"Much Ado About Nothing" at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park (through July 6, 2014)

 

L. Rabe and H. Linklater
(Photo: Joan Marcus)

Although early press performances were interrupted with rain,  the weather was glorious on Sunday evening June 15th (Father's Day) and the day before the official opening night. All the better for us to enjoy to its fullest a most glorious/lovely-to-look- at, as well as to listen-to production of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." 

The set as designed by John Lee Beatty was in itself an artistic and bountiful eye-full, as the terraced Sicilian villa was in full bloom not only with an orange grove, but also with fully ripened red and yellow peppers and tomatoes on the vine in a foreground vegetable garden, perfect on one occasion for some mischievous trampling. The ornate villa even had its magical qualities, as its gated entrance would only open in response to music, beautifully composed by David Yazbek.

More importantly, the attractive company responded with unbounded enthusiasm to the direction of Jack O'Brien.  He and his star-studded cast has certainly made the most of  the Bard's most operatic-like and melodramatic comedy.  Renowned for the superficial fencing/sparring that sparks the volatile relationship between Beatrice and Benedick, "Much Ado...," however, offers considerable more ado and certainly more poignancy to the secondary lovers Hero and Claudio. 

This production sets the two pairs to fend for love and respect while cavorting in the beautiful costumes designed by Jane Greenwood. This production is even more appealing for its casting of a real life couple, Hamish Linklater as Benedict and Lily Rabe as Beatrice.  It's worth noting that Linklater and Rabe are following in the footsteps of other romantically attached or married portrayers of B & B like Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens (for NET TV in 1965) and Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh (I think they were still married then) in the ebullient 1993 film version. Also memorable was the pairing of married couple Sherman Howard and Donna Bullock for the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey in 2003.

As you may recall the plot, the lusty Claudio, here played in full chauvinist bloom by Jack Cutmore-Scott  falsely denounces his demure bride-to-be Hero (winningly played by the very pretty Ismenia Mendes) as a wanton on their wedding day. It takes more than a few contrivances - bordering on the tragic - before their ultimate reuniting. On the other hand, Hero's sharp-tongued cousin Beatrice and the unsentimental, eternal bachelor Benedick verbally joust on their way to love under the watchful eyes of the in-laws and a pompous, illiterate constable. 

Rabe, who brought an unexpected vibrancy to Portia in the Public Theater's acclaimed "The Merchant of Venice," uses her crisply brittle voice to delightful effect, and she is as feisty a romantic adversary as one could want this side of a shrew. For all the mouthed put-downs, and the fearless forays with the unflappable Benedick, Rabe (even if her tones and or her temperament are even close to dulcet),  manages to remain a thoroughly engaging as well as comical lady of rare and noble bearing. 

Rabe serves as a mocking catalyst for Linklater's more clueless immaturity as the susceptibly vain Benedict. His facetious behavior seems to have no bounds. Nevertheless, he finally figures out how to work his undeniable  charm to confirm him as a most desirable "young lord of Padua." That it takes almost three hours for either of Beatrice's and Benedick's "noble strain" to emerge makes the wait all the more breathless. There is, in fact, no escape from the prescribed tomfoolery and romantic clashes that Linklater and the unceasingly spirited Rabe dish out.
  
If it is true that Shakespeare wrote "Much Ado..." after he finished the histories and wanted to lighten up his canon, he must assuredly be smiling down upon these two undoubtedly mature contrarians. Linklater and Rabe have captured and contrived not only all the lightness, but also the audacious and shadowed ironies that sizzle within B. and B.'s magnetic skirmishes as well as with their breezy bickering.

With every ounce of imbecility intact, John Pankow gets his share of laughs as the  illiterate and idiotic Constable Dogberry, as do his equally imbecilic subordinate watchers (David Manis, Matt Bittner, Alex Breaux) who may indeed be "shallow fools," but they do bring the truth to light.
  
As the heinous troublemaker Don John, Pedro Pascal is effective putting a quietly sinister slant on his covert villainy. Brian Stokes Mitchell is genial in his role as the erudite Don Pedro and also generous in lending his splendid singing voice in a harmonic duet. Making the most of their small roles as Hero's gentlewomen are a spunky Kathryn Meisle and a vivacious Zoe Winters. They are part of a fine company that is all for making much ado. 

Free tickets are distributed two per person at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park beginning at 12 pm on the day of each performance.