Cheryl Kemeny

Cleopatra –A Life Unparalleled

Chronicles her life and times through music ranging from blues to rock to ballad. In a time of “kill or be killed” Cleopatra competed for dominance in a man’s world and used what she had (money, looks and charm) to get what she wanted! Cast size for this rock opera is flexible and ranges from 15-40. (4-6w) (9m)

So many people today bemoan the debasement of culture and politics, but gossip and spin have always existed in Western culture. Although the Internet and television have speeded up people’s access to information, “big lies” are present today, just as they were in the past. Cleopatra was much maligned by the Romans before and after her death. The Alexandrians were the worst perpetrators of vicious gossip and insurrection and forced Cleopatra to react to their fickle moods.

In a story where the three protagonists are either murdered or driven to suicide, one might ask, “Why go to be depressed?”   Ah! But, don’t we all die eventually? The question then becomes “who is remembered and why?” Cleopatra, Marc Antony and Julius Caesar are names the whole world is familiar with –even 2000 years after their deaths. An audience is drawn into the reasons they struggled for power—their passions for each other and the motivations behind their ambitions. We are left to wonder, “How will we be remembered?”.