Much Ado About Nothing

We've talked about things like Hamnet that take the loose adaptation, but kind of show you what happened behind the scenes.

I talked about Much Ado About Nothing, the Joss Whedon adaptation that he made that used the original text, the original writing, and made it in a more modern background.

This continues the trend of what we saw in Midsummer Night's Dream, where they use the exact verbiage, text, and everything from the paper, But I think the difference here is that in Midsummer Night's Dream, everything was so airy and fantastical and there's so much going on that you really can't decipher what's going on even using that original text.

And in this adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, I think that the surroundings and the setting is so grounded and the camera is less fantastical that even with the verbiage that is hard to keep up with sometimes, you can still piece together what's happening.

Right.

He brings up that great quote from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

Oh, the Benedict quote.

Yeah.

Ba-da-ba-ba.

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare.

Act III.

Scene 1.

If thou dost love, my kindness shall incite thee To bind our loves up in a holy band.

For others say thou dost deserve, And I believe it better than reporting thee.

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare.

Act III.

Shakespeare plays? doing Shakespeare in high school? Yeah, we did some Shakespeare in high school.

I was the priest in Much Ado About Nothing, which is a very minor role.

Much Ado About Nothing, I don't remember the whole plot line, but long story short, they're supposed to get married at one point or something, and I was the priest.

That's like a Shakespeare play

I've never heard of.

Much Ado About Nothing, it's a comedy.

I was also in The Tempest.

I don't know if you've heard of that one.

First up, if you are a fan of Shakespeare, boy, do I have the event for you.

JoJo Stiletto and Novelties Theatre present Much Ado About Nothing Burlesque at Theatre Off Jackson opening tonight.

I had a chance to chat with the co-artistic director of Novelties Theatre, Sailor St. Clair, who is also playing Beatrice, by the way, and she said that they are taking this classic and setting it in a gay bar in 1970s Seattle.

So what that means is that there is a lot of disco music.

We are simply bringing that to the surface.

And I hope people walk away feeling a sort of identification, feeling joy, feeling seen and having fun in it.

Much Ado About Nothing Burlesque opens tonight and runs through the 26th at Theatre Off Jackson in the CID.

Next, on a more somber note, if you want to commemorate 9-11 and see a movie, might I recommend Spike Lee's amazing 25th Hour, starring Edward Norton.

[upbeat music] A classic Shakespeare play is coming to Broadway this fall.

Led by an all-star cast, the iconic romantic comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, will bring together Tony Award nominee and Golden Globe Award winner Tom Hiddleston, and three-time Olivier Award nominee and Golden Globe nominee Hayley Atwell as the pair of reluctant lovers.

Directed by Tony Award-winning director Jamie Lloyd, the production's record-breaking run in London was described by reviewers as brilliantly inventive, hilarious, and the number one best show of the year.

Is that all? And Tom, Hayley, [laughs] and Jamie join us now.

I, I do think it, it, it's, it's Shakespeare's almost purest play about love.

I think the title is, is a joke.

I th- y- I think actually it's sort of Much Ado About Everything.

I think it, the center of this play is the redemptive, healing, opening, deepening power of being in love and accepting love, falling in love, as, as Beatrice and Benedick do.