Review: Two Gentlemen of Verona

I might post like three times today, just because so much has happened since I last posted. For this, my first post, I shall review Great Lakes Theater's production of Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona."

Great Lakes Theater likes to start their actors on stage while the audience is still trying to get settled and before the opening announcements. I really, really like this type of acting. I think it's a great way to capture the audeinces' attention and it keeps people busy in that half-hour before the play. This production was no exception. There was a little difference, though. This year, they sang.

In fact, during the whole play they were singing. It was like they turned a Shakespeare classic into a musical. The music wasn't original, however; the theater used music by Ingrid Michaelson and Regina Spektor. I am a huge fan of both of those artists so I was thrilled that I got a little concert in addition to the play. I wasn't sure how well the "soundtrack" and the play fit together, though. The acting was superb and the singing was good, too, but together? I'm not so sure.

The company made the play modern with the songs and with the costumes and set pieces. The glass-looking fly-ins for the sets were beautifully crafted and added to the epicness of everything. The forest sets, especially, were perfect for the eerie tone of the scene. The costumes were modern enough, with just a touch here and there of traditional Shakespeare.

All in all, I liked the performance and I encourage everyone in the Cleveland area to take a trip to the Hanna theater to see Great Lake Theater's "Two Gentlemen of Verona."