Shakespearean space musical 'Return to the Forbidden Planet' to run March 4-13
The madcap jukebox musical āReturn to the Forbidden Planet,ā set in a rock ānā roll Shakespearean spaceship, comes to University Theatre this March. Associate Professor Cecilia Pang directs the production, which promises nonstop laughs, infectious tunes and a generous nod to the Bard.
First seen in 1989 on Londonās West End, āReturn to the Forbidden Planetā places the plot and dialogue of Shakespeareās play āThe Tempestā in a futuristic space setting with performances of classic songs from the 1950s and 1960s. This particular production features flying, light saber fights and a shaking, stage-sized spaceship.
When he wrote the script, librettist Bob Carlton took his inspiration from campy, low-budget science fiction films from the 1950s and 1960s. So did CU-Boulder doctoral candidate Jenn Calvano, the showās choreographer, when she started planning dance routines.
āI was watching a clip of āBatmanā from the 1960s [starring Adam West], and thereās a moment where heās under some kind of spell and starts go-go dancing,ā said Calvano. āSo Iāve been focusing on the kind of dance that was popular when all these songs were writtenā1950s sock-hop swing, East Coast swing, a little bit of Lindy Hopābut with a lot of humor thrown in there.ā
The performance showcases a cast of CU-Boulder students who take turns acting, singing, dancing and playing instruments. The onstage band members are also actors in the show, and almost all the lead actors get the opportunity to show off their instrumental chops.
āIf we found out that, say, someone was proficient at guitar, we asked that person to play a guitar solo,ā said the playās music director, David Nehls. āIt might not always fit with the character the person is playing, but I think thatās part of the fun.ā
If itās not entirely clear what āfitsā into āReturn to the Forbidden Planetā and what doesnāt, itās because Carlton left many of the playās elements open to interpretation. His nebulous instructions inspired Pang to get creative and add a few more fantastical elements to the production, including beat boxing, punk, puppet dancers and a gender swap.
Actor Melanie Iris Schultz says her favorite thing about āReturn to the Forbidden Planetā is that āitās so tongue in cheek that the tongueās not even in the cheek anymore.ā
She also has a list of about a hundred reasons why the musical is a must-see.
āThis whole theater will become a spaceship that moves,ā said Schultz. āPeople will fly. Thereās fire. There are roller skates. Thereās a giant octopus. There are screens everywhere projecting giant asteroids. And, seriously, how many times do you get to see āThe Tempestā in space?ā
The production runs March 4-13. For showtimes and tickets, visit the .
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