There were empty seats for the opening night performance of "Hamlet" last Friday at Kennedy Theatre and, with Ryan Wuestewald in the title role and Troy M. Apostol as Claudius, each empty seat represented someone’s missed opportunity to see an outstanding production of one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays.

Wuestewald owns the role from the moment he first appears, aloof and brooding, amid the transparent white hangings of scenic designer David M. Gerke’s set. He delivers those magnificent Shakespearean monologues with power and passion.

Apostol gives a beautifully nuanced portrayal of a man who seems to have everything under control but gradually discovers he doesn’t, confronts his regrets and then resolves to play the cards he has dealt himself.

The play opens with the story already in progress. Hamlet’s father, the king of Denmark, has died suddenly, and Claudius, the king’s brother, has taken the throne and married Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet learns from his father’s ghost that he was murdered by Claudius. Hamlet promises to avenge his father’s death. He then starts behaving strangely to allay suspicions that he knows what has happened.

Claudius is puzzled by Hamlet’s behavior. Is the young man still shattered by the death of his father, or is his mind unhinged by his love for Ophelia?

Director Paul T. Mitri lightens the epic tragedy with quick bursts of comedy. Wuestewald heightens the impact of his performance with numerous visual embellishments. He and Apostol also earn laughs with their delivery of single words and short phrases.

Dan D. Randerson gives two solid performances — first as Polonius and then as the solo gravedigger. His talent, range and comic skills are evident in both.

Jenilea Murdock (Ophelia) is another important asset. She infuses her early scenes with a sense of foreboding and builds from there until her performance becomes the most heart-rending in the show.

Chesley J. Cannon (Guildenstern) and Jenn Thomas (Rosencrantz) are a good team in the darkly comic roles of Hamlet’s duplicitous "friends." Christopher McGahan (Laertes) plays an important role with swashbuckling panache and swordsmanship in Act 2. Lavour Addison makes an impressive ghost with support from David A. Griffith (lighting design) and Drew Tandal (sound design).

Addison also joins Tommy Barron, Erin Chung, Michael B. Hardy, Amanda Stone and Rachel Uyeno as a member of the acting troupe whose play-within-a-play is an important part of Hamlet’s revenge. The sextet’s talents as acrobats and gymnasts add eye-catching elements over and above their scripted work.

Although the men carry swords and daggers, costume designer Cheri Vasek’s designs suggest an early 20th-century setting. McGahan and Murdock’s clothes recall the 1920s; the ghost wears what appears to be a World War I-vintage officer’s uniform.

The only problems worth mention are those often found in UH-Manoa main stage productions. Casting women in many of the male roles is a needless distraction. Having Horatio played by Meg F.M. Thiel in jackboots and riding breaches, her hair styled in a very feminine bob, is the biggest distraction of all — although feminizing Horatio’s name and changing his gender, as is sometimes done to accommodate female actors, also would be problematic. Give Thiel credit, however, for her effective execution of the role.

The other problem is that three major roles are double-cast. Murdock, Thiel and D’neka Patten (Gertrude) — all three quite good on opening night — are replaced in some performances by others who have their own take on the characters (to see Murdock, Thiel and Patten, go Sunday or on Dec. 3).