Much Ado About Nothing - otherwise called a Cuban Danceparty

Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, DC                     
November 25, 2011

Brad - A
Chelsea - B+

So, we begin in our hometown by seeing Much Ado about Nothing in DC at the AWESOME Shakespeare Theatre here. Seriously, they are really impressive! I have never seen anything Shakespeare live so I thought it was going to be tights and talking to skulls but oh no, these thespians rocks it out cuban style. I was a bit frustrated because I wanted it to be old and classy but as Brad told me multiple times, it is very common for Shakespearian plays to be interpreted in all kinds of ways. Messing with the setting and time is very common. So, I sucked it up and went. But, I mean look at the playbill:

Here is the overview:

Benedick and Beatrice (in no way similar to the horrible Harry Potter villain) love each other but they are sworn bachelors so they just insult each other and pretend they hate each other to hide their feeling. It's like watching a teen drama. But, they are both really funny so you don't mind the banter. Their BFF's, Claudio and Hero, are also in love but they gush about it all the time. So, they decide to get married and the night before their wedding this mean man who walked all sinistery tricks Claudio into believing his fiance was cheating him. He is so peeved he decides to embarrass her at the wedding (and man he embarrasses her, I was uncomfortable watching it). Hero's dad says the best way to make Claudio feel bad is to fake that Hero died of embarassment. All the while, Claudio and Hero tricked Benedick and Beatrice into believing each of them loved the other one. So, the got all awkward around enough and hilarity ensued. So, people overheard the mean guys hunchmen talking about how they tricked Claudio and Claudio is told. Then he feels awful since Hero is dead and goes to her funeral to find she is alive! Oh, and of course Benedick and Beatrice fall in love! Que all cast dance number!

So, here are my thoughts: It was pretty good. However they broke into spanish sometimes and I am not a chica with a spanish ear so I was confused. Also sometimes they would all dance and sing, I don't think that actually happened in Shakespearian times. But, the actors were AMAZING and the story was really engrossing. So, all in all I enjoyed it but I don't think Cuban Style was my favorite.

Here is what was awesome....at the end Benedick stood up and said "Man is a giddy thing". Brad and I turned to each other and said "that's from Mumford and Son's" poor Shakespeare, you steal from Mumford. But, then we started noticing it all over. I was incredibly impressed with how awesome Mumfords lyrics are that the bulk of the song are lines from this play, including my favorite. At one point Benedick leans over to Beatrice and says "serve God, love me, and mend". I love this. I love it at that moment in the play, I love it in Mumford's lyrics. I just love the grandness of this simple phrase. I think we could all live by these words and be better people. I just think it's so wise and I'm glad we have Shakespeare to thank for it.

Also, it was Thanksgiving weekend and Brad's sister came in town and we got to personally meet this man:

He is huge! It is the new Martin Luther King Jr. monument on the mall and might I say he has an awesome location. It was pretty great. I think the best part is that he is always looking slightly to the right. hmmm.

Chels