Twelfth Night (The Public Theater)

See it if You like your Shakespeare on the nose, with the message spelled out.

Don't see it if You like the original songs in Twelfth Night. They are all cut, and replaced with songs that are not as good.

See it if you are interested in what can be done with Twelfth night, to see Shakespeare in the Park.

Don't see it if you aren't into musical adaptations of Shakespeare's work. The show felt juvenile and made choices that were not consistent throughout.

See it if Blending Shakespeare with original music has been a hit/miss endeavour in years past, but this version is more hit than miss. Bway vets help

Don't see it if IF U like your Shakespeare PURE then this may not be 1 for you. But if U are willing to listen to the Bard's words musicalized then play on!

Also Some sample song excerpts:
Viola: "The Man I got to be" (becomes Cesario)
Feste (to Sir Tony Belch): "You're My Favorite ... Pain in the Ass" -repeated with other characters.
Viola solo: "Disguise" (playing both sides as a woman in love inside & man desired by Olivia on the outside)
The majority of the songs are tied in with the plot and performed by Tony winners Shuler Hensley (OKLAHOMA), Nikki M. James (BOOK OF MORMON) and others. Andrew W. Kober is a funny MALVOLIO with a song that becomes a running gag. Keep mind open, expectations low, & drink a-plenty in honor of Sir Toby and you will enjoy a-plenty!!... Read more Read less

See it if you like community theater and party-like atmospheres for your shows. Nikki James is excellent and it's a bright colorful production...

Don't see it if it's also a mess. It was so busy and inconsistent that I often didn't know where to look and the acting ranged from great to amateurish

See it if You’re a fan of Shakespeare in the Park. If you haven’t seen one of the dozen productions of this in the last few years.

Don't see it if You want to actually see Shakespeare or something reasonably close.

Also This production seems like a vehicle for Taub. When you involve community groups you risk the show feeling like community theatre. Sadly that’s how I felt. The principal players are good but they’re poorly directed, under used and take a backseat to Shaina Taub. The musical score while good feels loosely based on the play. What was most disappointing was the signing for the deaf. Seemed like an afterthought. Some of it was signed and some of it wasn’t. When it was signed the cast only signed a few words. Except for 1 song. Unfortunate. This show is entertaining based on live theatre, good singing, colorful costumes and watching the moon over New York City.... Read more Read less