Disco, deception and dueling lovers—Shakespeare’s Much Ado gets a ’70s twist

Zaden Jay Brub and Claire de Lune in Much Ado About Nothing at Paliku Theatre

Anna Hope Lawson, Jaden Malucay Manibog, Kainui Lyman, and Kellen Pearce in Much Ado About Nothing

Jessica Jusseaume, Kainui Lyman, Kellen Pearce, Jaden Malucay, Manibog in Much Ado About Nothing

Claire de Lune, Yasmin Kogake Galvis, Hio Pelesasa, and Anna Hope Lawson in Much Ado About Nothing

Boogie back to a time when the world seemed to be turning around, when we made more love than war, and even in the most profound grief there was humor and hope. Windward Community College’s Hawai‘i Conservatory of Performing Arts presents William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing set in 1973, directed by Taurie Kinoshita, at Palikū Theatre April 25–May 4, 2025.

Much Ado About Nothing is a raucous comedy filled with dancing, drama, mistaken identity, decisive deceptions and hapless misunderstandings. Full of romantic liaisons and male rivalry, the verbal sparring of Benedick and the outspoken Beatrice is wildly fun and was revolutionary for its time. Subsequently, having female characters who were intellectual equals became popular on stage.

“The genius of Much Ado About Nothing is proven by nearly 500 years of continuous performance, and as one of Shakespeare's most modern plays it’s accessible to all,” Kinoshita said. “Benedick and Beatrice are as immortal as Romeo and Juliet—but funnier, and spoiler alert: they don't die! Disco, drag, dueling lovers and disguise-parties—what more could you want?”

In this retelling, young men are returning from the Vietnam War and negotiating civilian life while the political climate is changing radically: Roe v. Wade, Watergate, homosexuality no longer classified as a disease by the National Psychiatrics Board—it was an optimistic time. Despite events such as Kent State and the Second Wounded Knee, young people had a sense of empowerment. 

Show dates and times:

April 25, 26 and May 2, 3 (Fridays and Saturdays) 7:30 p.m.  

May 1 (Thursday) 7:30 p.m. 

April 27 and May 4 (Sundays) 3 p.m.

Ticket information:

$25 General 

$20 Seniors (62+), active military with ID, UH faculty and staff, Hawaiʻi Department of Education educators

$15 Students (12+ and college students with ID). Available in person only.

Purchase tickets online at palikutheatre.com or in person at the box office one hour prior to the show. For more information call (808) 235-7315 or email paliku@hawaii.edu.

For more information about Much Ado About Nothing, contact Kinoshita at taurie@hawaii.edu. To learn about the Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts, contact Associate Professor Nicolas Logue at logue@hawaii.edu.

Note: Photos by Brad Goda. Please courtesy

For more information, visit: http://palikutheatre.com