Much Ado About Nothing

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MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Photo: Joan Marcus

Cititour.com Review
For a so-called “comedy,” there are a whole lot of wars going on in William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”: There’s the war the band of soldiers have returned from at the show’s beginning; the war of words between the sharp-tongued “sworn bachelor” Benedick and his true love, the verbally dexterous, equally intractable Beatrice; and the war between good men and evildoers to name but a few.

However, in Kenny Leon’s spirited, satisfying production for the Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park series, one senses this often-visionary director may sometimes be at war with his own instincts. Having chosen a top-notch, all-POC cast and updated the setting to 2020 Georgia, he liberally sprinkles the production with well-placed touches, from the clever use of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and the gospel standard “Precious Lord” (along with some excellent new music from Jason Michael Webb) to the authentic-feeling choreography by the great Camille A. Brown, a broom during one of the show’s wedding sequences, and, most especially, the “Stacey Abrams 2020” banner prominently displayed on Beowulf Boritt’s stately mansion set. But one wonders if Leon wanted to – and better yet, should have -- gone even further in his choices.

Ultimately, this dilemma only matters a little, since the result seems to please crowds of all backgrounds (the true mission of Shakespeare in the Park) while also doing justice to the Bard’s text. That’s certainly true of the wonderful Danielle Brooks, whose hard-edged sassiness and fierce displays of independence only barely hide the softer heart beating inside Beatrice – a woman who longs to give that heart away no matter how much she swears she doesn’t! (And yes, this woman can SING! And DOES!)

Meanwhile, the excellent Grantham Coleman proves to be both a deft interpreter of the verse as well as even defter physical comedian, jumping and tumbling all around the set in the key sequence where Benedick overhears the words created by the upstanding Don Pedro (a fine Billy Eugene Jones), the stalwart Claudio (a well-cast Jeremie Harris) and the wise Leonato (a commanding Chuck Cooper) designed to have him finally confess his love to Beatrice. (Brooks proves equally game in her version of this ruse, climbing over patrons and even putting on one her lap, although at times it’s hard for the audience to see where she is!)

Moreover, Leon has smartly cast many of the key supporting roles. Margaret Odette transforms beautifully from the overly-innocent Hero, the object of Claudio’s instant affection, to a woman who learns the harshness of the world, yet maintains her goodness; Erik Laray Harvey gets a lot of laughs (albeit some very easy ones) as Leonato’s older brother Antonio; Jaime Lincoln Smith is oiliness personified as the mercenary, amoral Barrachio; Lateefah Holder makes the malaprop-spouting, denser-than-concrete police officer Dogberry less annoying than usual; and Daniel Croix Henderson is incredibly appealing as the guitar-strumming, singing Balthasar.

Finally, while Boritt’s attractive set eventually proves rather dull to stare at for 2-and-½ hours, and Leon doesn’t make as much use of the Park’s bucolic setting as other directors have, there are some snazzy costumes by Emilio Sosa to add much-needed visual appeal to the production.

Above all, though, the cast of this “Much Ado” is such good company that you’ll find it a little sad to say adieu when the show is over.
By Brian Scott Lipton


Visit the Site
https://www.publictheater.org/Programs--Events/Shakespeare-in-the-Park/Shakespeare-in-the-Park-2019

Cast
Danielle Brooks, Grantham Coleman, Chuck Cooper, Jeremie Harris, Erik Laray Harvey, Daniel Croix Henderson, Tyrone Mitchell Henderson, Tiffany Denise Hobbs, Lateefah Holder, Billy Eugene Jones, Margaret Odette, Hubert Point-Du Jour, Jaime Lincoln Smith, Khiry Walker, Olivia Washington, with Jamar Brathwaite, Javen Crosby, Denzel Fields, Tayler Harris, Kai Heath, LaWanda Hopkins, Jazmine Stewart, Latra A. Wilson

Open/Close Dates
Opening 5/21/2019
Closing 6/23/2019


Theatre Info
Delacorte Theater
Central Park (81st St & CPW or 79th St & Fifth Av)
New York, NY
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