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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Council discusses ordinances on panhandling, sidewalk blocking ... Local Take: Is it down to Trump vs. Clinton? ... As It Was: Raggedy Ann in Ashland ... Council discusses ordinances on panhandling, sidewalk blocking ... Local Take: Is it down to Trump vs. Clinton? ... As It Was: Raggedy Ann in Ashland ... REVIEW Hollywood-themed '12th Night' is Oscar worthy Comment By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Feb. 28, 2016 at 2:49 PM Updated Feb 29, 2016 at 7:12 PM By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Feb. 28, 2016 at 2:49 PM Updated Feb 29, 2016 at 7:12 PM » Social News "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." Thus spake Malvolio in "Twelfth Night" and, thanks to the outstanding vision of director Christopher Liam Moore and his actors, there was greatness aplenty on display on the main stage at the Angus Bowmer Theatre at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this Friday night last. Mr. Moore and his creative team have given us a "Twelfth Night" that is wholly fresh and wildly entertaining — a production that kept us on the edge of our seats for the duration. The audience enters into the world of the 1930s Hollywood movie musical through the Romanesque arches of "Illyria Studios," with an MGM-style roar, and we never look back. Moore and company blast the audience into the sequin-laden stratosphere, complete with glowing "Hollywoodland" sign, a massive curved staircase that is well utilized for Fred Astaire-style musical numbers, and a crackling energy from the jaw-droppingly talented cast, led by Sara Bruner as Viola/Sebastian, the shipwrecked protagonist of the piece. Ms. Bruner is a stellar performer; her brilliant physicality and ability to walk the line between the two characters she embodies is startling. As Viola, she is an evocative and enticing presence. As Cesario, that cross-dressing alter ego necessitated by the plot, Bruner is most convincingly male. But there's no broad pandering to gender stereotypes here. Bruner pays her audience the high compliment of assuming that they are intelligent. She walks the razor's edge with relish, sometimes pinned timidly into a corner, sometimes spreadeagled conspicuously across a chaise lounge. Her antics are hilarious, but there is something larger at work. Bruner (with the help of some outstanding visual effects towards the end of the action) pays subtle respect to the id of emergent gender fluidity in the contemporary culture. Her performance is a magnificent homage to the ongoing vision of the Festival — that aspect of inclusion and evolution for which OSF is so well-known. As Olivia, Gina Daniels is another standout performer. Here is the archetypal Hollywood lady that dreams are made of; at once coquettish and iconic, sensual and retiring, a screen idol stuck somewhere between Shirley Temple and Norma Desmond. Daniels knows how to embody the contradictory characteristics of fame; she holds her character suspended between aching vulnerability and petulant arrogance. She gives us a mercurial Olivia — a woman trapped inside of her own star power and vanity. Ted Deasy, as Malvolio, also nails down his character with relish. As a lurching, sycophantic manservant with a boorish servility, Malvolio is transformed into a picture of pathos and longing when misplaced love comes calling. Deasy's comedic capacity is superb, but by the end of the play, his Malvolio is the one for whom we feel the most compassion. Elijah Alexander as Orsino is everything you could want in a studio head honcho; clad in riding boots and playing the alpha-suitor with gusto, Alexander knocks the teeth out of his role, pursuing Olivia with a ferocity of affection that totally tramples over the nuanced affection that Viola holds for him. Kate Mulligan, Daniel T. Parker and Danforth Comins provide much of the comedic drive for the play, with their athletically hilarious portrayals of Maria, Toby, and Andrew, respectively. Parker is particularly brilliant; with a sly nod to WC Fields, his portly and inebriated Toby takes to the stage like an avuncular wrecking ball. Rodney Gardiner as Feste holds forth beautifully when he joins the antics. There is memorable scene after memorable scene, the most hilarious of which involves Mr. Comins in an elaborate sword fight with Sebastian, and only a few calla lilies to guide him through the ordeal. The musical numbers, composed by David Reiffel, are goosebump-inducing. Hearing the Bard set to '40s-style music, complete with twirling umbrellas and tap shoes, is thrilling. Costume design by Susan Tsu is brilliantly conceived and period-correct. As usual, Christopher Acebo's genius is on full display with a scenic design that somehow keeps things both opulent and intimate, even in a 600-plus seat theater. From start to finish, OSF's "Twelfth Night" is an outstanding production. Moore and his team are a credit to their profession; other theater companies can learn a thing or two from this spectacular show, which is — dare we say it — as close to perfection as anything this critic has seen in a long while. Performances of "Twelfth Night" in the Angus Bowmer Theatre continue through Oct. 30. Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Daily Tidings columnist, arts reviewer and freelance writer. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Feb. 28, 2016 at 2:49 PM Updated Feb 29, 2016 at 7:12 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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