Delaware Shakespeare brings bilingual musical to Rockwood Park

Twelfth Night, O Lo Que Quieras, a bilingual musical, will run July 17- Aug 3 at Rockwood Park as part of Delaware Shakespeare Summer Festival. (Photo courtesy delshakes)

WILMINGTON— Delaware Shakespeare is reimagining a comedy favorite with Twelfth Night, O Lo Que Quieras, a bilingual musical adaptation set to run July 17 through August 3 at Rockwood Park as part of the 2025 Summer Festival.

The production blends English, Spanish, and “Fake-speare,” combining Shakespeare’s classic language with vibrant original music and Latin American influences.

The story follows Venezuelan twins Violeta and Sebastian, who are separated after a shipwreck on the island of Illyria. As Illyria undergoes a political shift, the twins and local residents grapple with protest, power, and identity in a narrative that Ghant says “felt so necessary and important right now.”

Mariah Ghant, Delaware Shakespeare’s Producing Artistic Director, said the musical has been years in the making. Originally developed for the organization’s Community Tour in 2022, the show was born out of a creative challenge extended by former artistic director David Stradley to co-creator Liz Filios. That idea evolved into a full musical with contributions from Tanaquil Márquez, Robi Hager, and Ximena Violante.

“Liz quickly started to feel like the story really spoke to a Latinx, Spanish-speaking group of folks,” Ghant said. “She brought in Tana Márquez, a Latinx playwright and director, and together they built this beautiful, bilingual adaptation.”

Performing a musical outdoors for the first time at Rockwood Park presents new challenges, Ghant noted, especially in terms of sound projection and musical clarity.

“It’s a lot more breath work, a lot more preparation to make sure that the music is being heard clearly,” she said. “Singing and performing outdoors is incredibly different than just doing Shakespeare outdoors.”

The festival typically draws 1,500 to 3,000 attendees across its three-week run, and Rockwood Park’s expansive, sloped grounds offer plenty of space for lawn chairs and large audiences.

This year’s schedule includes special events like Pay What You Will Wednesdays, Family Night Sundays (offering free admission for children under 12 with a paid adult), LGBTQIA+ and BILAM+ Night on July 23, and a Relaxed Performance—a welcoming, “shush-free” show—on July 27.

Ghant hopes the production will connect with audiences of all backgrounds, even those unfamiliar with Shakespeare or Spanish.

“A lot of people think Shakespeare isn’t for them. But as long as you’re willing to be open and see the story, you’ll probably find pieces of yourself in it,” she said. “You don’t have to understand every word. It’s about sitting with the story—and the actors, the music, they really let you in.”