Members of the cast of the Lyric Repertory Company’s ongoing production of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ are shown with their director here. They are (from left) Equity actor Herb Newsome, director Paul Mitri, Lyric veteran McKenna Walwyn and Equity actress Lisa Shoell.
LOGAN – The Lyric Repertory Company’s ongoing production of Twelfth Night is a big, frothy show that has to be seen to be believed.
Already one of Shakespeare’s best comedies, which is chock-full of mistaken identity confusion, director Paul Mitri has packed the show with huge talents, music, dancing, singing and lavish costuming.
It’s a sumptuous treat for both the eyes and the ears.
With a goal of making Shakespeare exciting and accessible for modern audiences, Mitri has staged Twelfth Night as a 1930’s musical comedy at other stops along his previous career path – including Seattle, Egypt and Hawaii. But it’s hard to imagine that any of those productions could have been more successful than this one.
The far-fetched story revolves around twins – Viola and Sebastian – who are separated in a shipwreck.
Viola disguises herself as a man to enter the service of Duke Orsino, who’s in love with the Lady Olivia. When Orsino sends Viola to woo Olivia on his behalf, the lady falls head over heels in lust with the disguised twin. But Viola is already secretly in love with Orsino.
Then Sebastian shows up and things really get complicated.
The roles of Viola and Sebastian were convincingly played by Equity actress Lisa Shoell and Utah State undergrad Sumner Jones Shoell.
After years of laboring in the theater trenches for Utah State University and the Lyric Rep, the versatile McKenna Walwyn finally has a role worthy of her talents. As Feste, the Lady Olivia’s jester and the de facto master of ceremonies in Twelfth Night, she gets to sing beautifully, dance stylishly and play central parts in many of the play’s hilarious schemes.
Ms. Walwyn is at her very best, however, when she leads principal dancers Ollie Chieppa and Mia Gatherum in a rousing tap routine that opens the second act.
Another inspired casting choice was assigning the role of Malvolio to Equity actor Michael Doherty.
As Olivia’s obsequious major domo, Doherty is over-the-top brilliant as the victim of elaborate pranks devised by household schemers Maria (Kaia Fitzgerald), Sir Toby Belch (Jack Carter Roberts) and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Equity actor Brandon Foxworth).
Roberts and Foxworth are exceptionally good in Twelfth Night, playing the comic roles of conniving drunkards with wild gusto.
The statuesque Bailee Miner is also on-hand, seemingly inventing new forms of body language as Olivia in an effort to seduce the reluctant Viola.
In a gender-bending casting decision, the role of the sea captain Antonio who rescues Sebastian is transformed into Antonia. As a gun-toting vamp mad for the missing twin, Antonia is played to the hilt by Marin Robinson.
Rounding out the cast are the always watchable Equity actor Herb Newsome as Duke Orsino and principal dancers Andrew Moody and Preston Rowland.
Original music for Twelfth Night was supplied by USU alumnus and Lyric veteran Luke Shepherd.
The show’s elaborate sets and lavish costumes were designed by Michelle A. Bisbee and Maile Speetjens respectively.
Additional performances of Twelfth Night are slated for June 24 and 29, plus July 5, 15 and 21.
All performances are slated for the Morgan Theatre of the Chase Fine Arts Center on the USU campus.