Music by: Paul William Keefe Lyrics by: William Shakespeare
Same Character Count as the original play, plus Ensemble.
Instrumentation: Piano, Violin, Flute, Guitar & Bass (Upright or Electric)
“The performance of As You Like It in the Bolton town common amphitheater was spectacular and a good time was had by all!“
– Daniel Burbeck (Marlborough MA)
Selected Songs – Performed by Paul William Keefe
Recordings: © 2018, PWK, All Rights Reserved
As You Like It is a series of 2s! My second collaboration with Peter Murphy, my second project with Imago, and my second major stage musical. While most people may see this as just another one of Shakespeare’s many plays with Music, (and they wouldn’t be wrong), to me, this adaptation is more like a Musical than the other Shakespeare plays.
The original play is considered the best play Shakespeare ever wrote for a woman. It concerns a young woman named Rosalind, who has just been banished to the Forest of Arden by her Uncle, Duke Ferdinand. While in the forest, she disguises herself as a Man, but discovers her true love in the forest, Orlando. Romantic Misunderstandings and Subplots ensue!
The show has 7 songs, which were all written like showtunes– some with contemporary music (“It Was a Lover and His Lass”) others that sound like traditional showtunes (“Hyman’s Song”). It had a successful world premiere at Maynard High School, and a wonderful follow-up as part of “Shakespeare in the Park”. I worked with Chamber Musicians, and the whole thing sounded Magical. If you’d like to use any of the songs for your production, please send me a message on my Contact Page.
