Imagine sitting in a darkened theater as glowing lanterns rise to the ceiling. It seemed like a scene straight out of Disney’s “Tangled,” and the opening night of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Guthrie Theater was just as magical as the fairy tale. Directed by Joe Dowling and David Bolger, the play was a modern take on the Shakespearean classic. The actors recited the original lines, but the costumes were updated; the Athenians wore modern street clothes while the fairies sported neon-colored mohawks. Another modern twist was the inclusion of musical numbers. However, hardcore Shakespeare enthusiasts shouldn’t despair; the play was far from a musical. For the most part, the songs were entertaining and added to the humor and drama of the production. In addition, the numbers were well-sung, which isn’t surprising considering that one of the actors, Christina Acosta Robinson, who plays both Hippolyta and Titania, has performed on the music-centered TV show “Smash.”

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the play or needs a brief plot summary, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one of Shakespeare’s most popular romantic comedies. Four storylines are woven together: the marriage of the Athenian duke Theseus to the Amazonian queen Hippolyta, the conflict between the king and queen of the fairies, the love rectangle between four Athenians and the antics of amateur actors rehearsing a play for the duke’s wedding.

One of the Athenian lovers, Hermia, wants to marry Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius; to avoid the arranged marriage, she and Lysander run away to the woods. Demetrius follows them, and he is followed by Helena, whose love for Demetrius is one-sided.

Meanwhile, the fairy king and queen, Oberon and Titania, are in the same woods to attend Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding. The two are estranged because Titania won’t allow Oberon to use her changeling child as his servant. To get revenge on Titania, Oberon orders the mischievous fairy Puck to give her a love potion that makes the victim fall in love with the first living thing they see when they wake up. By making her fall in love with an animal, Oberon hopes to humiliate Titania and force her to give up the changeling.

When Oberon sees the four Athenian lovers, he instructs Puck to use the love potion to sort out their love lives. However, he mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and romantic disaster ensues. Things are further complicated when a group of amateur actors come to the same woods and Titania falls in love with Nick Bottom, an actor with an inflated ego. Soon a simple love potion leads to mayhem and entanglements between fairies and mortals.

One of the best parts of the Guthrie production was how humorous it was, partly because the actors added little quirks to their characters’ behaviors. For example, when Nick Bottom pretended to die in his amateur play, he repeatedly stabbed himself, took off his glasses to stab himself in the eyes, and then awkwardly fumbled to put his glasses back on again. After multiple stabs to the heart wouldn’t finish him off, a simple finger prick ended up killing his character, complete with a dramatic flop to the ground.

Other highlights were the lighting and stage effects. There weren’t many props, but the lighting was enough to create an entire scene. White lighting with black slashes created a forest, while glowing violet lighting with lilac splashes added a fairy-like magic. In addition, the stage effects created the illusion of floating fairies and props; it all supported Puck’s closing suggestion that the play might have been nothing but a dream.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” runs until March 29 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage. Individual matinee prices start at $29, but ticket prices are subject to change. To buy tickets or for additional information, visit www.guthrietheater.org/plays_events/plays/_midsummer_nights_dream or call the box office at (612) 377-2224.