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The musical Twelfth Night, based on the play by William Shakespeare and featuring music and lyrics by Shaina Taub, is set to be presented Feb. 20-21 at the Bordentown Performing Arts Center.
The musical is to be a production of the award-winning theater students of Bordentown Regional High School, with shows scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and students and may be purchased in advance at seatyourself.biz/brhs. Tickets will also be available at the door, cash only.
Twelfth Night is a contemporary musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy centered on mistaken identity and self-discovery. The story follows Viola, a young woman who washes ashore in the land of Illyria, disguises herself as a man and becomes entangled in a series of romantic misunderstandings involving a duke and a countess. Through her journey, Viola ultimately discovers both her true identity and true love.
The musical features an original jazz-funk score by Taub, a two-time Tony Award winner. The production was named one of the best theatrical productions of 2018 by Time, The Hollywood Reporter and The Washington Post. The performance runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission and is appropriate for all audiences.
The cast includes Rylie Evans as Viola, Emmary McLaughlin as Olivia, Adam Pollard as Orsino, Brynn Bowyer as Sir Toby, Atlas Planas-Borgstrom as Sebastian, Sika Brenya as Maria, River Skalski as Malvolio, Alex Martucci as Sir Andrew, Andre McLaughlin as Antonio, Kade Sutton as Fabian and Gabriella Cuccia as Feste. Featured Illyrians include Alicia Kitner, Leah Eisele, Emilie Kelly, Peyton Todaro, Ansley Magby, Ari Rios, Ella James and Juliet Kraus.
Wren Magby and Nora Chestnut are members of the horn trio, while Rylan Phillips and Ben Sexton portray officers. The Illyrian ensemble includes Persephone Borsuk, Evelyn DeIeso, Aron Erdos, Brecklyn Giangrasso, Hansikia Gokavarapu, Rocco Gutin, Rhylan James, Brooke Jeffery, Madelyn Jones, Julianna Kelly, Jack McCarney, Anthony Nami, Oliver Sano and Leo Silverman.
The pit orchestra features students Finn Conroy, Cara Gallagher, Danger Stevenson, Samantha Karolkiewicz, Adrian Sucuzhanay, Aiden Rich and Ceilidh Manigrasso.
Bordentown Regional High School’s theater program has earned numerous honors, including the Greater Philadelphia Cappie Award for Outstanding Musical in 2012 for Legally Blonde and a nomination for Outstanding Musical in 2023 for The Addams Family. Over the past decade, the program has received 79 Cappie nominations and 19 awards, as well as multiple recognitions from the New Jersey State Thespian Festival and the New Jersey Theatre Night Awards. The school is home to International Thespian Society Troupe 6803.
The Bordentown Performing Arts Center is located at 318 Ward Ave.
For information about the performing arts program, visit bordentown.k12.nj.us, email smorano@bordentown.k12.nj.us or call 609-496-1452. Tickets for Twelfth Night and the upcoming production of The Lightning Thief are available at seatyourself.biz/brhs.
