust revolves around Candora — a young prophetess whose truthfulness gets on everyone’s nerves. She ends up competing with a pair of lovely and loony aspiring seers — Zircony and Nebula — to become the new Oracle at Delphi. Along the way, she is romanced by both a narcissist (Asphodel) and a dashing Cyclops (Cy), and almost murdered by Hernia, the Greek Goddess of Inner Disorder.

The first act of Delphi or Bust may be read by clicking the Read It Now button. For a complete reading copy, please see the contact information on this page.

“A DELICIOUS MUSICAL ROMP. Colby’s witty and pun-filled books and lyrics are in the style of Ira Gershwin and Cole Porter. All members of the cast have show-stopping numbers.” – Victor Gluck, Backstage

“VILLAGE VOICE THEATRE CHOICE: A witty spoof of Greek myths, invoking the incisive anarchy of Aristophanes and the Marx Brothers.” – Laurie Stone, Village Voice

“IDEAL ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. A charming musical celebrating Greek mythology and the very act of story-telling, performed by an appealing cast. Delightful fun.” – Martin Denton, nytheatre.com

About the composer: Gerald Jay Markoe studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School, receiving Master and Bachelor of Music Degrees. His musicals include Charlotte Sweet (Drama Desk nomination), Delphi or Bust, Happy Haunting, and Ludlow Ladd. In addition to his theatre scores, he is the widely acclaimed composer of numerous CD’s which have topped the New Age best-seller charts. These include Music From the Pleiades, Music of the Angels, Zen Meditations and Celestial Mozart Volumes I and II.

Delphi or Bust was first produced by AMAS Musical Theatre, NYC in December, 1998.

Comedy with music/ Multiple characters, usually played by 4 Men, 3 Women and 1 musician/ Full Length, Two Acts

Synopsis:
A musical comic book look at the comic book life of Australian film legend Errol Flynn from childhood in Hobart through white slave trader in New Guinea and finally to tragic Hollywood has-been.

From the Festival Times (Edinburgh): “Taken almost entirely from official records and Flynn’s own writing, the play explores the love/hate relationship Flynn had with his own screen image, and the way that he was both encouraged and condemned in it. An excellent script from Rob George does this with humour, sadness, and rage.”

“Superbly entertaining.”
– The Scotsman (Glasgow)

“Fun — a musical anti-tribute to the down-under, deep-diving lover of almost-little girls.”
– The Guardian (London)

“Rapid costume and accent changes keep the show moving across three continents and 50 years for a thoroughly enjoyable 90 minutes.”
– Festival Times (Edinburgh)”

Fascinating . . . moves at a rip-roaring pace . . . if you know nothing about Flynn, or want to know more, then this show is a must.”
– The Evening News (Edinburgh)

Rob is currently in post production on a 52-minute documentary Fearless about 92 year-old playwright Julia Britton. He is also writing a documentary for Film Australia and the ABC. A new play, Lovers and Haters, which he is writing with Maureen Sherlock, is in development.

In 2005, Rob was story editor, script editor, and writer on the ABC’s AFI Award-winning Drama MDA as well as story editing and writing a French animation series, “The Odd Family,” for Timoon Animation and TF1.

Rob’s other credits include writer and producer of the family feature Selkie and he was the originating writer for the 1999 feature film, Passion, adapted from his play Percy and Rose. Passion starred Richard Roxbugh, Barbara Hershey, Claudia Karvan, and Emily Woof.

Rob’s early credits include the International Emmy Award winning family telemovie Captain Johnno which he wrote, the childrens’s TV series “Pals,” and the telemovies You And Me And Uncle Bob and Chase Through The Night which starred a young Nicole Kidman. Rob was also Head Writer on the ABC comedy series “News Free Zone.”

Rob wrote and produced the family mini-series “The River Kings,” directed by Donald Crombie. “The River Kings” has sold to most international territories and has been screened several times on the ABC and the BBC.

Rob’s theatre work includes a dozen stage plays, among them Errol Flynn’s Great Big Adventure Book for Boys, which won a Best Play Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, and the nationally acclaimed Percy and Rose about the composer Percy Grainger. Other plays include The Humble Doctor, Let’s Twist Again, Les, and Sandy Lee Live at Nui Dat. Rob’s most recent stage play, a monologue, The White Board, was produced at the Bakehouse Theatre in Adelaide in 2000.

Errol Flynn’s Great Big Adventure Book for Boys was first performed by The Stage Company, Adelaide, South Australia in 1978.