SOUND OFF Special Edition: Something Rotten! 10 Surprising Shakespeare-Inspired Theatrical Things

By: Pat Cerasaro Apr. 15, 2015

Today we are shining a spotlight on some rarely discussed and unusual connections between the world of William Shakespeare and theatrical pop culture at large. Given the wide breadth of material contained within the canon of the Bard, it is certainly no understatement to claim that the tethers are virtually endless between many modern tropes, terms, themes and ideas that derive in his classic plays - whether they be tragedies, comedies, histories or late plays - yet the intriguing aspects of many of the lesser-known theatrical connections between Shakespeare and modern theatre are illuminating and fascinating to unearth. Ranging from the influence of Shakespeare on some of our greatest musical theatre masters - Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and William Finn included - through to the inspiration behind both Broadway's most lucrative production in history (THE LION KING) and the longest-running show in NYC to date (THE FANTASTICKS), the impact of Shakespeare on Broadway is impossible to accurately calculate - and, now, with the lovable and hilarious Shakespeare paean SOMETHING ROTTEN! poised to open later this month, the Bard is about to get a fresh jolt of electricity, buzz and excitement from the theatre community at large. Fear no more, indeed - especially for fans of William Shakespeare.

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1. THE LION KING. While the story of a boy, his deceased father and the nefarious individual who usurped the crown - no less than the king's own brother - is a common dramatic trope, no more famous example exists than perhaps Shakespeare's most famous and well-regarded tragedy, HAMLET, which acts as the backbone of the drama for the most successful musical in history, THE LION KING. Pride is more than a mortal sin and fatal character flaw, after all - it is the term for a lion pack, as well.
2. THE FANTASTICKS. Nearing the end of its record-breaking run of more than 50 years running in New York City, Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's small-scale musical centered on a pair of star-crossed lovers separated by fate and circumstance due to their dueling fathers is no doubt shaded by the similar story told in Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET. Yet, THE FANTASTICKS is rife with even more Shakespeare influence in the form of the entertaining and daffy clowns that crop up during the show - and their ensuing hijinks, which eventually reveal some painful truths at the core of the characters being portrayed. Surely, fools are often that in name only, as Shakespeare taught us so well.

3. "Fear No More" from THE FROGS. Stephen Sondheim is considered by many Broadway babies and entertainment enthusiasts to be the modern-day equivalent of the Bard and a foremost example of his brilliance is amply evident in his rarely produced stage musical based on the Aristophanes play of the same name, THE FROGS. Unusually, Sondheim actually musicalizes a pre-existing text by Shakespeare in order to create the central dramatic and thematic crux of the piece, when Shakespeare himself debates with George Bernard Shaw and ultimately wins the day with the moving CYMBELINE speech "Fear No More".
4. WEST SIDE STORY rewrites ROMEO & JULIET. Without any doubt whatsoever, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein made musical theatre magic out of Shakespeare via WEST SIDE STORY, with its basis being ROMEO & JULIET. And, although it is common knowledge that the story of the two households separated by strife and familial fighting was sourced from Shakespeare, the elegant and erudite manner in which plot problems from the Bard's original are made cleaner and more biting in the structure designed by the creators of the musical make a solid case that Shakespeare was actually improved upon by Sondheim, Bernstein, bookwriter Arthur Laurents and company - dare it be said. A more devastating ending scene could nary be imagined - nearly totally bereft of music, to boot. "The rest is silence."

5. TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA beats FOLLIES for Best Musical. One of the most iconic and fondly remembered Broadway productions of all time, Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's vaudeville-era FOLLIES was considered a masterpiece by many in its own time of 1972, yet the musical lost out on the big Best Musical prize that year at the Tony Awards to a rock-tinged musical by HAIR composer Galt MacDermott courtesy of the Public Theater based on the Bard's TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. Then again, "Night Letter" is a surefire showstopper - but as unforgettable as "Broadway Baby"? For shame!
6. Kevin Spacey as a spear carrier. Yes, indeed - two-time Academy Award-winning stage and screen superstar Kevin Spacey made his New York stage debut in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of HENRY VI, PART 1 way back in 1981 at only 20, opposite no less than Val Kilmer. Incidentally, Spacey recently returned to his Shakespearean roots with a world tour of RICHARD III and a riveting new documentary film all about the project is now available to view, appropriately titled NOW. Check out my extensive InDepth InterView with Kevin Spacey for much more on Shakespeare, NOW and all the rest of his impressive career here.

7. Sondheim tackles KING LEAR. In 2007, Stephen Sondheim took on Shakespeare once again via the Public Theater mounting of the Bard's classic tragedy KING LEAR, headlined by Kevin Kline, providing music for the tale of an old king on the verge of senility with two rapacious daughters and a pure one who was wrongfully disowned in his madness. Frequent orchestrator Michael Starobin collaborated with Sondheim on the new music for the production, which also featured Tony Award-winning Sondheim interpreter Michael Cerveris among the accomplished ranks.
8. Shakespeare comes up short at the Tony Awards. Only one actor in history has taken home the Best Actor Tony Award for playing what is considered by many to be the greatest role written in the English language, the title character of HAMLET, and the honor goes to Ralph Fiennes, who won the prize in 1995. Incidentally, only two actors ever have won Best Actor Tony Awards for their Shakespeare work, shockingly enough - Derek Jacobi took home the other top acting award for MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING in 1985.

9. William Finn's score for THE WINTER'S TALE. Similar to the collaboration embarked on by Sondheim for his Public Theater KING LEAR, Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist William Finn scored a production of Shakespeare's THE WINTER'S TALE directed by frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine in 1989, featuring their SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE star (and Finn's FALSETTOS Broadway replacement cast lead) Mandy Patinkin in the central role of Leontes. Given that Act IV of the late play showcases five full-out musical numbers, the play is ripe for songwriters of merit to have a go at musicalizing the finest words imaginable.
10. Orson Welles reinvents Shakespeare's Falstaff. One of the most familiar and beloved characters from any of the plays of William Shakespeare is fascinating raconteur Falstaff and master filmmaker Orson Welles set out to mash-up all of Falstaff's most famous and delectable scenes from a number of plays - RICHARD II, HENRY IV Parts 1 & 2, HENRY V, HENRY VI Parts 1, 2 & 3, THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR and RICHARD III - into one feature film in 1966, titled CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT. The result? Decide for yourself - many would agree it is an interesting, if ultimately futile, experiment, nevertheless.

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