DATE: February 10, 2009

CONTACT: Mark Charney, 864-656-5415
cmark@clemson.edu

WRITER: Glenn Hare, 864-656-1478
ghare@clemson.edu

Clemson presents 'Two Gentlemen of Verona, the Rock Musical'

CLEMSON — Clemson University's performing arts department and the Clemson Players will put a different twist on William Shakespeare’s “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” when they present the comedy of mistaken identity in February and March.

The shows are at 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, Feb. 26-28, and at 3 p.m. Monday, March 1, at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

“This adaptation of the play is a full-blown ‘rock’ musical," said Mark Charney, the director of the production. "The story is every bit the same, but this version is based in the 1970s and features music and fashion not only from that era, but from subsequent decades as well. The original production emphasized cultural diversity and we’re trying to embrace that as much as possible, especially through design.”
 
The musical is about best friends Valentine and Proteus who travel to the big city of Milan to learn about life. They both fall in love with a duke's daughter, who is supposed to marry a man she detests. As with most of Shakespeare’s comedies, happiness prevails in the end, but not without problems and misconceptions inspired by passion and love.

“Like most of Shakespeare’s works, ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ has many universal themes, such as setting out on your own and finding yourself," Charney said. "It’s very appropriate for a college audience, where these types of decisions are made everyday. And most of all, it’s great fun.”

The award-winning musical is comprised of songs written by “Hair’s” John Guare and Galt MacDermont. The original Broadway production opened in 1971, had more than 600 performances and beat out "Grease" in the Tony Awards for best musical.

“The adaptation treats the original comedy with great respect, but isn’t scared to appeal to a broader audience,” Charney said. “While the text still borrows from the Shakespeare text, the music is contemporary: a blend of Motown and Latin-influenced music.”

Tickets and information are available at www.clemson.edu/Brooks or by calling the Brooks Center box office at 864-656-7787 from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.