SOUTH POMFRET, Vt. – The Grange Theatre at Artistree is pleased to premiere the new musical “The Twelfth Night Show.” The show is an adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most popular romantic comedies. The adaptation was created and written by real life partners Megumi Nakamura and Jacob Brandt, who also star in the show. Their goal in creating The Twelfth Night Show was to make “a production that we hoped anyone could enjoy, whether they’d seen every Shakespeare play or none at all,” says Nakamura. Also starring in the production are Allie Seibold and her husband, Seth Eliser. Says Seibold, “new work is an actor’s dream, and the audience plays a very important role in this process as well.”
The story centers around four of New York City’s finest underemployed actors and self-proclaimed Shakespeare experts, as they attempt to put on a one-of-a-kind production of the bard’s beloved mistaken identity romantic comedy, “Twelfth Night” – but doing Shakespeare is a lot harder than everyone says it is. Fueled by an original folk/rock score from songwriter Brandt, this unfamiliar take on a familiar classic will have you laughing, clapping, and asking the question, “what is Shakespeare, anyway?”
Artistree audiences may recognize Seibold, who played Sister Mary Leo in “Nunsense,” and Darlene in “Honky Tonk Angels” during The Grange Theater’s Music Theater Festival in 2022. She has performed nationally and internationally with shows like Disney on Classic, Footloose, and The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. Seibold’s husband and “The Twelfth Night Show” costar Seth Eliser is also excited to be back at Artistree. Eliser was most recently seen in PCLO’s production of Godspell, and as Ernst in the world premiere of “Punk Rock Girl.” Seth has toured the country with “The Music Man,” “The Lightning Thief,” and internationally with Disney Cruise Line.
Nakamura is a New York based director and actor, who is thrilled to be returning to Vermont after five consecutive summers acting and directing at Weston Theater Company. Nakamura is also currently the resident associate director of 92Y’s Lyrics and Lyricists series in New York City. “I want people watching the show to walk away thinking Shakespeare is fun and easier to understand than they might have previously thought,” they said. Adds Seibold, “there’s never a dull moment, and the audience is sure to be entertained”.
Brooklyn-based Jacob Brandt is an actor, composer, and musician, who created and performed in the indie-folk musicals “1969: The Second Man,” and “Hang On: A Subway History-Concert.” His music has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, Paste Live, and Playbill.com. As an actor, Jacob recently appeared in “Dear Edward” on Apple TV+, and he has performed at many regional theaters along the east coast.
Catch this exciting, brand new musical that is fun and engaging for the whole family. Whether you’ve seen every Shakespeare play, or none at all, this knee-slapping, toe-tapping production is right for you.
Tickets are available for Artistree’s production of “The Twelfth Night Show,” with a 7 p.m. showtime on May 4, 5, 6, 12, and 13. There is a 2 p.m. matinee on May 7. To purchase tickets, or to learn more, go to www.artistreevt.org, or call 802-457-3500.
Artistree is a non-profit committed to making creative expression and its appreciation accessible to our community. Our community arts center provides the opportunity for a joyful, meaningful, and satisfying experience of the visual arts, movement, theater, and music through our year-round classes, workshops, performances, gallery exhibits and events. We encourage our local community members of all ages and abilities to participate in a wide variety of art processes. Our offerings are designed to nurture each person’s inherent creative capacities, and raise the possibility of art as a vital force in an individual’s overall growth and expressive abilities. Artistree and Purple Crayon are 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.