4 reasons to get excited about Milwaukee Repertory Theater's 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
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Here are four reasons to see Milwaukee Repertory Theater's new production of Shakespeare's comedy "Much Ado About Nothing," which director Laura Braza has set in the 1990s, with grunge-flavored music composed by Dan Kazemi.

  • Alex Keiper gives a commanding performance as the sharp-tongued Beatrice, who blisters suitors with insults until she begins to see Benedick in a different light. As part of her audition for this role, Keiper sang an Alanis Morissette song; her Beatrice is something of a jagged little pill who stands up fearlessly to a larger man. Yet she also makes Shakespeare's torrent of words flow believably and seemingly spontaneously from her mouth. To his credit, Nate Burger, her Benedick here, is a deft catcher of her fireballs.

  • This "Much Ado About Nothing" is not a musical, but Kazemi's songs enhance the period setting while providing aural excitement (and occasional respite from the effort needed to follow Shakespeare's language). The bluntness of grunge suits "Much Ado." Kazemi drew on Shakespearean and other period lyrics, but if the producers of the new "Wednesday" series on Netflix need a Goth touch for a scene, they should hit Kazemi up for "Come Away Death." While Will Mobley and Katrien Van Riel do the musical heavy lifting, many cast members, including Keiper, have instrumental or vocal moments.

  • The overheard conversation scenes, which are the engine of this comedy, are terrific and hilarious. Burger flops from behind one pillar to another as he tries to hear what Don Pedro (Mark Corkins), Leonato (Jonathan Gillard Daly) and Claudio (Kenneth Hamilton) say about Beatrice's alleged passion. Then Hero (Sarah Suzuki) and Ursula (Jenny Hoppes) enact a similar charade for the concealed Keiper. The reactions of Burger and Keiper are gold, but humor also comes from how clearly the other characters are making this up as they go along.

  • The masquerade ball scene ties together Kazemi's music and Mieka van der Ploeg's costumes with sparkling group choreography by Jenn Rose. My millennial companion spontaneously complimented the threads in this show.

In a nice bit of alternative casting, Michelle Shupe plays the nasty Don John, who schemes like a soap opera villain to break up the Claudio-Hero romance.

If you go

Milwaukee Repertory Theater performs "Much Ado About Nothing" through Feb. 12 at the Quadracci Powerhouse, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets, visit milwaukeerep.com or call (414) 224-9490.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 4 reasons to see Milwaukee Rep's 'Much Ado About Nothing'