Gay Merchant Of Venice Set In Las Vegas?

[DMark]

From Norm's column in the Las Vegas Review Journal:

"`Merchant' to Venetian?

The Venetian has met with "Star Trek: The Next Generation" icon Patrick Stewart, who wants to co-star with Sir Ian McKellen in a film adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" that would be filmed along the faux Grand Canal.

Lisa Johnson, spokeswoman for The Venetian, said the meeting with Stewart was exploratory.

London's Sunday Telegraph reported that the film featuring two of Britain's greatest Shakespearean actors would be set in modern-day Las Vegas.

"The film is also expected to make use of the city's thriving gay scene as it tries to explore the nature of the relationship between Antonio, the eponymous hero of the play, and Basanio, his young protege," the Telegraph reported. "



Well, Dopers, what do you think of the idea?

[Marley23]

Well, Dopers, what do you think of the idea?
I wonder why you said "Gay Merchant of Venice." Antonio's gay, or at least he wants Bassanio, and it's right there in the text. You can't really make this show gay, you can only play it up.

The setting seems totally appropriate. Also, I would kill to see Patrick Stewart and Ian MacKellen act together in almost any show. Stewart has played Shylock before, and MacKellen was supposed to be Antonio in the recent movie version of Merchant, but had to quit. He'd be great in that part.

[SisterCoyote]

I think that more Shakespeare with either of the two actors in it can (probably) only be a good thing.

And I also wonder why you felt the need to add "Gay" in the title.

[Tracy Lord]

Sounds like a lot of fun!

NAKED fun.

[pinkfreud]

<Obligatory "pound of flesh" joke goes here.>