ashland Shakespeare festival brings new life to twelfth night

Yesterday posted on the Ashland Shakespeare festival weak and confused hamlet production which was more than made up for by a spirited and imaginative production of twelfth night. I honestly thought I have seen enough productions of tn for my lifetime but this one took some risks and brought energy to the play that I had not anticipated.  The concept was setting the play in 1930s Hollywood w duke or sink as a studio mogul, Olivia as a petulant and spoiled star,and her household - Toby Andrew et al - as various theater people. Through this concept the extensive musical numbers that always to me seem a little tedious and false take on new life as all are performed as in a busby Berkeley musical - and it makes sense this is exactly who these characters are and how they would cavort at night. By far the best use of music and dance I'd ever seen in this play or maybe any other Shakespeare. For added Darin they double cast viola and Sebastian,a good stunt that's lots of fun - using fail projections to have them together on stage in the final scene.. Though friend aw is no doubt correct that some of these decisions dull the edge of the romance I have to say that the comic energy more than compensated and that part of the message is that the romance is nonsense - does anyone think that these marriages will last? No, only in Hollywood so to speak are marriages so ephemeral and expendable. There are some surprisingly tender moments as well such as Olivia's true pity for the far gone Toby as he stumbles up the stairs. Great show all around though as a final note: can we all agree that the sir to pas scene is the worst comic scene Shakespeare ever wrote and would be put in brackets and cut from all productions from this time forth?