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Oh, Brother

Cover to original Broadway Cast Album

A Musical Comedy in One Act. Book and lyrics by Donald Driver. (Suggested by William Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" and the comedies of Plautus.) Music by Michael Valenti.

Opened 10 November 1981 at the ANTA Theatre and closed 11 November 1981 after 3 performances.

Synopsis

OH, BROTHER! takes place during a revolution in an oil rich Middle Eastern country on the Persian Gulf in a quaint resort town where its populace of merchants and revolutionaries mix Eastern tradition with Western consumerism. Into this volatile environment unwittingly stumbles a sweet old American named Lew. He is immediately surrounded by revolutionaries demanding he explain his presence.

Lew tells this story:

Years ago, travelling in the Middle East with his wife, Lillian, she gave birth to identical twin boys. At the same time a dear black woman also gave birth to identical twin boys, but she died. Lew and Lillian adopted the orphaned twin boys to raise as brothers to their own. When Lillian was well they booked separate flights for home, separate flights to lessen the chance an air disaster might again orphan any of their infant sons. Each parent took one twin from each set and departed for home. Disaster struck! The plane on which Lillian and her two charges were flying was hijacked to Iraq. Lew tried to find them, but he never saw Lillian or the two boys again. When Lew's two boys grew to manhood, curious about their lost twins they prevailed upon old Lew to let them search the world to find them. Lew consented. That was two years ago. Now they are lost and he is searching for them.

Cast

(in order of appearance):

Revolutionary Leader
Revolutionaries
Bugler
Revolutionary Women
Revolutionaries
Lew
A Came
Western Mousada
Western Habim
Fatatatatatima
Eastern Habim
Eastern Mousada
Saroyana
Musica
Revolutionaries
Ayatollah
Lillian

Scenes and Settings

The action takes place at the present time on the Persian Gulf.

Musical Numbers

  1. "We Love an Old Story" - Revolutionary Leader, Revolutionaries
  2. "I To the World" - Western Mousada, Western Habim, Eastern Mousada, Eastern Habim
  3. "How Do You Want Me?" - Saroyana
  4. "That's Him" - Musica, Revolutionaries
  5. "Everybody Calls Me by My Name" - Western Mousada, Revolutionaries
  6. "O.P.E.C. Maiden" - Western Mousada, Revolutionaries
  7. "A Man" - Eastern Mousada
  8. "How Do You Want Me?" (reprise) Saroyana
  9. "Tell Sweet Saroyana" - Eastern Mousada, Western Habim, Arabs
  10. "What Do I Tell People This Time?" - Saroyana
  11. "O.P.E.C. Maiden" (reprise) - Musica, Women
  12. "A Loud and Funny Song" - Saroyana, Musica, Fatatatima
  13. "The Chase" - Full Company
  14. "I To the World" (reprise) - Western Mousada, Western Habim, Eastern Mousada, Eastern Habim
  15. "Oh, Brother!" - Full Company

Discography:

Original Broadway Cast Recording - Original Cast Records OC915