“Much Ado About Nothing” reviewed by Amy Menzel

The Milwaukee Rep’s production of Much Ado About Nothing is everything – fun, funny, and incredibly entertaining. It’s Shakespeare the way Shakespeare intended, had he lived in the United States through the 1990s. In this production, The Rep’s Associate Artistic Director Laura Braza brings her vision of the Bard’s comedy set in the early 90s to life, complete with original music and a fantastically talented cast.

Players bring plenty of Shakespeare experience, including credits with American Players Theatre and Utah Shakespeare Festival, among others, and an incredible amount of energy. It all makes for a cast that has noteworthy chemistry and may just have as much fun as the audience throughout the show. Nate Burger (Benedick) and Alex Keiper (Beatrice) lead the way with their witty, biting banter and engagement with the audience. Kenneth Hamilton creates depth in the production, deftly portraying the vast emotions of Claudio, which both ground and propel the plot.

It’s a plot rooted in motives of love, pride, and jealousy – all so very Shakespearean and, of course, so very human. It’s why Shakespeare continues to endure and allure.

It’s also likely why, in part, Milwaukee Rep founded their Classics Initiative, a commitment to stage a Shakespeare play (or another classic piece) in five consecutive seasons starting in 2021/2022. Last year’s production of As You Like It had a Beatles’ twist and convinced this theater-goer that we were in for something special. This second production convinced me that Classics Initiative shows are not to be missed. “As You Like It” can be reached at https://www.aroundthetownchicago.com/reviews/as-you-like-it-reviewed-by-amy-manzel/

I don’t know what The Rep has in mind for the future, but I’d love more of this. As an English teacher, I love (love, love) that they’ve chosen two comedies to kick things off. Too often we focus on Shakespeare’s tragedies in our curriculum and initiatives. They’re great, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never thought they best represent all Shakespeare has to offer. His comedies have the tension and dramatic irony of the tragedies and, of course, they also showcase humor. Each is a beautiful bite of humanity.

I would say I hadn’t had so much fun with a Shakespeare adaptation since the 90s when Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles starred in 10 Things I Hate About You (based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew), but I already mentioned the fun I had last season.

Fun is waiting for you at the Quadracci Powerhouse stage where Much Ado About Nothing plays through February 12. Throw on your oversized flannel, jump into your JNCO jeans, and lace up your Dr. Martens! You’ll fit right in.

★★★★

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased milwaukeerep.com.

Special performances include:
Early Bird Performance – Tuesday, January 17, 6:30 p.m.
Audio Described Performance – Tuesday, January 17, 6:30 p.m.
Bus Matinee Performance – Wednesday, January 25, 1:30 p.m.
ASL Performance – Thursday, January 26, 7:30 p.m.
Captioned Performance – Sunday, February 5, 2 p.m.
Sensory Friendly All-Access Performance – Tuesday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m.

The show runs 2 hours and 45 minutes including one intermission.

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