Shakespeare in Jazz is an engaging, participatory celebration of Shakespeare’s work, offering an exciting new way to experience his genius. Great for those discovering his plays for the first time and for Shakespeare aficionados alike! Throughout the concert, audience members will join Daniel’s jazz group and vocalist Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez, as they sing along to catchy, original songs based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Hamlet and many more!

Daniel Kelly – Composer & Pianist
An artist who has been called “stunningly original” with “a visionary imagination,” composer and pianist Daniel Kelly explores the meeting place of music with literature, visual art and journalism, captivating audiences across the country. A prolific composer and tireless musical explorer, Kelly continually seeks out new avenues for his creativity.

What inspired you to bring Shakespeare in Jazz in the participatory form that you've created? 

I traveled all over the country performing in theaters and saw that Shakespeare’s plays were being performed in cities big and small. He’s considered the greatest writer in the English language, and even though his plays have resonated with audiences for over 400 years, his language can be a challenge to understand. So, I set about to explore his work by doing something that I love: writing and playing music!

Why do you think bringing Shakespeare to the stage in this form is important?

People who come to our concerts don’t need to have any knowledge about Shakespeare at all. My approach is to make the music fun, exciting and engaging. We’re not performing the plays. I’ve selected certain well-known passages written by Shakespeare and set them to music. And that music ranges across many styles—jazz, funk, reggae, salsa and more! It’s a really fun concert with great songs—with lyrics by Shakespeare!

What is your favorite aspect of your performance?

There are parts of the performance where we get people singing along! It’s been said that Shakespeare’s words are meant to be spoken, not just read on the page. The brilliance of his writing comes alive when spoken—and even more so when it’s sung! The vocalist sings a phrase, and the audience sings it back. It’s so much fun! And believe it or not, people are unknowingly memorizing some Shakespeare while they sing!

What do you hope your audience will take from your performance?

I hope the audience has a great time experiencing Shakespeare and jazz together. I’ve had jazz fans say to me after a concert, “I didn’t even know I liked Shakespeare!” Jazz is so exciting to hear live! Even audience members who have never listened to jazz can feel the energy in the room as jazz musicians improvise. The element of improvisation makes each
performance unique and a special, shared experience with everyone there. And by singing Shakespeare’s words, audiences can experience the genius of how he improvised with language. He created over 1,700 words we still use today, like amazing, eyeball, and puppy dog! And phrases like: Vanish into thin air. Knock-knock. Who’s there? and so many more!

What is your favorite work from Shakespeare? Why? 
I love A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In high school, I played the character Nick Bottom, whose head is magically transformed into a donkey’s head!

See Shakespeare in Jazz: Daniel Kelly Trio with Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez on Friday, April 4 at 7:30 P.M.