9 Songs From The Show

Click one of the "IX" links to Watch Live Renditions
I. Finale  II. Opening  III. Romulus  IV. Etruscans  V. Republic  
VI. Caesar  VII. Empire  VIII. Constantine  IX. Renaissance
COMING SOON TO A FORUM NEAR YOU!
THE MUSIC, MADNESS AND MAYHEM
THAT WAS AND IS ROME.

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