Book, Music, and Lyrics by

Lia Barcellona Tamborra and
Harry Stanton Einhorn
Orchestrations, arrangements, and
additional music by Bálint Varga

History has a missing page…

Alexandria, Egypt 392 CE: a bustling, multicultural city where people of every race and religion flock to contribute to the advancement of humanity. At its center stands it’s crowning glory: the Library of Alexandria. But all great civilizations must come to an end. As instability rises throughout the empire, all that stands between the light of knowledge and the dark ages is one rebel librarian you’ve probably never heard of. Until now.

“I bounced all the way home last night, inspired by the story and the storytellers, and so proud of knowing two young writers who are putting it out there with such joy and integrity.”

— Jeanine Tesori

Music

Just like Alexandria, Hypatia and the Heathens features musical stylings and influences from all across time and space, with a boisterous cocktail of genres that defy categorization. From rock to musical theater to Pythagorean harmonics, it dances through a labyrinthian library of music with a fresh song at every turn.

 

About Hypatia

Outshining her male contemporaries with her brilliance, wit, and intellect, Hypatia was revered throughout the city of Alexandria by Pagans and Christians alike for her mastery of philosophy and mathematics and her devotion to public service amidst a backdrop of misogyny, chaos, and political upheaval. But like so many women before and after her, much of what she accomplished was destroyed, hidden, misunderstood, misinterpreted, or forgotten.

What People Are Saying

Natalie Rine, Associate New York Critic

“Expertly grounded in strong characters and writing to explore a not-oft discussed time in history that can inform our present on multiple hot button issues from religion in politics to women’s rights…the vibrant score is essentially different styled pieces sown with care together as if each one was pulled from different sections of the library…Gone also are the harems and mistaken identity tropes, and in is the…gender fluidity and strong diverse cast.

Natalie Rine, OnStage Blog

Top NYC comedy recommendations.

The singers are terrific, especially Lia Tamborra who stars as Hypatia (and also co-wrote the book and songs…) There are times when Tamborra achieves magic, such as when she schools the audience on what’s most important in life, and them combines those lessons into a song that’s memorable and surprisingly moving… And the ending packs a wallop that … made me grateful to have experienced this show.

Hy Bender, Best New York Comedy

Creators

Lia Barcellona Tamborra
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Harry Stanton Einhorn
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Bálint Varga
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Contact us

For booking or licensing information please fill out the adjacent form.

Lia Barcellona Tamborra

(Book, Music, Lyrics) is a writer, composer, singer who has performed, studied and taught in the US, South Africa, Indonesia, and Italy. Writing credits include: Dangersparkle and the Lion (Planet Connections Theatre Festivity – Winner Best Musical, Best Music, Best Actor and Actress, Rubin Museum), Atlantis! The Final Hours (Emerging Artists Theater’s New Works Festival), Polyamory! (Ugly Rhino Play Festival), Why Don’t I Have a Girlfriend (Planet Connections Theater Festivity – Winner Best Music, Best Lyrics), and The Brothers Houdini (Consulate General of Hungary, Broadway Dreams Foundation, MOM Sport Budapest). She has written for and consulted with museums such as: National Museum of African American History and Culture, African Arts Museum, the Smithsonian, Historic Charleston Foundation, the International Human Rights Museum and more.She’s a member of the 29th Street Revue, a musical improv team. Lia has a BFA in theater from NYU Tisch where she focused on creating original and devised work. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

Harry Stanton Einhorn

(Book, Music, Lyrics) is a multidisciplinary composer, writer, and singer who has performed his original work in India, Nepal, Mexico, and Brazil. Writing credits include: Dangersparkle and the Lion (Planet Connections Theatre Festivity – Winner Best Musical, Best Music, Best Actor and Actress, Rubin Museum), Atlantis! The Final Hours (Emerging Artists Theater’s New Works Festival), Polyamory! (Ugly Rhino Play Festival), all with Lia Tamborra. His work also includes interactive events, curated parties, performance art, music performance, and has been seen in diverse New York City venues such as Judson Church, the Rubin Museum, and Pioneer Works. He is a published composer, whose work was featured in the New Voices Festival in 2016 and commissioned by Judson Church. Since 2015, he has also been a creator of interactive and storytelling experiences in museums through Museum Hack, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Civil Rights, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. He is a graduate of Northwestern University where he majored in Theater.

Bálint Varga

(Arrangements, orchestration, additional music) is an award winning theater composer, conductor and orchestrator originally from Budapest, Hungary. Writing credits: The Brothers Houdini, White Witch of Rosehall, Why Don’t I Have a Girlfriend?, Gailley and the Tale of The Fate Keeper, Darlings of Broadway, and Hooligans. Music direction credits: Broadway Dreams Foundation, 50th Anniversary of Hair at LaMama, BDF Moscow and US tour, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wiz, Aida, I love you, you’re perfect…! (China Tour), A Little Princess,West Side Story, Oliver!, Assassins. International credits: Oliver! (France), Jekyll and Hyde (Austria), Fiddler on the Roof (Hungary), Chess (Hungary), Jesus Christ Superstar (Hungary),They’re Playing Our Song (Hungary) and Roman Polanski’s Dance of the Vampires (Hungary/Belgium/Russia). He has given concerts at Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, 54 Below, and LaMama. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music where he studied composition and conducting, he’s a proud member of BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and the Dramatist Guild.