IN THE MOOD A HIT IN SANTA ROSA

In The Mood: A Big Band era musical version of Much Ado About Nothing in Santa Rosa with l to r Tyler Costin, Marjorie Rose Taylor, Danielle Cain and Tin Kniffin. Photo by Eric Chazankin.

IN THE MOOD conceived by Patrick Watkins and adapted by John Fitzgerald, directed by John Craven. 6th Street Playhouse, 52 West 6th Street, Santa Rosa. Located in historic Railroad Square. 707-523-4185 or www.6thstreetplayhouse.com.
Performances at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays Matinees at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. June 5 to June 28, 2009

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING WILL GET YOU IN THE MOOD

Shakespeare’s romantic comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” has received a plethora of “concept” productions. The most recent local staging was by Marin Shakespeare Company that was a crowd pleaser despite the wooden benches of the amphitheater. Now you can go to the comfortable 6th Street Playhouse where the West Coast premiere of John Fitzgerald’s adaptation will put you “In The Mood.”

Fitzgerald has set the double love story in 1944 at Leonora’s (Elly Lichenstein) Sicilian Villa that has become a USO destination. Don Pedro (Paul Huberty) and his soldiers arrive for R&R on David Lear’s sun-drenched set (lights by John Connole) and Ruth Bracken & Pat Fitzgerald have the women dressed in gorgeous ‘40s costumes. The music is of the Big Band era with pre curtain rendition of “In The Mood” sung by Leonara, Margaret (Shannon Rider) and Hero (Marjorie Rose Taylor) in the Andrew Sisters’ mode. Later we hear “More Than You Know”, “Someone to Watch Over Me”, “Our Love is Here to Stay”, “For all We Know”, “Apple Blossom Time”, “Come Rain or Come Shine” and “I’ll be Seeing You.” The songs are cleverly integrated with the plot line. The young men need a little female companionship, and a party atmosphere prevails as romance looms.

Most of the “ado” is about deceptions: Don John's (Anthony Abate) slander that Hero has betrayed Claudio, Father Francis' (Gene Abravaya) white lie that Hero is dead, Don Pedro's courting of Hero on behalf of Claudio(Tyler Costin), and of course Beatrice's and Benedick's (Danielle Cain and Tim Kniffin) phony, war of the sexes, and their friends' plot to have each "accidentally" learn of the other's love.

In Shakespeare’s time “nothing” was slang for eavesdropping with a sexual connotation and the eavesdropping scenes provide much of the rampant humor with special mention of Tim Kniffin riotously bouncing about, around and on and off the stage. Most of the focus is on the Benedick-Beatrice relationship whose banter in Shakespeare’s own words bring spontaneous laughter. They must share their laughter inducing accolades with Dogberry’s (Chris Murphy) unintelligible malapropisms while his Keystone constables blunder into uncovering Don John and Borachio’s (Barton Smith) devious shenanigans.

Kniffin and Cain are perfect foils for each other, not allowing either of their characters to get the upper hand even when in the end they are to marry. Taylor’s Hero is charming and she displays the best singing voice for “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Quality acting and singing are not a necessity when the primary purpose is to entertain and director Craven has accepted that truism by substituting broad physical humor. Ann Woodhead’s staging of the jitter-bug dance numbers add a feeling of joy and vitality. All this makes a fun evening running two hours and 20 minutes.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of TheatreWorldInternetMagazine.com