Mandrake the Magician and the Enchantress

poster 1978
Country:	USA / English

Mandrake the Magician and the Enchantress is a musical from 1973. The musical is based on Lee Falk's comic strip "Mandrake the Magician" in the daily story "The Enchantress" from 1954.

Plot

The production at "The Amas Six O'Clock Musical Theatre Lab".

Act One

Mandrake, the greatest magician in the world and his sidekick Lothar, the strongest man in the world (and an African prince of some note) return home from a magic show one night for find Mandrake’s fiancée, Princess Narda, in a state of panic. Books and objects have been flying all over the room. The place is a mess. An old photograph album lies open.

Mandrake sees the photograph there revealed and knows instantly that his old girlfriend, Aleena the Enchantress is trying to reach him. She had gone to the College of Magic with him in Tibet. They had made a date to meet in 13 years, which he had forgotten.

Meanwhile, at Aleena’s mansion, Malmaison, things are in a run-down state. Her infatuated butler Gurn, a former lover and her Creeps (enchanted beings) do her every bidding. She kidnaps Narda by hypnotizing her long distance and sending Gurn for her, whereupon she is drugged, given a “deadly poison,” and imprisoned deep in the cellar. Only a special antidote given at special times can save her. Mandrake shows up to find Narda, but is enchanted into thinking he is in love with Aleena all over again. She does her best to seduce him. Lothar brings him to with a strong blow to the head. Desperate to find Narda before her life expires, Mandrake communicates with her through magic. Then Mandrake is attacked by horrible creatures and it looks like the end of him.

Songs

• Amazing (Lothar, Mandrake)
• Nobody does that to Me (Aleena)
• Waiting (Gurn, Aleena)
• We're Gonna Get Tough (Gurn, creatures)
• Admit it (Aleena, Narda)
• Man (Aleena, Mandrake)
• Something Unfriendly (Lothar)
• He Could Love Me (Narda)
• Money Quartet (Lothar, Aleena, Mandrake, Narda)
• If Anything Happened (Mandrake, Narda)

Act Two

Opens with Mandrake struggling to free himself as Aleena’s creatures go at him. He is saved again by Lothar, but must pretend he is enchanted to save Narda, since Aleena has threatened to kill her if he does not help her rob the U.S. Mint. He calls Narda to him by magic. He then helps Aleena rob the mint but foils her at the end and rescues Narda. Then he disenchants the Creeps. All are revealed to be formerly famous people who vanished: one a champion boxer, one a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, one a famous movie actress. All ends well with Aleena realizing Gurn has been her true love all along.

Songs

• Help (All)
• My Good Friend (Mandrake, Lothar)
• Supertelekinesis (Mandrake, Aleena, Lothar)
• Without It (Gurn, creeps, creatures)
• Magic (Mandrake, Narda)
• I'm Ready (Aleena, creeps)

Lenox Arts Center

August 1-5 and 7-12, 1973.

Cast & Crew

Writing credits

• Lee Falk
• Thayer Burch

Directed by

• Seth Allen

Lyrics by

• Thayer Burch

Music by

• George Quincy

Costymes, hair and makeup

• Carlisle Wilson

Set design

• Bob Phillips

Lighting

• E St John Villard

Cast

• Bob Bingham as Mandrake
• Henry Baker as Lothar
• Kimberly Farr as Narda
• Lynn Gerb as Aleena
• Bill Boss as Thud
• Patricia Gaul as Thar
• Jeff Hillock as Crunk
• George McGrath as Gurn

The Amas Six O'Clock Musical Theatre Lab

The Six O'Clock Musical Theatre Labs Series is a development program for writers, lyricists, and composers to mount staged readings of their new musicals. These are generally first or early readings with an established director and performers, typically after a 29 hour rehearsal period. Each work generally receives three or four performances and the creative teams benefit from audience feedback (from both industry insiders and the general public). Amas also gives creative teams an opportunity to engage in a structured, in-depth analysis of strengths and weaknesses and gain consensus on the most beneficial next steps. (Amas Theatre Programs)

Three performances of the musical, directed by Elizabeth Falk, were set up October 25-27, 1978.

Behind the scenes

"Mandrake the Magician and the Enchantress" was optioned by a New York producer (in 1974 ?), but the sale of the film rights at the time bollixed acquisition of financial backing for a Broadway run.