The Italian Cast Performing in English
9 Songs From The Show
Click one of the "IX" links to Watch Live Renditions
VI. Caesar VII. Empire VIII. Constantine IX. Renaissance
Synopsis in Italian and English
ROME: THE FIRST 3,000 YEARS
An Exciting Musical Journey through the History of the Eternal City
scritto e diretto da Tom Shaker
ROME: THE FIRST 3,000 YEARS - Un viaggio emozionante attraverso la storia della città eterna rappresenta un’occasione di approfondimento didattico e un momento educativo d’incontro e arricchimento con il teatro d’autore.
Pensato sia nell’allestimento sia nei contenuti per gli studenti delle Scuole Primarie e delle Scuole Secondarie di I Grado (Elementari e Medie), ROME: THE FIRST 3,000 YEARS è l’emozionante viaggio musicale nella storia della capitale d’Italia, recitato e cantato dal vivo in lingua inglese.
Per gli intenti didattici che lo caratterizzano, Rome: The First 3,000 Years è suddiviso in sei parti, ognuna delle quali comprende 500 anni di storia così ripartita: dal 1000 a.c. al 500 a.c., dal 500 a.c. all’anno 0, dall’anno 0 al 500 a.d., dal 500 a.d. al 1000 a.d., dal 1000 a.d. al 1500 a.d. e dal 1500 a.d. ad oggi.
Sulla scena, i giovani attori danno vita a tantissimi personaggi: principi e pittori, papi e galli, generali e geni, artisti, architetti e arcangeli. La scenografia è minimale e gli interpreti ricreano atmosfere, personaggi, storie, miti e leggende indissolubilmente intrecciate con la storia della città eterna. Il canto dal vivo potenzia le suggestioni della narrazione teatrale.
Il palcoscenico si trasforma così nel luogo ideale, infinito nel tempo e nello spazio, per un excursus inedito e divertente delle tappe fondamentali della storia di Roma, dove ad ogni avvenimento si legano dialoghi, canzoni, interventi artistici volti a potenziare i contenuti proposti e a stimolare alla riflessione e al confronto con la contemporaneità. L’allegria e la rispettosa simpatia con cui sono raccontati gli avvenimenti storici ne rendono più immediata la comprensione e più fruibili i messaggi e i sottotesti.
Il cast è composto da 10 interpreti, studenti o diplomati della Link Academy – European Academy of Dramatic Arts di Roma diretta da Alessandro Preziosi. In ordine alfabetico: Andrea Bergamini, Annabella Calabrese, Matteo Ciocci, Angelo Esposito, Sara Laurenti, Rachele Minelli, Vincenzo Pezzopane, Luigia Pigliacelli, Natasha Truden, Virginia Vassura. Recitando in lingua inglese, gli interpreti danno prova non solo di talento ma di grande determinazione e impegno, e sono sicuramente un buon modello per il pubblico di studenti coinvolti.
Lo spettacolo è scritto e diretto da Tom Shaker, cantante, attore, scrittore e regista americano conosciuto e attivo sia negli Stati Uniti sia in Europa. A collaborare con lui alla formazione del cast e alla preparazione degli interpreti l’attore inglese Douglas Dean, docente di recitazione in lingua inglese presso alla Link Academy.
Link Academy – European Academy of Dramatic Arts
Link Academy, Dipartimento di Performing Arts di Link Campus University, è specializzata in formazione per il settore dello Spettacolo dal Vivo, in particolare per la Recitazione in lingua italiana e in lingua inglese. L’obiettivo è formare la figura dell’attore internazionale in grado di esportare la propria professionalità anche all’estero.
La direzione artistica, affidata ad Alessandro Preziosi, attore di teatro, cinema e televisione, privilegia la collaborazione interdisciplinare ed è basata sull’unione tra una solida formazione accademica classica e studi innovativi per il teatro, il cinema e la televisione focalizzati alla modalità di accesso al mondo dello spettacolo. La formazione accademica teatrale è concepita come base per ogni tipo di recitazione, ma in linea con i contemporanei sviluppi del mercato del lavoro prevede stage e corsi approfonditi per la recitazione e la drammatizzazione specifica per la macchina da presa, compresi cinema e prodotti televisivi.
www.linkacademy.it
The Script
An empty stage. Prop box, musical instruments lying
around. The Stage Manager (SM)
comes is, notices the mess, shakes her head, a blows a whistle.
SM
Showtime!
Where is everybody?
The Director (D) comes
running from the back of the theatre
D
Stop
with the whistle! What’s the matter?
SM
Indicating the audience
They
came here to see a show.
D
Who
did?
SM
They
did.
D
Oh,
Ciao, Hi, Buongiorno.
SM
Yeah,
and by the way you’re going to play Esquiline.
D
Me?!
SM
Yes,
you!
D blows the whistle, then
exits to get prepared.
Enter the 2 Musicians /
Narrator Piano (P) and Guitar (G).
They are drinking coffee. SM whistles.
P
Basta
with the Whistle. Mamma Mia! Let
us enjoy our caffè.
G
Yeah,
like dude, this is primo coffee.
SM
(to G)
Look.
Guarda. Attenzione. Do I have your attention now? (to P) You
too, bello.
The musicians see the
audience and panic. They run to
their instruments and start tuning and playing. The 7 actors, CAP, AVI, PAL, ESK, Q, VIM and CAL stagger in. SM and D whip them all into shape until
finally everyone is frozen in their “opening number spot”.
BELLA ROMA
CAP
Bella
Roma
ALL
Bella
Roma
PAL
Today
a Play
ESK
The
Musical Way
ALL
Bella
Roma
VIM
Bella
Roma
CAL
Bella
Roma
VIM
and CAL
A
show we say we play today.
ALL
Bella Roma
CAP
First
Etruscans
AVI
Then
Republic
PAL
Caesar
ESK
And
an Empire
Q
Dark
Ages then Renaissance
VIM
and CAL
Interest and Inspire
CAST
Bella
Roma, Bella Roma. So
here we go, Spettacolo.
Presenting
Bella Roma!
SM
First
scene! (Whistles)
P
Rome,
the 1st 3000 years. Of
course there were many years before and there will be many years after. But, today we will concentrate on only
3 millennia. A millennium is 1000
years and we’re dealing with three.
And millennium is where we get the international word, Mile.
G
There
will be more vocabulary as we go along.
Words like Monarchy, Republic, Empire, Polytheism, Monotheism,
Constitution, Renaissance, Baroque, Pope, President and Prime Minister…
P
But,
this isn’t a school. It’s a show.
So let’s have some fun with Rome, the 1st 3000 years, starting with
a legend:
The
She-Wolf, that’s he (Indicates G.
puts a wolf head on him)
found
these twin babies
that’s
he and he (Vim and Cal enter)
by
the river Tiber you see
sometime
in the BC
(They
all discuss about BC, AC, DC, AD, then all sing “All night long by ACDC”)
P
Basta!
BC: Before Christ!
Q
OK!
BELLA
ROMA
Romulus, Remus VIM AND CAL and the Chorus
Romulus VIM
Bella Roma, Bella Roma
This
City free, I name for me, Bella Roma
Bella
Roma, Bella Roma
The
border here will make it clear
Bella
Roma
Little
village on this hilltop
We
call Paletino
Build
the huts and homes and houses
Starting right from zero
Bella Roma, Bella Roma
No
more we roam, for Rome is home
I give you Bella Roma
Remus CAL
Bella Rema, Bella Rema
A
better name to this I claim
Bella Rema
Bella Rema, Bella Rema
Let’s
be more stable
Then
Cain and Abel
Bella
Rema
Do
not argue. Here’s the border
Make
it meters twenty
And
a house for she wolf mother
Still
has teeth a plenty
Romulus & She Wolf
Bella
Rema (Romulus)
Roma
Bella
Rema (Romulus)
Roma
This
town is mine, a land divine
Romulus and Remus
I love it Bella…Bella…Bella…
Romulus
Look,
it’s Lady Ga Ga!
Remus
Where?
Romulus
There.
(Hits Remus on head with large plastic club. Avi
carries him off)
Romaaaaaaaa!!!
CAP
Ok, that’s a great
story. But I have a story that is
a little more fact and a little less legend. You see, in the early BC millennium, let’s say 1000 (SM:
THOUSAND!) to 800 BC, there were the Romans, Sabines, Latins and a bunch of
dudes living around the 7 hills.
And there is a nasty swamp in the middle of these hills. Let’s call them
the Indians, you know like the Native American Indians. Just for fun.
In the middle of the
Italian peninsula, sorta around Northern Lazio, Umbria and Toscana (people call
it Tuscany and I don’t “K”now why) there are these people, the Etruscans, we
will make them the Cowboys. Now
the Cowboys want to settle around this little Island (SM: ISLAND!) in the Tiber
(Isola Tiberina). The Indians don’t want them there. So, what happens next?
Tarantella
Bella Roma
AVI
Singing “Home on the
Range” Wearing a cowboy hat
Oh
give me a home. I will call my home Rome
By
the river which flows every day
Q
Wearing a Sioux Indian
Head Dress
You
no come here. You no welcome here.
AVI
Take
it easy. I just want to use the river for water and navigation. The little
island in the middle is a perfect dock. We can use boats, sail around the boot,
and trade with the Greeks.
P
Navigation?
VIM
Dock?
CAL
Boat?
Q
Greeks. You talking a greek to me!
AVI
No
I am Etruscan. My ancestors came
from the East.
Q
You
can take a yoo tru can back East. I no
understand. No capito niente.
AVI
(sings a tarantella)
My
people are Etruscan My
Nonno came from Troy
We
settled in Toscana When
I was just a boy
We
come down to this river and
island in the foam
To
live and trade and cultivate We
make this place our home
Bella
Roma Bella Rome Our
new and happy home
Bella
Roma Bella Rome No
more our people roam
Bella
Roma Bella Rome You
guys are not alone
Bella
Roma Bella Rome Etruscans
come to Rome
Q
(sings)
A Roma no è vero you
guys we no invite
My
friends on Paletino Get
ready for a fight
These
sette hills no for you I
hope you see the light
Ascolta
mi paisano You
are wrong and I am right
Roma Roma Roma Roma You
no come to my homa
Roma
Roma Roma Roma I
put you in a coma
Roma
Roma Roma Roma Go
back to Oklahoma (cowboy hat)
Roma
Roma Roma Roma No
room for you in Roma
AVI
You
need me here paisano This
place it really stinks
The
swamp is full of Puzza At
least that’s what I think
We
drain off all the water And
put it in the pink
A
sewer to dig and form and rig Then to the river link
Bella
Roma Bella Rome AVI A
new and dryer home
Bella
Roma Bella Rome Q You
make yourself at home
Bella Roma Bella Rome AVI Too
bad we have no phone
Bella Roma Bella Rome
Capitolinus
Aventinus
Palentinus
Esquilinus
Quirinalis
Viminalis
Caelius
P & G
And
the Forum not a swamp!
ALL
A
bigger better Roma!
AVI Monologue
Around 500 BC, people in
Rome decide that their teachers, the Greeks, have a good idea. Since Athens has a Democracy, why can’t
Rome have a Republic? Democrats?
Republicans? It’s all based on a simple principle: representative
government.
That meant the people
could vote for their leaders.
Well, some of the people could vote for their leaders. Honestly, very
few people could vote, and they chose their buddies to be leaders.
Well, it was a start. 2
Consuls, a Senate, and, MOLTO IMPORTANTE, a constitution. Rules, laws and procedures
for a free society.
What we have today is
based on what they had in the Roman Republic. Freedom, choice, opportunity and
enterprise.
CAP
(Sings)
Republic
you see roma
Means
you vote for me roma
All people will be roma
Va
bene cosi roma
ESK
No
no don’t you see roma
If
you want to be free roma
Just
listen to me roma
And
Vot-a per me roma
CAP
and ESK
We
have a new plan, grand stand, more land, happy man that’s me, me, me, me
PAL
A
Senator I, roma
A
really nice guy roma
So
look and in my eye roma
And
give me a try roma
Q
No
he is a snob roma
And
just wants the job roma
So
then he can rob roma
Don’t
vote for the slob roma
PAL
and Q
I
have an idea better, to the letter don’t you see, see, see, see
VIM
and CAL
A
senate is one roma
And
Consuls are fun roma
But
nothing gets done roma
No
matter who runs roma
The
power comes from roma
Rich
guys and their sons roma
So
when it’s all done roma
Some
votes count for none roma
‘cuz
it’s the money, honey, aristocracy and greed, need, so the people bleed
P
And then came
G
Julius Caesar!
PAL
(To G) Sit down, that’s
my part. (To P) Hit it!
ALL
(sing)
We want Caesar
Where is Caesar
We love Caesar
He’s our Caesar
C-A-E-S-A-R
We’re all his
He’s our kind of a guy
And woo what luck
For here he is!
PAL
Yes, I know, we stole
that from “Chicago”… And then came Julius Caesar. I speak about me in third
person (SM: THIRD!) …THIRD person, because you know… I’m Julius Caesar! He was
an aristocrat, public servant, consul, general, dictator and the force that led
to Rome becoming an Empire.
A whole bunch of stuff
happened from when he was born, 100 BC, to when he died, or should I say, was
assassinated, on the Ides of March, 44 BC.
He had a lot of military
campaigns and victories.
He had a lot of titles
like tribune, consul, general, dictator, daddy…
And he had a lot of girl
friends, which also meant he had a lot of enemies.
His life is full of
legend, accomplishments, controversy and all that jazz.
ALL
(sing)
And all that jazz!
PAL
But, he was the
transition point from representative government back to monarchy.
Cast
sings “Working for the Man”
CAP
Legionnaire,
that’s who I be
AVI
So
am I, in the camp of Juliee
PAL
In
the army, working away
ESK
March
and build and fight, just another day
Q
Lots
of girls, lots of loot lots of fun
VIM
Victory
when the battle is won
CAL
Arrows,
swords but no guns
ALL
We’re
working for the man
CAP
Cleopatra that’s who I am
AVI
Queen
of Egypt even thought it’s a sham
PAL
The
general is known generally
ESK
To
permit her to be a deity
Q
On
the Nile or the Appian Way
VIM
She’s
the monarch who do what he say
CAL
What
a Roman Holiday
ALL
We’re
working for the man
CAP
Ides
of March 44 BC
AVI
No
body guards to keep him company
PAL
Off
to meet at the Temple of Pompei
ESK
Temporary
Senate of the day
Q
Fellow
friends and nobles surround
VIM
Praise
and questions and smiling abound
CAL
Daggers
stabbing all around
ALL
They
stick it to the man
CAP
Caesar
dead makes many happy
AVI
But
one not so joyous is Marc Antony
PAL
Octavius
my adopted son
ESK
Joins
with Marc for revenge to be done
Q
Conspirators
all buy the farm
VIM
Death
to all who did Caesar harm
CAL
Even
Marc his right arm
ALL
To
the memory of the man
ESK
Then comes the Empire.
Caesar adopted Octavius as his son and heir.
SM
Excuse me, I want to make
the point. It’s not air like you breathe but heir like heredity, heiress,
heritage…
ESK
Whatever!!! (SM exit)
Octavius, after his
“Daddy’s” death, becomes Emperor. It’s like the Etruscan Kings we talked about
earlier. 1 man as the boss. Only this time, that man is a god
too. Pretty cool trick huh?
He is the 1st
Emperor, the longest ruling Emperor and we like to call him the Hollywood
Emperor, because he changes Rome
from a city of bricks to a city of marble from all those quarries around the
Mediterranean.
And he changes his name
to Caesar Augustus. Every Emperor
after him is called Caesar-Whatever. Hail Caesar and all that jazz.
In fact, we get the name
Kaisar, Tzar and Caesar salad from this source. More proof that Rome, Caesar,
Latin and Italian is a main source for the International language. A ha
Bella Roma sung up tempo
ALL
Bella
Roma Bella Roma
ESK
Get
on the Bus with Octavius
ALL
Bella
Roma Bella
Roma Bella Roma
VIM
and CAL
We
call the boss, Augustus
ALL
Bella
Roma
AVI and Q
Spread
the borders Make
us citizens Let
the Senate flourish
CAP
and PAL
Nice
guy and an Emperor Welcome
Ara Pacis
ALL
Bella
Roma Bella Roma
ESK
With
Nero Fire, still an Empire
ALL
Piu
Forza bella (e Bruta) Roma
Q
Go
back to sleep!
So
I have to ask the questions:
Empire
is 1 ruler right?
G
Vocabulary!
Monarchy!
Q
Shut
up!
Christianity?
1 God right?
G
Vocabulary!
Monotheism!
Q
SHUT
UP!
Constitution
is a bunch of laws and rules, right? (to G) DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!
10
commandments and beatitudes are laws and rules too right?
ESK
Non
ho capito…
Q
Non
fa niente. So Constantine makes Christianity the state religion and builds his
city, Constantinople. So it’s monotheism just like monarchy…one God, right?
That’s
a good idea.
Sings
“Hold Up”
Q
One
God is the plan go
east
And
here is a man go
east
VIM
The
dude Constantine go
east
Starts
changing the scene go
east
CAL
The
straights dardenells go
east
Where
nobody dwells go
east
CAP
A
good place to be go
east
We
now call Turkey go
east
AVI
What
now is Istanbul, then Empire ruled from sea to sea to sea to sea to sea
PAL
The
Caspean Sea we
see
And
then the Black Sea we
see
ESK
A
Sea that is Red we
see
And
one that is dead we
see
CAL
Ionian
Sea we
see
VIM
Tyreanean
Sea we
see
CAP
Adriatic
one we
see
PAL
Plus
the Agean we
see
ESK
Then
the Atlantic Ocean
ALL
Don’t
forget the Med I ter a ne an
VIM
What
a cool geography lesson. All those
Seas to see around the Empire.
ESK
Black
Sea!
CAP
Red
Sea!
Q
Dead
Sea!
P
Caspian
Sea!
G
Mediterranean
Sea!
AVI
Atlantic
Ocean!
CAL
L’oceano non è un mare…
AVI
E dai…
VIM
Things
were booming in the east. Well at
least in the East because…
CAL
In
the West, things were going bust.
Like invaders busting the aqueducts. No more fresh water.
Plus they busted up Rome, the city. Sacking they called it.
VIM
Well,
we are doing very well in the East, thank you very much.
CAL
And
the lights of knowledge, arts and thought are out where we are in the West.
VIM
AND CAL
V
So
then comes the Dark Ages
C But
only in Western Europe
V Barbarians
break the aqueducts
C No
more fresh water
V No
more Romans in Rome
C But,
things are happening in Eastern Europe
V Right. Constantinople and the Middle East are…
ESK
Reading!
CAP
Writing!
Q
Discovering!
VIM
Fighting!
C They
get the idea. The Crusades were a big deal then too
V Then,
Western Europe turns the lights back on
C The
Guttenberg Press
V Pope
fixing the aqueducts
C Pope
fixing Rome, Piazzas, obelisks, roads…
V Renaissance. The rebirth of thought, writing, arts,
sciences
C And
a whole bunch of other stuff too
V Like
Constantinople’s turn to get sacked
C Right. By the Ottoman Empire
V Renaissance
in the West came just in time, I guess
C You
guessed right
VIM
and CAL (Tarentella)
Giotto,
Frau Angelico the
art has just begun
Then
maestro Michelangelo a
genius number one
DaVinci,
Raphael as well and
oh so many more
Lets
say the names of some of them and you can all keep score
CAP
Bernini,
Borromini
PAL
Donatello
for a start
AVI
And
Crazy Caravaggio
ESK
who
dueled around his art
Q
Pope
Barberini and Borghese, Chigi pontiff too
CAL
The
Medici and Galileo
VIM
we’re
not even through
PAL
The
Renaissance and then Baroque the
art it did evolve
ESK
And
with the reformation came more problems hard to solve
CAP
and Q
Columbus
found America
AVI
Vespucci
did the chart
VIM
and CAL
Inventions
and some Tensions
ALL
And
that lovely art
Bella
Roma Bella Roma A
land of Popes and Kings
Bella Roma Bella Roma plus
scientific things
Bella
Roma Bella Roma Discovery
abounds
Bella
Roma Bella Roma some
smiles and lots of frowns
CAL
A
Pope or King or rich guy They
live and easy life
A
simple humble peasant exists
with loads of strife
VIM
The
dreams they have of freedom are
not too far away
So
listen up and pay attention What
we have to say
ALL
Bella
Roma modern Rome
PAL
Is
just around the corner
ALL
Bella
Roma modern Rome
AVI
With
new and smaller borders
ALL
Bella
Roma modern Rome
CAP
More
war and then more freedom
ALL
Bella
Roma modern Rome The
country that we came from
G
(raps)
The
papal states control the freedom
And
the French are the main reason
Nobles
all around the land
Run
the show and that’s the plan
Keep
the beat and clap your hands
Rocking
the show, that’s our plan
Then
comes 19th Century
Mr.
Cavour and Garibaldi
And
some more who want to see
A
new and fun place called Italy
The
year is 1861
Bye
bye Frenchie Garrisons
And
a monarch we employ
Vittorio
Emanuele of Savoy
Just
a short term little bit of fun
Here
it comes WWI
After
death and victory
Here
he comes Mussolini
Makes
the trains run efficiently
Creates
the Vatican City
But
the good stuff ain’t enough
He
teams up with Adolph
The
result of these evil two
For
Europe is WWII
So
from Pope to King to Dictator
Comes
a republic, sooner or later
And
the lovely mess we see
Is
the 21st Century democracy
Even
though is seems a joke
We
the people are the ones who vote
So
people when you go to vote
Pick
someone who treats it like home
Please
you people say hello
And
salute our bella Rome
SM
Ragazzi… What are you
doing here? Andate a prendervi gli applausi, the show’s over!
G
No no no no no, the
show’s not over!
SM
I’m sure it is, I have no
more script!
P
You have no script, but
we have got a big surprise for you!
SM
What surprise? I hate
surprises!
P
You, sweetie, have got to
sing the closing number of the show!
SM
Oh no no no!
P
Oh yeah yeah yeah!
SM
Oh no no no!
ALL
Oh yeah yeah yeah!
SM
Ok!
(sing)
Bella Roma Bella
Roma
Today we see democracy Bella
Roma
ALL
Bella Roma Bella
Roma
SM
Capitalia Italia
ALL
Bella Roma
SM
From a swamp of long ago Dirty
damp and grungy
Now as then it has
returned
ALL
Questo Caput Mundi
Bella Roma Bella
Roma
SM
For food and fun And
lots of sun
PALATINE
CAPITOLINE
AVENTINE
ESQUILINE
QUIRINAL
VIMINAL
CAELIAN
GUITAR
PIANO
STAGE MANAGER
ALL
A BIGGER BETTER ROMA
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