Delphi or Bust — Libretto by Michael Colby, Music by Gerald Jay Markoe

Delphi or Bust

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

Read it Now
Performance rights must be secured before production
Contact information:
Amateur and professional rights:
Steele Spring Theatrical Licensing
3845 Cazador St.
Los Angeles, CA 90065
(323) 739-0413 / fax (818) 232-9158
http://www.steelespring.com

About the playwright: Michael Colby is the librettist/lyricist of such musicals as Charlotte Sweet (Drama Desk Award nomination), Tales of Tinseltown (Coconut Grove Playhouse), North Atlantic (Show Business Award), Mrs. McThing (Goodspeed), and Ludlow Ladd (New American Theatre). He was chief writer for the Drama Desk Award-winning New Amsterdam Theatre Company, and has written special material for numerous celebrities and Theatre by the Blind. He is a member of the BMI and The Dramatists Guild.

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.