Rustling in their seats, the audience members anxiously wait for the actors of "Best of Both Worlds." They were supposed to be on stage 10 minutes ago. A crew member clad in black appears to announce that the theatre just received a text from the actors — and that some of them have not even arrived. As ripples of annoyance and impatience run cross the crowd, the entire cast bursts through the garage door on a sparkly purple Cadillac.
The element of surprise is part of what makes "Best of Both Worlds" work. The production is an exciting musical adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" (1623), infusing the 17th century story with a musical score of R&B and gospel. Bolstered by an outstanding cast, the result is anything but expected.
The production follows the plot of Shakespeare's play well, allowing those who aren't familiar with the original version to enjoy the musical in its own right.
The story centers around Ezekiel (Gregg Baker), the king of soul music and ruler of his land, and his queen, Serena (Jeanette Bayardelle). Ezekiel becomes jealous because he thinks Serena is messing around with Maurice (Darius de Haas), a friend and musician who tours with him. He banishes her from his kingdom despite the warning of his mother, Violetta (Mary Bond Davis). In exile, Serena is forbidden to see her son (Sebastien Lucien) and gives birth to a baby girl, Rain (Brianna Horne).
When Serena hears that her son has died, she grows sick with grief and passes away. Violetta prophesizes that Ezekiel will not be happy until Serena returns to his kingdom, but it is too late. After finding Serena dead, Ezekiel orders his attendant 8-Ball (Lawrence Stallings) to throw her baby in a dumpster. Sweet Daddy (Cleavant Derricks), a homeless man, eventually rescues and cares for the baby girl until happiness is restored in Ezekiel's kingdom through a series of coincidental events.
The acting is superb throughout "Best of Both Worlds," as comedic scenes leave the audience laughing and more serious scenes never come off as cheesy. 8-Ball is one of the funnier characters, at one point yelling at the narrator (Cleavant Derricks) when he is called low-class. Mary Bond Davis, who plays Violetta, also doubles as a hooker in an outrageous scene in the second half of the musical. She pulls off a Marge Simpson-like wig and a humorously scandalous dress.
The show's musical score, composed by Diedre Murray, is its most impressive aspect. "It's gospel inflicted, but not pure gospel," Murray said in an interview for the A.R.T. guide. "There's R&B and hip hop, but deep down, the DNA is jazz. But it's so diffused it won't sound like jazz."
The show's cast is full of amazing singers who bring powerful musical performances to the play. One song that left the audience cheering for quite some time was a moving and emotional performance by Jeanette Bayardelle as Serena lamenting how she loved Ezekiel and was hurt by his suspicions.
Since "Best of Both Worlds" is a musical, dancing is included — but it is not the show's main focus. When it comes to dancing, the spotlight is often on Sebastien Lucien, who plays Serena and Ezekiel's son. Lucien steals the stage with his dance moves, even throwing in a back flip or two into his performance.
"Best of Both Worlds" is Shakespeare with a twist. The show successfully blends classic theatre with a musical score rich in R&B and gospel, creating a performance which appeals to a wide audience.
"Best of Both Worlds" is running at the Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square until Jan. 3. Tickets cost between $25 and $75, but can be purchased via student rush for $20. Tickets can be purchased at the box office, by phone at 617-547-8300 or online at www.AmericanRepertoryTheater.org.
