Merchant of Venice: The Musical at Aspire Repertory Theatre

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2. Merchant of Venice: The Musical

Amaranth Turtle Stages is delighted to present a staged reading of Merchant of Venice: The Musical in collaboration with Aspire Repertory Theatre.

Dive into a bold reimagining of Shakespeare's most controversial play, adapted as a musical for the first time. Witness the world premiere of this dark comedy created by local artists and featuring entirely original songs.

Music By: Daniel Arthur
Lyrics And Book By: Anna Tatelman
Directed By: Jeremy Radick
Presented By: Amaranth Turtle Stages

Where: Aspire Repertory Theatre (11030 8th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125)
When: November 1st-3rd and 8th-10th

Tickets are between $10-20. Although we have production costs to cover, we are committed to making our show accessible to anyone who wants to attend. There is no difference between the ticket tiers apart from the price. We thank you in advance for whatever amount you give in support of our new musical!

Audiences are invited to join our talkbacks following the performances on Saturday November 2nd, Sunday November 3rd, and Sunday November 10th.

Starring:
Adam Womack as Antonio
Matt Dela Cruz as Shylock
Hannah Votel as Portia
Elise Cogan as Jessica
Adam Nyhoff as Bassanio
Kalli Allen as Nerissa
Ben Swenson-Klatt as Lorenzo
Kristen Carder as Gratiano

Inspired by the Shakespearean play, Merchant of Venice: The Musical takes place in 16th-century Venice. It's about Antonio, a merchant, and his friend Bassanio, a man who wishes to woo an heiress named Portia. To help Bassanio impress Portia with a display of wealth, Antonio makes a deal with Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, despite his distrust of the Jewish population. When Antonio is unable to pay back his loan, Shylock decides that it's time to mistreat Antonio in the same way both he and his people have been mistreated for years.

CONTENT ADVISORY

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice has shocked, intrigued, and troubled audiences for over four centuries. This adaptation intends to re-examine the controversial content found in the play through a modern lens. That means Merchant of Venice: The Musical directly engages with racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny, homophobia, and classism. By tackling this uncomfortable material with intention, we hope to illuminate the ways in which these challenging themes still haunt us today.

We sincerely hope you will want to join us for this compelling new musical.