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Will Power - Shakespeare Triumphs in a Musical

If Tom Hiddleston has made girls learning St Crispin's Day speech by heart, Christian Borle has just sung Sonnet 18 into their minds.

I am talking about one of the latest musical sensations - Something Rotten!

 The plot basically involves two brothers who really want to make a hit in Renaissance theatre world. It won't be easy for them, because at he very top of that same world reigns William Shakespeare. One of the brother, Nigel, is definitely okay with being his fan, but the older brother, Nick, has some issue about it. He makes it really clear that he hates Shakespeare.

I definitely side with his younger brother, especially after the performance of these two of the musical numbers:


Interpretation of Shakespeare as a narcissistic rock star idol of his age, although probably exaggerated, works really fine with me. As too turning Sonnet 18 and Richard III's opening lines into a rock song. Christian Borle makes it really hard not to sing along. Some Shakespeare knowledge won't do you harm in an exam. 

The next song that "The Bard" brings to the stage is "It's Hard to be the Bard" in which he complains like a smug about how hard it is to be famous. 


I guess it wasn't that easy to be him, after all. 

The last time I saw any interesting interpretation of Shakespeare, I guess it was years ago in Shakespeare in Love. Glad that now they make him even better - fun, accessible, and sexy. 

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