Much Ado About Nothing
New 2016 Production
Neil Patrick Harris as Benedick
Neil Patrick Harris plays the part of the witty and handsome Benedick, who doesn't believe he will ever find love. It's basically a copy of Neil's role from How I Met Your Mother. Plus, he can sing.
John Bernthal as Don John
John Bernthal, with such outstanding roles as Shane from the Walking Dead and Frank Castle from Daredevil, has plenty of experience playing the role of a no-nonsense bad guy. John Bernthal's stern glare and scowl paired with his gravely voice make the perfect evil villain.
Shia LaBeouf as Claudio
From his roles in the Transformers series and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Shia Labeouf has demonstrated that he can play the part of Claudio. Both past roles being of young characters awkward in love yet having a burning fire inside of them.
Returning Victorious
Don Pedro returns from battle victorious against his traitorous brother Don John. It sets the premise of the entire play, detailing the reason for Don John's treachery with Claudio. It also shows Don Pedro's kindness and his wish for things to be normal again, which Don John takes advantage of.
The Dance
After Claudio expresses his love for Hero to his friends, they devise a plan to win Hero for him by pretending to be him. However, Don John takes the masquerade ball and turns it into an opportunity. Here, Don John tells Claudio that Don Pedro wishes to win Hero for himself. At this, Claudio becomes distressed and storms away.
The Affair
Don John tasks his manservant, Borrachio, with ruining Claudio's wedding. Borrachio pretends to make love to Hero while Claudio watches. This sets in motion Claudio's breakdown and the disgracing of Hero at their wedding, setting up the finale to the play as the ruse is slowly uncovered.
Hold On Loosely
The song Hold On Loosely by .38 Special perfectly represents the lessons on love that the play demonstrates. In the very beginning, the song tells us that you only realize what you had once it's too late. After Claudio disgraces Hero and learns that she has died, he becomes distraught and heartbroken because only then does he realize just how much she really meant to him. Later in the song it states to not let your heart get in the way. After Claudio sees what he thinks is Hero and her lover in the window, he lets his heart get in the way of his reason and immediately accepts that it really is her, which leads to another lyric, "Don't let her slip away you sentimental fool".