Shakespeare Theatre’s production of Love’s Labor’s Lost is, in a word, groovy.

The theatre has taken Shakespeare’s comedy and given it a 1960s style-twist, and boy does it work. It’s not the first time that music has played a key role in the re-imagining of Love’s Labor’s Lost, which tells the tale of four men who have sworn off love for three years in order to concentrate austerely on their studies, only to be confronted with the arrival of four very hot (and potentially interested) maidens just as they’ve made such a vow. In his 2000 film version, director Kenneth Branaugh turned the work into a 30s style musical, with jazzy standards such as “I Get A Kick Out Of You” and “Cheek To Cheek” interrupting the action. The effect was charming, but a little forced and even a bit square.

Here, director Michael Kahn has done a better job of incorporating music, going as far as to set many of the play’s actual verses to song. Turns out that such phrases as, “My vow is earthly, though a heavenly love” don’t make for bad lyrics. The play’s best scene comes as each student more fervently expresses his affection for his desired woman, to an unknown audience of his fellow would-be suitors. One man has a guitar and plaintive, coffee-shop worthy voice — another rocks out with a set of drums. The action and ridiculousness builds to a frenzy not unlike the snazzy opening of “Austin Powers”. All we need are some go-go dancers.