If music be the food of love, play on. It’s not only the opening line of Shakespeare’s gender-bending romcom Twelfth Night, but it’s practically a motto for the Classical Theatre of Harlem’s celebrated production, now down on Washington Square at NYU Skirball through Feb. 19.
Once we hear that infamous line from the maudlin Orsino (William DeMeritt), director Carl Cofield, choreographer/associate director Tiffany Rea-Fisher, and composer/sound designer Frederick Kennedy plunge us into a world of nearly nonstop music and movement. Orsino dons a VR headset and enters a neon-covered, smoke-filled fantasyland filled with digital images of his unattainable love, Olivia (Christina Sajous). Backup dancers in silver booty shorts and LED sneakers groove to a techno beat.
As we toggle between Orsino’s palace, Olivia’s house, and the streets of Illyria—where shipwrecked siblings and identical twins Viola (Clyde’s Tony nominee Kara Young) and Sebastian (J’Laney Allen) wash up, each believing the other to be dead—performers move set pieces on and off with balletic grace. A scene change isn’t just a scene change; it’s a choreographed riff. Even Olivia doesn’t walk so much as glide.
Though Twelfth Night isn’t one of Shakespeare’s most verbose plays (unlike, say, Hamlet), CTH has trimmed it down to a tight 100 minutes—losing none of the laughs in the process. As Viola—disguised as Cesario so she can serve Orsino, whom she quickly falls for—Young finds comedy in even the quietest moments; watch her subtle reactions as the overemotional Orsino blubbers in her lap. And her realization that Cesario has unwittingly captured Olivia’s affections—“I am the man!”—is literally fall-down funny. Speaking of falling down: Cesario’s “duel” with Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Carson Elrod) looks like a Keystone Kops scene—with a bit of The Matrix and Star Wars thrown in for good measure. (Those swords are seriously cool.)
The supporting characters still get their moments too: As Olivia’s “notoriously abused” servant Malvolio—who, alas, was not born great, never achieves greatness, and does not have greatness thrust upon him—Allen Gilmore makes the absolute most of the dour Malvolio’s attempt to achieve a smile. The result is somewhere on the level of demented circus clown.
Even Mika Eubanks’ costumes play up the comedy. Sir Andrew’s clothes—the heart-shape sunnies, the red fake fur coat, the gold teddy-bear backpack—are wonderfully ridiculous, as is his completely inappropriate hairstyle (a credit to hair and makeup designer Earon Nealey). Remember the Friends episode where Monica gets her hair braided in Barbados?
Eubanks’ designs are wonderfully modern, and striking on so many levels. Keep an eye on Olivia’s gorgeous gowns: As she falls for Cesario and her frosty exterior melts, the dresses get less restrictive and more daring, with low cuts and high slits; by the end, she’s in a flowy, midriff-baring creation.
This Twelfth Night first played over the summer at the open-air Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park. If you didn’t catch it there, don’t miss your chance now. And if you saw it (and loved it) there, good news: Moving the production indoors doesn’t make it any less magical.
Twelfth Night opened Feb. 11, 2023, and runs through Feb. 19 at NYU Skirball. Tickets and info: nyuskirball.org
