COF Does Shakespeare: A Rockin’ Review
April 19, 2023 • Written by Sophia Dedek
Dreame: A Pop Musical Version of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a shining example of the talent, personality, and charm it takes to successfully execute a Shakespearean comedy with a modern twist.
The story follows two sets of young, star-crossed lovers: Lysander (Aidan Gardner) & Hermia (Amanda McCluskey), and Demetrius (Tony Mora) & Helena (Sakshi Nandan). Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrius and is furious that instead, she is in love with Lysander. Demetrius, however, has his heart set on marrying Hermia and actively rejects the affections of Hermia’s friend Helena, who is madly in love with him. Add in a bit of fairy magic and love spells, and hijinks ensue, bringing you Shakespeare’s most famous comedy!
I really enjoyed the energy everyone brought to their performances. Without the effort put into wild movements, silly voices, and dramatic expressions, the comedy in this comedy might not have stuck. However, everyone gave it their all, and the response from the audience was rousing applause after every scene. The first hint to what we would be getting ourselves into (the vibe, if you will) occurred immediately after the first song finished; a chorus of the opening to Hooked on a Feeling was chanted from every side of the auditorium. Wasting no time, the show started and we were thrown into the excitement. Though you may recognize the core play from your high school English class, the classic songs and fun choreography make this show go from stale to stunning. The lighting as well as the addition of a live band also made for such an engaging show, and made the production even more lively! And the set crew didn’t miss a single mark during scene transitions. There was even a moment where I turned my head away for a second, and was surprised to see that when I looked back, the scene had completely changed!
Besame Mucho was a particularly fun scene where the timid and frustrated Helena begs for her apathetic love interest Demetrius to return her fruitless affection. This awkward dance sees Demetrius literally dodging Helena’s advances with ease as he is chased across the stage in a flurry of twists and twirls. Tony and Sakshi brought their all into the performances. Helena brought the heat and hit every note, and while Demetrius didn’t have a singing part in this number, his dynamic facial expressions told the whole story.
The Fairy King, Oberan (Rob Fontenelli) and Queen Titania (Amelia Austen) then make their appearances, and it is obvious that their relationship is strained. Oberon enlists the help of the plucky trickster, Puck (Eve Cole) to put a love spell on the humans to make things more interesting. However, he goes the extra mile for the poor, unsuspecting Nick Bottom (George Smith), a foolish actor from town, by turning him into a half-man-half-donkey. Folks were especially responsive to Nick Bottom making an ass of himself during his not-so-heartbreaking performance of Heartbreak Hotel, in which he laments over having been turned into such a wretched creature. And for folks that are curious, yes he did a donkey voice for the entire song and yes the audience went absolutely wild the whole time.
Another strong component of the show was the plucky group playing the disgruntled actors looking to put on a show for the mighty Duke (Jack Cheyne). Much like how some may consider John, Paul, George, and Ringo to be the Beatles of their time, I would consider Emma Murray, Meg Courney, George Smith, Julia Parr and Nat Morris to be the Beatles of their own. Their rousing rendition of Twist and Shout had the audience cheering and singing along. I know personally, I felt very satisfied and happy for their characters, the mechanicals, who had put on a (mostly) successful performance in front of the Duke.
The show finished off very strong with a performance by the fairies to Dancing in the Moonlight. Grace McCarthy, Sofia Totino, Bao Vuong, and Alex Hajos all performed wonderfully alongside King Oberon and Queen Titania as their fairy servants and background dancers. Clad in all white, they delivered a dance number straight out of a New Kids on the Block concert. Seriously, someone get these people to Fenway Park.
There was a standing ovation before the last number even finished, and when bows began, the room erupted in cheering and excited chatter. I can absolutely say for certain that Dreame: A Pop Musical Version of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was a rousing success.
I’m looking forward to whatever Colleges of the Fenway Theater have planned next; great job to everyone involved!
