By Jupiter

I should have known that my composer crush on Rodgers and Hart would come crashing down, and it did with By Jupiter, and that makes me sad, because I really wanted to like it. I especially wanted to like it knowing loosely what the plot was based on (it's basically that gender roles are reversed in the world of the Amazon women). 

HOWEVER, the character of Sapiens (a male in the world of the Amazons), creates a problem. He is foppish and ridiculous, only caring about clothes, and he's like a whiney baby. And in a world where the gender roles are reversed, this is problematic. I don't believe that they think that all women act the way Sapiens acts. And granted, ANY character, male or female, in this position, is obviously being used for comedy. And I'm sure it IS funny (although maybe also annoying) on stage. But wouldn't it be better for HUMANITY if the men acted like men "normally" act, and the women were still in charge of everything? Why can't that be a thing? Because men would never let it happen? (Men wrote this show, and they had the chance to let that happen, and didn't, so obviously not.)

Plus, in the end, the invading army of "regular" men defeat the Amazon women because the foppish Sapiens screws the women over. So, no, I did not enjoy this musical.

It could be better musically, too. They ARE better than this.

By Jupiter

Music by Richard Rodgers

Lyrics by Lorenz Hart

Book by Rodgers and Hart