Rider’s ‘Twelfth Night’ is ‘bold, bright and beautiful’

By Brooke Foster

To quote the words uttered by sophomore musical theater major Libby Phillips’ slimy, yet charming Malvolio, “some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.” The cast and crew of Rider’s recent production of “Twelfth Night” certainly have achieved that greatness. 

From Oct. 24 to Oct. 26, the Bart Luedeke Center Theater housed the production of William Shakespeare’s classic comedy — with a twist. The musical adaptation of “Twelfth Night” was originally developed for and performed off-Broadway by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Shaina Taub before it made its way to campus in time for Rider’s Alumni and Family Weekend. 

I attended the final performance on Sunday afternoon and from the moment I stepped into the theater, the room was already abuzz with the excited mutterings of students, faculty and family.  

As an English major and all-around lover of literature, I am not a complete stranger to Shakespeare. However, I will admit that I had some concerns prior to taking my seat. I am an avid musical theater fan, but was nervous to witness this musical undertaking. Is it possible to incorporate contemporary elements without sacrificing the classic’s intent? 

My fears were resolved after the very first song. While the music contained contemporary language — including a surprising interjection of the “Orslivia” relationship name during “Word on the Street”— the spoken portion of “Twelfth Night” remained mostly faithful to the original source material. 

At first, the language mix was jarring, but I found the use of contemporary music aided in my understanding of the story. The three variations of “Word on the Street” as performed by the ensemble served as a fantastic transition between acts, reminding audiences of the previous events in an engaging manner. 

The musical additions also provide audiences with better in-depth understanding of the characters outside of the classic piece, such as Viola’s fear of having to lose her identity, a pain beautifully illustrated by senior musical theater major Abigail Westers’ vocals. Senior musical theater major Jonathan Banks, who played Antonio, both metaphorically and literally stole the show with his longing in “If You Were My Beloved (Reprise).” 

Everything about this production of “Twelfth Night” is bold, bright and beautiful. The costumes of pink Hawaiian shirts, khaki shorts and vibrantly colored and patterned skirts made characters easy to spot and a pleasure to watch stride across the stage. To describe the setting of Illyria is to imagine a cross between a tropical vacation spot and fantastical adventure. This design choice had me echoing the question asked by both Viola and Sebastian, the latter of whom was played by senior musical theater major Will Braxton Coffey: “Is this where we go when we die?” 

When asked what he hoped audiences would take away from this musical adaptation, sophomore musical theater major Finn Alexander, who played Sir Toby, instantly shared a single word: “empathy.” “The shared understanding between the characters is something that can be taken into anyone’s own life,” he said, “and it’s still such an important lesson no matter how old you are or where you come from.”

A show is nothing without its actors and Rider evidently has no shortage of talent. I remember seeing junior musical theater major Nia Chavis perform as Joanne in the university’s fall 2024 production of “RENT” and being amazed. Seeing Chavis now starring in the role of Feste, the resident fool of Illyria, left me in awe of a dynamic vocal range between songs like the playful “You’re The Worst” and the soulfully teasing “Is This Not Love.” I would also be remiss to not once again highlight Phillips’ portrayal of Malvolio, whose spectacular performance and stunts made your hatred for the pompous steward appear almost laughable. 

Finally, the choreography, designed by Jōvan Dansberry, was phenomenal. I never would have expected to see a kickline during Malvolio’s dream-like soliloquy in “Count Malvolio (Part I)” in addition to the timid 80’s-style boxing match between Westers’ Viola and junior musical theater major Blaine Stabe’s Sir Andrew during “What Kind of Man R U Gonna Be?” 

The 90 minutes I spent wandering the immersive streets of Illyria went by far too quickly and soon I was transported back to the reality of Rider’s campus. I wish I could go back and take in the sights and sounds of “Twelfth Night” one last time, but alas, I must simply wait to see where the next production of the season will take me. 

Matt Cirola is circulation manager for The Rider News and served as an assistant stage manager for “Twelfth Night.” Cirola had no part in the writing or editing of this piece.

Brooke Foster is a senior English major