William Shakespeare has been inspiring artists through the ages and around the globe. You'll find Shakespeare not just in theatre, but in film, on canvas, in pointe shoes, and in just about any other art form you can think of.
One of his most sparkling creations is the dueling couple who were meant for each other, Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing. Clever wordplay and knife-sharp humor combine to make this unforgettable duo, who were meant to be the sub-plot, the stand-outs of the play. Charles II, in his copy of the Second Folio, even wrote “Beatrice and Benedick” next to the title of the play, he thought they were so important.
Hector Berlioz is best known for his orchestral pieces, but in the 1850s, he was commissioned to write a full opera. He chose to slip the confines of the problematic main plot line in Much Ado About Nothing, and go straight to the comedy by centering his opera solely on the bantering pair, titling it Béatrice et Bénédict. Having removed the upsetting complications and dark tones that emerge in the process of the relationship between main characters Hero and Claudio, Berlioz was free to concentrate on the more amusing secondary characters and keep the opera lighthearted and full of fun. It debuted onstage in 1862.
Wichita State University commemorates the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with a production of Béatrice et Bénédict on Oct. 13 to Oct. 16 at Miller Concert Hall on the WSU campus. The music will be sung in French, with spoken dialogue written by Shakespeare.
