Some years ago Elizabeth Elliott wrote an historically accurate music-theater piece, ¡Cordoba!

It takes place in Cordoba, Spain under the centuries-long rule of the Muslims.

Elliott wrote the piece as an immediate way to evoke Spain at a time when Europe was in a true dark age. Only Spain was alive with music, philosophy, and the vibrant perspectives of three practicing religions: Jews, Christians and Muslims. People everywhere, including Sufis, were attracted to this lively Spanish city and together they made it the world’s first multi-racial, cross-cultural royal Court.

Under the auspices of New York’s cross-cultural performance group Spectra, of which Elliott was then its 12-year director, ¡Cordoba! (then called Possible City) had one performance in Columbia County in 1987. The performers included Simon Shaheen (ud), Jeff Israel (lute Ladino, and guitar Klezmer), Don Byron (recorder Ladino and clarinet Klezmer) and 10 other dancers, singers and actors. The Hudson, NY auditorium was jammed with people and by all accounts the audience responded with great enthusiasm. Michael Dyne, a well-known playwright, had advised Elliott on the production, and said afterwards he’d never heard such strong applause.

In 1990 several producers and investors were determined to put the piece on Broadway, raised six million dollars, and had lined up a well-known theater director. But that was the year Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and the project had to be cancelled. Unknown to Elliott, all the production money had been raised from Kuwait, and she, as a newcomer to the music-theater world, had failed to inform the production team that she would refuse permission for production unless it was financed, more or less equally, by entities representing all three religions.

For many years ¡Cordoba! passed through the hands of various likely producers. Elliott was often told that ¡Cordoba! was a new Camelot, its themes of tolerance and cross-cultural learning the “iconic” themes of today. Perhaps its historical implications were too heavy for Broadway. Whatever the cause, it’s now been about 40 years since ¡Cordoba’s production in Hudson, yet its relevance has only increased.

If you would like to receive the script for ¡Cordoba!, please write to the manager of Winter Press, Elizabeth Atcheson, at elizabeth.w.atcheson@gmail.com.