Sara Topham and Michael Hayden to Lead Much Ado About Nothing at the Old Globe
(© David Gordon)
The Old Globe has announced the complete cast and creative team for its 2018 Summer Shakespeare Festival production of Much Ado About Nothing, running from August 12-September 16 in the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. Three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall directs.
Much Ado About Nothing is described as follows: "Everyone can see that confirmed bachelor Benedick and headstrong Beatrice are meant for each other — except for Benedick and Beatrice themselves! While their friends try to trick the bickering pair into admitting they're in love, their young sidekicks Hero and Claudio start a romance of their own. But will false accusations, broken promises, and even a nutty and bumbling police force prevent a happy ending?"
The cast features Sara Topham (Travesties) as Beatrice and Michael Hayden (Carousel) as Benedick, with Fred Applegate (Wicked) as Dogberry, Michael Boatman (The Good Fight) as Don Pedro and Balthasar, Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd) as Don John, James Newcomb (the Globe's Twelfth Night) as Antonio and Verges, and René Thornton Jr. (The Tempest) as Leonato. The cast also includes students in the Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, all of whom were seen earlier this summer in the Globe's The Tempest: Carlos Angel-Barajas (Claudio), Sam Avishay (Messenger), Nora Carroll (Margaret), Yadira Correa (Conrade), Daniel Ian Joeck (Friar Francis), Jose Martinez (Watch), Renardo Charles Pringle Jr. (Messenger), Larica Schnell (Ursula), Jersten Seraile (Watch), Samantha Sutliff (Watch), Morgan Taylor (Hero), Wenona Truong (Sexton), Jared Van Heel (Messenger), and Eric Weiman (Borachio). The musicians are Abigail Grace Allwein (violin) and James Michael McHale (guitar).
The creative team includes John Lee Beatty (scenic design), Michael Krass (costume design), Stephen Strawbridge (lighting design), Sten Severson (sound design), Stephen Flaherty (composer, "Sigh No More"), Abigail Grace Allwein (music director), Ursula Meyer (voice and text coach), Tara Rubin Casting/Laura Schutzel, CSA (casting), and Jess Slocum (production stage manager).
