John Fisher, creator of the camp classic Medea: The Musical, brings his gender-bending tap dance extraveganza Cleopatra: The Musical to San Francisco's Victoria Theatre Nov. 2-Dec. 2. Opening night for the Theatre Rhinoceros production is set for Nov. 4.

A song and dance parody of ancient Rome's greatest love triangle - Cleopatra, Julius Ceasar and Mark Antony - Cleopatra casts men as the Queen of the Nile and emperor of Rome while a woman plays Ceasar's best friend, Mark. The grand staging includes Cleopatra's entrance on her royal barge, the reincarnation of Ceasar as a nine-year-old brat and the Roman senate breaking into a Cole Porter tune.

Fisher wrote and directed Oresteia, the Musical, Napoleon, the Camp-Drag-Disco-Musical Extravaganza, Mary! (a musical based on Schiller's Mary Stuart), Combat! An American Melodrama and U.C., A Farce. Medea is his best known work, however, with successful and award-winning productions staged in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle.

Jeffrey Meanza, Christopher Herold and Laura LeBleu are Cleopatra's stars, assaying Cleopatra, Julius Ceasar and Marc Antony, respectively.

Tickets are $25-$20. The Victoria Theatre is located at 2961 16th Street. For reservations, call (415) 861-5091. -- By Christine Ehren