I sat in the middle row of the Casella Theater throbbing with anticipation. It was the opening night for the much-anticipated “Hamlet in Concert,” directed by Marisa Valent-Atland. 

I observed the proscenium in front of me, frantically chewing four sticks of gum in apprehension. My eyes were peeled wide open, ready for a night of theater.

“Hamlet” itself is a play as old as time. It comes from an ancient Viking legend told throughout Scandinavia about a young Amleth, who plots revenge on his uncle, the current king, for killing his father who was the former king. From then on ensues a political, vocabulary-laden plot with several murders.

The story of Hamlet is so popular it’s pretty much ubiquitous. It has been adapted into several films including The Lion King, The Northman, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Most male protagonists in fantasy/medieval/sci-fi stories are iterations of Hamlet. 

Take Luke Skywalker, for instance. A handsome young twink sees his family and home planet brutally destroyed and seeks to fight the force and overcome it, who turns out to be his father. Familial betrayal as a plot twist in fiction probably became popularized by Hamlet.

Some serious praise is deserved for the cast of Hamlet. The main actor, Ben Robinson, delivered a tour de force of acting power. His gravitas reminded me of James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause” or Al Pacino in “Scarface.” Robinson easily outshines today’s contemporary actors. He could wipe the floor with Timothee Chalamet.

The actress who played Ophelia, Carissa Chalinor, also did an excellent job.

I believed her acting when she got emotional and teary-eyed. I walked in expecting mediocre acting just based on the fact that none of these people are professional actors. 

But I was pleasantly surprised when the cast pulled off the magic trick with convincing dexterity.

Another highlight was Kendrick Madore’s performance as King Claudius. He looks more like a Norse god than a college student so his physical features certainly helped. But when he bellowed out the wordy, thick, molasses-drenched dialogue, I bought every word of it. 

The musical moments I could give or take. I’m not a huge fan of musicals unless it’s something like the South Park movie. 

The music was ok. Personally I cannot vibe with the showtune energy of the music. It has no swagger, no funk, and no interest. Why do all musicals feature songs that are always in the same genre? 

Hamilton pushed the mold a little bit, but not far enough. I want to see black metal musicals, hyperpop musicals, psychedelic musicals, and hardcore hip-hop musicals like “$uicideboy$” or “Wu-Tang Clan.” 

Overall the play was a great success. The endless hours of rehearsing seemed to have paid off. 

I was entertained the whole time, and so were the people sitting near me. 

An elderly couple behind me enjoyed the play so much that the man howled with glee. 

No one was on their phone with the brightness on, which these days is a positive.