I review jazz and cabaret because I’m knowledgeable about them both, and I am a musician. I’m not a theater reviewer, at least not yet. If I were to start reviewing theater, the works of William Shakespeare would not be my starting point. When I was asked to write about this new production of Much Ado About Nothing, I made it clear that I could just talk about what I liked about it. When it comes to the Bard, I’m no bard.
This production of Much Ado is directed by the actor/acting teacher Thomas G. Waites, a fellow I know mainly from his other life as a singer/songwriter, whose show I reviewed last year for NiteLife Exchange (read HERE). His Juilliard acting school roommate was the very famous Kelsey Grammer, known to millions as “Frasier Crane” from Cheers and its super-successful spinoff, Frasier. Mr. Grammer, whose erudite, Mid-Atlantic speaking style has something of a Shakespearean sound, made this production possible, along with sponsor Faith American Beer. Mr. Waites’ acting school TGW Studio, provided the talent.
That said, I saw the second performance of this production at the Gene Frankel Theater. I love these kinds of theaters. They are intimate, with no proscenium, no curtain (except to hide the backstage area, and fairly static sets, the equivalent of a one-camera shoot. The bathrooms are behind the stage, so one must walk across the stage during the intermission. To pee, or not to pee? That is the question at this theater.
This reimagined staging sets the show in 1940s Italy, although it seemed at times to blur that period with that of the original. The show includes several lead characters, a handful of significant supporting roles, and a couple of comic relief characters.
The cast was very good at delivering Shakespearean dialogue so that it landed with its intention, whether comedic or dramatic. I often find Shakespear inscrutable, and it requires (for me) a high level of listening. It’s easy to lose the laughs when the audience spends too much energy “translating” this English into … English. I laughed often.
Interestingly, actor Cedric Allen Hills (as Balthazar), who performs in Mr. Waites’ band, played keyboards and sang what sounded like madrigals before the show started. Mr. Hills has a beautiful tenor voice. He was attired in a red, period-appropriate costume.
While some of the actors were also dressed in more of an Elizabethan-era style, others were dressed in modern clothes. Solo’s father, Leonato, wears a business suit, while a prince, Don Pedro, is dressed (and acts like) a modern-day Mafia don.
Much of the cast were in rotating roles, so you might not see the same performers I did. Notable performers included the handsome and mischievous Artur Ignatenko as the wisecracking Benedick (often pronounced with an emphasis on the third syllable for comic effect), and Aislinn Evans as Benedick’s love/hate counterpoint, Beatrice. Ms. Evans has the dazzling, luminescent glamour of an old-school star; and Stephanie Londoño as the falsely accused Hero.
A fun twist was using Matt “Ugly” McGlade (Borachio) also taking on the role of the female character Ursula. After a couple of female cast members playing the character dropped out early, Mr. Waites decided having Mr. McGlade playing Ursula in drag would be funny, although several women were ready to step in. It was a great choice for this comedy.
The spare set made excellent use of lighting, and consisted mainly of a long table prepared for a feast, some chairs with interesting designs stenciled into them as well as on the stage, and some other pieces that helped move along or justify the action, such as a window pane in the wall at stage left. Something behind the curtain was used by Mr. Ignatenko, a good physical comedian, to comically slam into several times.
This was a very enjoyable night of theater. I am, as mentioned, no expert on Shakespeare, so I cannot make any comparison to other productions of Much Ado About Nothing. However, I will make some ado about something, and say that this is a production worth your time and money.
Much Ado About Nothing is playing at the Gene Frankel Theater (24 Bond Street). Performances run through June 30 with performances Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm. Running time: 2 hours with a 10-minute intermission. Tickets are $25 (seniors), $35 (general admission) and are available at www.our.show/muchadonyc. The Gene Frankel Theatre is located at 24 Bond Street (Between Lafayette & Bowery), New York, NY 10012. Subways: 6 to Bleecker Street, B/D/F/M to Broadway/Lafayette.