Synopsis

This is the real story of how and why Troy's Prince Paris took Helen as his trophy bride. When bribed to vote for Aphrodite in a beauty contest, Paris gets to pick his mate from between the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, and the most beautiful man in the world, Ajax. Only after choosing Helen does he discover she is newly married to a tough-guy warrior, King Menelaus. The goddess Aphrodite steps in to fix that petty problem and the two lovebirds make plans to sail for Troy. But with furious, jilted Menelaus and his army in hot pursuit, the trip is no honeymoon. By the end of the story, with the Trojan War looming, Paris makes a decision that gives the story a rousing and happy ending.

Although set in the Ancient World, this version has a modern flavor and current references that bring a classic story to life in a way that resonates with today’s audience, both young and old. Given the divide in America's beliefs about marriage, it's a story that still needs to be heard: how, in spite of what anyone―divine or mortal―says, "we each know best who's best for us."

Downloads

From this page, you can download 2 scenes from the book of the musical comedy Choosing Helen. The selections are Adobe^® Acrobat^® files that can be viewed on the screen or printed. If you do not have the free Acrobat Reader^® on your computer, you can download it from the Adobe web site by clicking here.

In Scene 1, the Greek gods assemble on Mount Olympus to grumble about another boring day with nothing on their to-do lists. Afterwards, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite argue over which of them is the most beautiful, finally deciding to enlist the help of a mortal to choose the winner. Once out of earshot of the others, each goddess devises a scheme to ensure her victory. This scene includes the lyrics of two songs: "Power" and "Will I Fool Them!"

In Scene 13, Helen and Paris are fleeing Menelaus. They have to wait at the edge of the Aegean Sea until the dinghy arrives to take them to Paris' boat. They sing about what they mean to each other. Just as they are out of spear-throwing range, Menelaus arrives with his army. In a martial song-and-dance number, he makes his men promise to avenge the wrong done to him and the City of Sparta. This scene includes the lyrics of two songs: "Our Love" and "Witness."

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