Lyricist Lorenz Hart once rhymed "Yell fie!" with "Delphi" for the musical comedy, The Boys From Syracuse. Beginning Dec. 3, Off-Off Broadway audiences will see what other rhymes lyricist-librettist Michael Colby conjures for the world premiere of Delphi or Bust, another classically-inspired musical comedy. Not based on specific Greek comedies, the new show -- Dec. 3-20 at the Theatre Row Theatre (424 42nd St.) -- is called a "Greek mythical comedy" in the same style as the Plautus-drawn A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. New characters created by Colby include Candora, Zircony, Nebula, Pectorus, Asphodel, Hernia and a Cyclops named Cy.
Official opening Dec. 4 follows a Dec. 3 preview.
The show is presented by AMAS Musical Theatre, the nonprofit, multiracial creator of Bubblin' Brown Sugar, Mama, I Want to Sing and Capitol Cakewalk.
The cast includes Jody Ashworth, Darren Lee Frazier, Jill Geddes, Kimberly Harris, Colleen Hawkes, John Simeone, Ken Prymus and Tia Riebling. Christopher Scott directs, Steven Silverstein is the musical director.
Riebling (Candora) appeared on Broadway as Eponine in Les Miserables and Rizzo in Grease, and Prymus (Apollo) played Old Deuteronomy in Cats on Broadway for seven years.
Composer Gerald Jay Markoe wrote Off-Broadway's Charlotte Sweet, Happy Haunting and Ludlow Ladd (all with Colby), plus Lyres, Trilby and Fair Play For Eve. Colby is librettist lyricist of Tales of Tinseltown, Slay It With Music and Mrs. McThing.
Tickets are $15. Call (212) 239-4324 for information.
-- By Kenneth Jones
