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How the Bard inspired a Wild West musical comedy
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Though it’s categorized as a comedy and ends with multiple weddings, Measure for Measure has long been considered one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays.” It’s a morally complex tale rife with abuse of power, sexual blackmail and some seriously toxic masculinity as corrupt judge Angelo demands nun Isabella’s virginity in exchange for sparing the life of her imprisoned brother Claudio. Productions are often plagued by jarring tonal shifts, and yet playwright and writer Peter Kellogg was sure he could turn the source material into an unabashed crowd-pleaser by reimagining it as a musical comedy set in the Old West.
The show has been kicking around for a while: It premiered in Texas in 2004 and played the 2006 Musical Theatre Festival, but back then the book was in prose. It wasn’t until Kellogg decided to rewrite the script in rhyming iambic pentameter that everything clicked. “It definitely was a surprise the first time we did it at the York, the laughs that it got,” he says. “The couplets not only make it funnier, they make it more like a legend. It’s like a mock classic, which I think it really works well.”
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While there are many gleeful gags packed into the two-hour musical, the number “Just for You” encapsulates the show’s giddy spirit. It’s a toe-tapping love song between Johnny Blood and his saloon sweetie Bella Rose (Lauren Molina) in which they constantly one-up each other. Think “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)” but with naughtier lyrics like, “I slept with another guy, just for you,” and, “Shot a man and watched him die, just for you.” The number has a slew of reprises, and even serves as the company finale. “They sing ‘Just for You’ to the audience because we did this for you, so that works great,” Kellogg says.
Indeed, the current off-stage reality of the #MeToo movement has given the show an unexpected new resonance. “All of a sudden the plot of a man in power using his position to get sexual favors from women was topical, so timing is everything,” says Kellogg. “You can’t plan these things. If you try to be timely, it’ll be too late.”
To read about a student’s experience at Desperate Measures, check out this post on TDF’s sister site SEEN.
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TDF MEMBERS: At press time, discount tickets were available for Desperate Measures. Go here to browse our current offers.
Linda Buchwald tweets about theatre at @PataphysicalSci. Follow TDF at @TDFNYC.
Top image: Peter Saide, Lauren Molina, Nick Wyman, Connor Ryan and Sarah Parnicky in Desperate Measures. Photos by Carol Rosegg.
tweets about theatre at @PataphysicalSci. Follow TDF at @TDFNYC.