Berlioz, Béatrice et Bénédict, at Opera Boston, by Charles Warren
Berlioz, Béatrice et Bénédict
Opera Boston
October 21, 2011
Sean Panikkar - Bénédict
Julie Boulianne - Béatrice
Heather Buck - Héro
Kelley O'Connor - Ursule
Robert Honeysucker - Don Pedro
David McFerrin - Claudio
Andrew Funk - Somarone
Phil Thompson - Leonato
Conducted by Gil Rose
Directed by David Kneuss
Scenic and Costume design by Robert Perdziola
Lighting design by Christopher Ostrom
Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing centers on Hero and Claudio, two young lovers who are thrown into disarray by a villain who leads Claudio to believe that Hero has betrayed him. There is a lot of marvelous business with the local constable, Dogberry, and his friends, who disrupt the villain and save the day. And then there is a parallel lovers’ story involving Beatrice and Benedict, two highly clever people who like to spar with each other, seeming to hate each other, and yet are eventually brought to realize that they like each other tremendously and wish to be together.

