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• Event Name: Much Ado About Nothing
  "Another great show!"
  Review posted by: Cherilynn from San Jose, CA, Sep 29, 2010
  

  I've been enjoying Shakespeare at Sanborn Park for 6 years now and every year is better than the last. This show was fantastic! It was well acted and the setting was very original! Thanks, Shady... Expand

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  I've been enjoying Shakespeare at Sanborn Park for 6 years now and every year is better than the last. This show was fantastic! It was well acted and the setting was very original! Thanks, Shady Shakes, for another memorable performance! Collapse

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• Event Name: Much Ado About Nothing
  "Shakespeare and Songs under the Stars"
  Review posted by: Craig Engen from San Jose CA USA, Aug 28, 2010
  

  Last night I sat in the Royal Seating at Much Ado and was royally entertained. I have been going to see SSTC work at Sanborn and around the Bay for over a decade and this was one of the most purely... Expand

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  Last night I sat in the Royal Seating at Much Ado and was royally entertained. I have been going to see SSTC work at Sanborn and around the Bay for over a decade and this was one of the most purely satisfying and entertaining productions I have seen. Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear some fo the Bard's most witty repartee cleverly combined with toe tapping music and song. Well acted, compact and accessible, with great costumes and set, a good band and one of the best outdoor venues in the area. And it remains free. And the purse, OMG that purse. Collapse

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• Event Name: Much Ado About Nothing
  "Excellent Production of Much Ado!"
  Review posted by: Michelle from Bay Area, Aug 27, 2010
  

  I spent part of the summer in Ashland Oregon seeing Shakespeare at OSF and none of what I saw there beats tonights production of Much Ado! Shady just keeps getting better. This adaptation was amazing.... Expand

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  I spent part of the summer in Ashland Oregon seeing Shakespeare at OSF and none of what I saw there beats tonights production of Much Ado! Shady just keeps getting better. This adaptation was amazing. I really enjoyed the seemless way that the music of the 40's was woven into the story. I had a great time and laughed alot, out loud, which I don't usually do. Did I mention that the acting was fantastic? You should go see this production before it ends. Thanks to Larry, Dina and the Shady company for working so hard to provide me/us with this wonderful evening! Collapse

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• Event Name: Much Ado About Nothing
  "The Good War's End"
  Review posted by: Sharon McCauley from San Jose, CA, Aug 23, 2010
  

  "Much Ado" is about "the boys" returning. The choice of WWII - the big one - England was inspired. The band was smoking (literally and figuratively) with great songs of the 40's. The cast carried me... Expand

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  "Much Ado" is about "the boys" returning. The choice of WWII - the big one - England was inspired. The band was smoking (literally and figuratively) with great songs of the 40's. The cast carried me away. [Spoiler Alert] Dogberry was a civil- defense "lady" supported by Rosie the Riveter. I've been to several Shady productions over the years, and they keep getting better. Collapse

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• Event Name: Much Ado About Nothing
  "Surprising!"
  Review posted by: Elliot Nicolai from San Jose, CA, Aug 17, 2010
  

  Being used to traditional Shakespeare, Larry Barrott's rendition of "Much Ado" struck me as surprising, but it delivered. All actors were hilarious and amazingly portrayed, even in the altered time... Expand

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  Being used to traditional Shakespeare, Larry Barrott's rendition of "Much Ado" struck me as surprising, but it delivered. All actors were hilarious and amazingly portrayed, even in the altered time period. Having never been the patron of theater al fresco, it was a great first experience and all the effects were pulled off nicely given the natural setting. Very much worth going to see. Collapse

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• Event Name: Much Ado About Nothing
  "Great Experience"
  Review posted by: Anne from Los Altos, CA, Aug 10, 2010
  

  Seeing "Much Ado About Nothing" in Sanborn Park was a wonderful experience. We'd never even heard of the Shady Shakespeare Theatre Company before reading of it on Artsopolis. Outdoors, surrounded... Expand

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  Seeing "Much Ado About Nothing" in Sanborn Park was a wonderful experience. We'd never even heard of the Shady Shakespeare Theatre Company before reading of it on Artsopolis. Outdoors, surrounded by tall evergreen trees, sitting on our elevated "throne" stand in great comfort and with perfect viewing, listening to familiar tunes of the 40s, enjoying the familiar Shakespeare story--it was a very pleasant surprise. Yes, a couple of the singers had troubles singing on key, but their voices were all right, and most of the music and lines were really well-delivered. We were served the promised free bottle (of wine); we had to remind them of the promised souvenir glasses, which they promptly brought and which will help to keep reminding us of that wonderful evening. Collapse

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• Event Name: Much Ado About Nothing
  "Shady Shakespeare is worth Much Ado!"
  Review posted by: Scott McGregor from Campbell, CA, Aug 09, 2010
  

  Shady Shakespeare's adaptation of Much Ado (About Nothing) totally caught me off guard last night. Had this been show been billed as a variety show or revue, I might not have been surprised to... Expand

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  Shady Shakespeare's adaptation of Much Ado (About Nothing) totally caught me off guard last night. Had this been show been billed as a variety show or revue, I might not have been surprised to find Gilbert and Sullivan rubbing shoulders with Cole Porter, Glenn Miller, the Andrews sisters, Carmen Miranda and Benny Goodman. But to find them all instead hanging loose in a redwood grove after dark, traveling cheek by jowl with the likes of no less than William Shakespeare himself, was a breathtaking, heart stopping, dizzying imaginative leap, and an adventure that nothing in my fifty plus years upon this earth had ever prepared me for in the least. It was a ride of lifetime. Hats off to you! Much Ado has so many great speeches, and such memorable characters as Benedick, Beatrice and Dogberry, to commend it, yet other unadapted stagings I have often been disappointing for modern audiences. Vera Sloan, as Beatrice, and Lucinda Dobinson as Dogberry steal scenes! This adaptation rocks! Collapse

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• Event Name: Much Ado About Nothing
  "Trees that Please!"
  Review posted by: Susannah from San Jose, CA, Aug 09, 2010
  

  My first trip to Sanborn Skyline Park and Shady Shakespear did NOT disappoint. What a beautiful space and what a great production. Solid leads and ensemble, wonderful costuming a nice accessible... Expand

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  My first trip to Sanborn Skyline Park and Shady Shakespear did NOT disappoint. What a beautiful space and what a great production. Solid leads and ensemble, wonderful costuming a nice accessible adaptation of the play, staying very true to Shakespeare and simultaneously to the plays WWII time period. Pack layers as it does get cold for the second half, and get their early to get a good seat, or splurge for the amazing ROYAL SEATING which was center and totally posh! SO FUN. We had even a few well behaved canine attendees. Sound can be a challenge at times, so do try to sit close or near the speakers. This is really a great way to spend an evening...outdoors, art, a total communal experience. It's free but KEEP it free and put a $20 in the hat as they pass it at the end. SO worth keeping this tradition alive for generations to come! Collapse

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