If a story works well in one genre, what’s to prevent it from working in another? Cliff Jones asked this and many other questions when he wrote a musical version of Hamlet. When it moved from Canada to Broadway in 1976 it opened as Rockabye Hamlet and ran for 7 performances. But the show has dedicated and passionate followers and a revised version of that show, Hamlet The Rock Musical, opens on Valentine’s Day at the El Portal Theatre.
Cliff Jones’s music and lyrics are still part of the musical, with additional music, lyrics and orchestrations by Craig Fair. How different this show is from Rockabye Hamlet is anyone’s guess. When Jones reworked the show on his own in 1981, it opened at the Odyssey Theatre with the title Something’s Rockin’ in Denmark where it ran for a year and a half.
There was another revision in 2008 that played in Toronto. There have been faithful revivals to the original show and multiple variations over the years.
There are two factors that make Hamlet The Rock Musical appealing. One is that the show is choreographed Janet Roston who has done great work with Celebration Theatre, notably on The Boy From Oz, The Color Purple and Cabaret.
The casting of Payton Lewis as the conflicted Prince is the other. I have seen Lewis is multiple For the Record shows and he was always incredibly impressive. Lewis possesses a perfect rock musical voice and hopefully this show takes full advantage of his talent.
The cast also includes Kevin Bailey as Claudius, Carly Thomas Smith as Gertrude, Fatima El-Bashir as Ophelia and Larry Cedar as Polonius. Hamlet the Rock Musical is directed by Bill Castellino (Cagney).
To go or not to go? That is the question. But you only have through February 23rd to see Hamlet The Rock Musical.
Hamlet The Rock Musical runs 90 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.
For tickets go here.
Photo: Fatima El-Bashir as “Ophelia” and Payson Lewis as “Hamlet” in Hamlet The Rock Musical (Photo by Barry Weiss/Courtesy of Hamlet The Rock Musical)