Shakespeare and The Beatles in a Musical Theatre Mash-up
For more than 55 years, Theatre Calgary has produced numerous plays by William Shakespeare, and have staged even more musicals in that span. But something that hasn’t been done before? The words of Shakespeare and music of The Beatles at the same time! That all changes this March, as Theatre Calgary presents As You Like It, a musical conceived by Daryl Cloran and the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival (Vancouver) running February 27 - March 24 in the Max Bell Theatre at Arts Commons.
It’s the 1960s, and things are getting groovy in the vast Okanagan. When Rosalind is banished from court, she disguises herself as a man and escapes to the forest. There, she meets the similarly-banished Orlando, who happens to be in love with her, but cannot see through her disguise. From there, things get increasingly tangled as the play explores love and gender roles, infused with the music of the “Fab Four.” Shakespeare’s classic comedy of love and mistaken identity is given new life in this high-spirited adaptation, and made incredibly accessible with Beatles-infused hits.
Directing and adapting As You Like It is Daryl Cloran, whose work was seen earlier this season at Theatre Calgary as the director of Made in Italy. His adaption gives the show a unique Western Canadian-twist. “I have set this production of As You like It in the 1960s. We start at a wrestling match, much like the All-Star Wrestling of the 1960s,” says Cloran. “Our lovers then escape to the vast Okanagan, just like many freethinkers of the ‘60s escaped the big city to get ‘back to the land’ in the interior of BC.”
“We are telling this story with ‘a little help from our friends’, The Beatles,” adds Cloran. “The Fab Four’s songs integrate perfectly into this story. I have cut A LOT of Shakespeare’s text to make room for them. The Bard’s story comes alive through song, particularly as the characters find themselves in the woods where emotions can no longer be contained by words alone.”
This production of As You Like It premiered at Bard on the Beach in Vancouver in 2018. Since then, it has been seen by audiences in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Vancouver (again!). The show comes to Theatre Calgary following a run at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington (DC) this past December, where audiences fell in love with the show and the run was extended into January.
Audiences falling in love with the show should come as no surprise. As Cloran explains, “As You like It is a love story. Love in its many forms. From youthful, romantic love, to the love of a mother and a daughter, to the belief that to get what we want in life, truly, all we need to do is love and respect each other – a belief that resonated as much in Shakespeare’s time as it did in the sixties – and does today.”
As You Like It runs February 27 - March 24 in the Max Bell Theatre at Arts Commons. As part of Theatre Calgary’s ‘Theatre For All’ initiative, main floor seats are just $39 for all regular performances. They are selling quickly, and can be purchased online at theatrecalgary.com.
PLUS…If you are coming to see As You Like It, audiences are encouraged to arrive approximately 30 minutes early for some pre-show entertainment in your seats!
Photo credits:
Top: The cast of As You Like It. (Photo by Teresa Castracane - Shakespeare Theatre Company)
Middle: (l to r) Isaiah Terrell-Dobbs, Henry Beasley, Sally Zori, Evan Rein, Ben Elliott. (Photo by Teresa Castracane - Shakespeare Theatre Company)
