Fermat's Last Tango
In 1993 Andrew Wiles stunned the world when he announced a solution to "Fermat's Last Theorem," the famous unsolved mathematics problem set forth by Pierre de Fermat in 1637. In the musical Fermat's Last Tango, the fictional character Daniel Keane earns overnight acclaim when he presents his findings. However, fanfare soon gives way to doubt when the reincarnation of Fermat discovers a hole in Keane's proof. The singular pursuit by Keane to correct this flaw results in a love triangle involving himself, his wife, and mathematics - the story of which is brought to life by Fermat and his immortal friends from the "AfterMath," namely: Pythagoras, Euclid, Newton, and Gauss. The musical is both a cheerful romp through history and a personal confrontation with destiny. It provides a testament to the extraordinary excitement of mathematics and a tribute to its unparalleled beauty.
The composer Joshua Rosenblum enjoyed mathematics while studying music at Yale along with the author, his wife Joanne Sydney Lessner. They both take an active role in the New York music community. This recording comprises scenes captured by David Stern and his recording crew during a rehearsal and a regular performance on December 29, 2000 at the York Theatre Company in New York City.
The Clay Mathematics Institute offers a VHS tape as well as a (higher quality) DVD disk of Fermat's Last Tango to the general public at cost. This package includes a video recording of the play, a video of an interview with Andrew Wiles in May 2000, and a pamphlet both about the production and about the history of Fermat's Last Theorem.
Carl Friedrich Gauss / Reporter
Gilles Chiasson
Anna Keane
Edwardyne Cowan
Pythagoras / Reporter
Mitchell Kantor
Pierre de Fermat
Jonathan Rabb
Daniel Keane
Chris Thompson
Euclid / Reporter
Christianne Tisdale
Sir Isaac Newton / Reporter
Carrie Wilshusen
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