"Some are born great, Some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them"

Monday evening I had the very special treat of attending a New York City tradition- Shakespeare in the Park. Emily had connections through her god-parents that live here in the city and was able to get a few tickets (3rd row in the center!) to this sold-out show.

Just in from the 79th Street and 5th Ave entrance is the Delacorte Theater in Central Park where acting magic takes stage at night outside under the stars. We could not have asked for better weather- warm with a slight breeze and no rain.

In it's classic form, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is put on by a fabulous cast that includes Anne Hathaway, star in the films: The Princess Diaries- one of my favorites, as well as Bride Wars, Brokeback Mountain, and The Devil Wears Prada. I guess this counts as my first sighting of a famous person?

The story is about Viola (played by Anne Hathaway) who decides to dress up like a boy to fit in with the Duke's army, taking the place of her brother. As the story unfolds, Viola is sent to try and convince Olivia, a countess, that she should fall in love with the Duke. Instead of taking Viola's advice, who is now acting as her brother, Olivia falls for Viola- thinking she is a boy. Confused? Watch the movie She's the Man starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum. It's a modern take on the classic tale.

I admit, I'm one of the many out there that struggles to read and understand Shakespeare. (Yet, the man does have some good quotes with his name attached to them, such as the title of this post.) But it would have been impossible to not catch on to the plot of this story- the acting was that good. The music that had been composed for the play was performed extremely well and the comedy that was strung throughout the story cracked up the house. (Anne is seen in her male get-up (blue coat with khaki knickers) on the left- photo credit to the New York Times since there was no photography in the theater.)

Catch the New York Times review on the Twelfth Night and more photos from the show by clicking on this link!