The verdict is in! Merchant of Venice: The Musical

Merchant of Venice, the Shakespeare classic, as a musical? Who’d have thought?

Well… Turns out, playwright Anna Tatelman did and it was a breath of fresh air and truly well done by the cast and crew.

This masterpiece of a musical was performed by Amaranth Turtle Stages and directed by Jeremy Radick at the Aspire Repertory Theatre. A staged reading of the full-length show, running from Nov. 1 to Nov. 10, the music is by Daniel Arthur and book/lyrics by Anna Tatelman,  directed by Jeremy Radick. 

Starring Adam Womack, Matt Dela Cruz, Hannah Votel, Elise Cogan, Adam Nyhoff, Kalli Allen, Ben Swenson-Klatt, and Kristen Carder, the musical had an engaging and unique approach to this classic tale. Not only was it not in the original Shakespearen dialect, but it also included jokes and references to be appreciated by a modern audience. The musical in many ways gave a new voice to numerous characters that never had the spotlight, especially Shylock and his daughter Jessica, highlighting the numerous atrocities committed against Jewish people. It was astonishing to me how this often hated character has so many reasons not to be hated. The reason he expressed hatred was also depicted beautifully.

And surprisingly, the play also shed a harsher light on an often beloved character, Portia, and revealed the true egoistic side she has. Each character had a small portrayal of their life, a backstory given in the form of monologues or songs. So, even for those who have no idea about The Merchant of Venice, this musical is absolutely perfect, as it gives the audience a more detailed outlook than Shakespeare himself did. It was the perfect mixture of rhythmic, heartfelt, funny, and well-thought.

Playwright Tatelman revealed that a musical approach to Merchant of Venice was always a part of her vision, as it brings out a lot of the dark undertones of all the characters, especially Shylock, who wasn’t portrayed as emotionally as in the original. Tatelman wanted his side of the story to be out there. She also revealed that she started writing this musical in 2018, and that two years ago, she met Daniel Arthur, the music producer who helped bring her vision to life.

Arthur stated that “Our director Jeremy Radick had a vision of how to make it with little resources.” Despite little resources, they created a big impact.

This production stood out compared to others, as firstly, it was a musical, secondly, it gave light to each character’s backstory. Most importantly, the ending left the audience with a question: Did anyone from The Merchant of Venice get a happy ending?

The only thing that could have made this production stronger is if the actors were off-book, but that can’t be expected as it was a staged reading. The astonishing thing is that despite it being only a staged reading, this production easily made its way into the top ten pieces of theater I’ve ever seen in Seattle.

The direction was perfect, the music was amazing, the lights were apt for each scene, and even the moving of the set pieces was done so well by the cast and crew that it seemed like the best way to describe organized chaos. Each prop was moved by the team as if it were a part of a very well-choreographed dance. Despite the technical aspect being so well done, the actors really stole the show. They brought so much depth and meaning into the characters they portrayed, and for those who portrayed multiple characters, they displayed versatility—if they didn’t have the same faces, I would have believed they were different people.

Personally, I feel that this is a must-watch for every Shakespeare or theater fan out there, as it highlights and brings about a fresh and unexpected perspective, leaving the audience in constant thought of theater and the play itself. Totally worth the watch.
In case you missed it, keep an eye out for more productions by Amaranth Turtle Stages.