Wednesday, June 19, 2013
4:54 a.m. PDT

"Funk It Up About Nothin'" ★★★

The Brothers Q focus on one thing, the rap-ization of the Bard. Nobody does it better. Prior to a spring tour of Australia, <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PECLB0000011578" title="GQ" href="/topic/entertainment/gq-PECLB0000011578.topic">GQ</a>, JQ and their friends are back on <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PLTRA0000140" title="Navy Pier" href="/topic/travel/tourism-leisure/waterway-maritime-transportation/navy-pier-PLTRA0000140.topic">Navy Pier</a> remounting their PG-13 version of "Much Ado About Nothing." More work has been done over the last two years by this cast and the show is tighter, funnier and smarter than before. The Qs are best known for "The Bomb-itty of Errors" but I prefer "Funk it Up," it's far more interesting. And it's very much in the spirit of the original &#8212 a healthy entry in the debate that it's time we ditched the original archaic language of Shakespeare and, well, funked it up. Some of the time at least.<br> <br> <i>Through Feb. 13 at <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PLCUL000133" title="Chicago Shakespeare Theater" href="/topic/entertainment/theater/chicago-shakespeare-theater-PLCUL000133.topic">Chicago Shakespeare Theater</a>, Navy Pier; $20-30 at 312-595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com</i>

The Brothers Q focus on one thing, the rap-ization of the Bard. Nobody does it better. Prior to a spring tour of Australia, GQ, JQ and their friends are back on Navy Pier remounting their PG-13 version of "Much Ado About Nothing." More work has been done over the last two years by this cast and the show is tighter, funnier and smarter than before. The Qs are best known for "The Bomb-itty of Errors" but I prefer "Funk it Up," it's far more interesting. And it's very much in the spirit of the original — a healthy entry in the debate that it's time we ditched the original archaic language of Shakespeare and, well, funked it up. Some of the time at least.

Through Feb. 13 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Navy Pier; $20-30 at 312-595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com

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