Exploring legendary playwright and poet William Shakespeare’s influence on pop music.
That’s the concept behind Play On, a Shakespeare Inspired Mixtape, being put on at the St.Lawrence Shakespeare Festival in Prescott.
The show was originally created for the Stratford Festival in 2021 by St.Lawrence Shakespeare Festival Co-Directors Julia Nish-Lapidus and James Wallis as well as Robert Markus.
Nish-Lapidus says they put a lot of work into showcasing the impact Shakespeare has had on modern music.
“We spent six months delving into it and making lists of every song that referenced Shakespeare or seemed to be inspired by Shakespeare and put it down to about 18 songs that are in the show.”
Nish-Lapidus adds songs from artists like Taylor Swift, The Beatles and Elton John are included in the all-ages production.
The show is the last of the 2024 season for the festival and runs from August 13 to 17 at the Kinsman Ampitheatre.
