Catching Up: May 22, 2011 As You Like It

Saw an AMAZING As You Like It at the Globe today! I wish it had been my first experience in the Globe instead of that mediocre Hamlet.

So, the show started with all the actors coming on stage from various places, playing instruments and singing. The man who played Orlando played accordion and the man who played Duke Frederich/Duke Senior/Audrey played ukulele! The music they played throughout was beautiful. Clarinet, xylophone, guitar and harmonica were some later and greater additions to their sound...making the show ten times more adorable.

I love the whole cast. The weakest link for me would've been Rosalind because she was a bit pushy. Pushing a bit too hard to get those laughs, which she did get. Also, she seemed too masculine as a woman to make that crossover from Rosalind to Ganymede specific enough. But, don't get me wrong, I still liked her. I didn't really know what to expect from a Rosalind because, even though it has been one of my dream roles for years, I've never seen it performed. So, I was very surprised by her choices. Her bold choices paired with Celia's made their relationship very specific, captivating and hysterical.

On that line, I thought that Celia and Rosalind had way more chemistry that Orlando and Rosalind! Just an observation. It was super distracting or anything, but I did notice it more than once.

I was, as an audience member, very much involved as a part of the show. That is what I loved the most. I  felt that the actors were not just having fun and playing with any audience, but that they had a special experience with our audience! That we, the May 22, 2011 As You Like It matinee at the Globe, experienced a performance that will never again be quite the same.