**** Highly Recommended I absolutely LOVED Chicago Shakespeare’s production of Much Ado About Nothing. It’s fresh, frolicsome and very, very funny. As the title indicates, the characters are reacting – and over-reacting – to what they think they know about something that actually never happened. In his comedies Shakespeare often set up situations in which the supposedly ‘wise’ men are fools and the fools are wise men. It’s certainly true in Much Ado about Nothing. 4 BIG Spotlights
Don Pedro (Debo Balogun) and his buddies, Benedick (Mark Bedard) and Claudio (Samuel B. Jackson), as well as his brother, Don John (Erik Hellman) and his best buds, Conrade (Colin Huerta) and Borachio (Yona Moises Olivares), arrive in Messina.
Debo Balogun as Don Pedro
The Governor, Leonato (Kevin Gudahl) introduced Don Pedro and the guys to his daughter, Beatrice (Deborah Hay), and niece, Hero (Mi Kang), and announces a ball. Claudio (Samuel B. Jackson) meets Hero at the ball and falls in love. When he announces his intention to marry Hero and the guys are heckling him for mooning over his love, Benedick loudly and firmly declares his bachelorhood.
Bored, Don Pedro and Claudio decide to prank Benedick. When they catch sight of him, they start a conversation speculating about Leonardo’s daughter Beatrice who they think is in love with Benedick. Marc Bedard gets a chance to show off his comedic talent in this scene as he ‘hides’ behind a tree, up in the tree, behind a chair, even in the audience.
Mark Bedard as Benedick with Samuel B. Jackson as Claudio
Meanwhile, Hero and Ursula (Felicia Oduh) have their own conversation about Beatrice and Benedick. Beatrice had also been firmly against marriage, but when she hears Hero and Ursula, she wants to hear more, so she hides – behind that tree, behind a chair, down a step, in the audience with a program over her face, even crawling between the audience and the stage – and Deborah Hay shows off her comedic chops.
Just a note here – Shakespeare probably added a stage direction – hide - for Beatrice and Benedick, but he certainly doesn’t tell them how to do that.
Deborah Hay as Beatrice
Don John (Erik Hellman), Don Pedro’s brother, who envies his brother and despises his buddies, decided he wanted Hero for himself, so he set up a situation where Claudio would find another man in her bedchamber (although the audience can clearly see it’s another woman). As a result, Claudio publicly accuses Hero of being with another man at the wedding. Beatrice is so upset that she demands vengeance. She insists that Benedick must challenge Claudio to a duel.
Unfortunately for Don John, Conrade and Borachio, the night watch heard them – and arrested them. This is where the show gets really funny. Constable Dogberry (Sean Fortunato) totally steals the show. It actually seemed like his body was made of rubber.
The Cast of Much Ado about Nothing
Eventually, Dogberry, First Watch (Suzanne Hannau) and Second Watch (Joey Chelius) get a confession and make their way to Governor Leonato with their prisoners. Don John fled the city before his henchmen confessed, but soldiers are sent to capture him.
When Claudio, who is prepared to grovel, is told that Hero is dead, he agrees to marry Antonio’s (Jeff Parker) other daughter. When her veil is lifted, Hero is revealed and everybody – except for Don John and his minions – lives happily ever after.
Deborah Hay and Mark Bedard as Beatrice and Benedick
Also appearing: Jaylon Muchison as Friar/Verges/Balthasar and Tiffany Scott as Margaret.
Much Ado About Nothing runs through December 21st in the Jentes Family Courtyard Theatre at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier, Chicago. Parking in CST’s designated area in the Navy Pier Garage is available at a 40% discount with validation from CST.
Running time is 2 hours, 40 minutes, with an intermission. Performances are Tuesdays at 7:30 pm; Wednesdays at 1:00 & 7:30 pm; Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 2:30 & 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2:30 pm. Tickets range from $55-$95. FYI (312) 595-5600 or www.chicagoshakes.com