By Amanda VanNostrand.
Every lover of musicals and comedies needs to brush up on their show tunes and hurry out to view Something Rotten between now and March 4th at the Academy of Music. An original show, this musical should not be missed by anyone even remotely interested in theater; it has been nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Between the creatively catchy music, sardonically scripted lines, and a perfectly placed cast, this show is an absolute phenomenon.
Something Rotten takes place during 1590s England. Much to Nick Bottom’s chagrin, this place and time is Shakespeare’s territory. “God, I hate Shakespeare.” (By the end of the show, you may too.) Bottom is a playwright and he is struggling to compete with Shakespeare, whose most recent play is Romeo and Juliet. (Can’t blame him for not wanting to follow that one, can you?) As Nick toils with both his self-loathing and his integrity, the audience gets a glimpse at some others in his life: his wife Bea, whose character is graciously ahead of her time and spouts feminism out the wazoo; Nick’s brother Nigel, an (admittedly) more talented playwright than Nick with grand, unpopular ideas; Portia, Nigel’s innocent, completely loveable love interest who also goes against the grain and rebels against her infuriatingly Puritan father; Nostradamus, whom Nick hires to read the future, and whose charm ingratiates the audience by misreading the future of musicals, creating hysterically wonderful references to the most classic of shows. As Nick uses the just slightly altered visions that Nostradamus gains of future shows and show tunes, he creates a new performance: Omelet: The Musical. “Shipoopie! Chicago! Omelet!” (This may have been after Nostradamus misreads one of Shakespeare’s upcoming shows; can you guess which one?) The cast, full of exquisite talent, performs this story as rolls and rolls of laughter ensue. It is non-stop comedy, perfectly well done.
Not enough can be said about the cast of Something Rotten. Fortunately, there are many numbers encompassing the full cast, and these are assuredly favorites. Between the music (Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick) and choreography (Eric Giancola) the cast is given limitless opportunities to perform their most heightened skills. Rob McClure plays Nick and is on stage the majority of the performance, never missing a beat. His character is married to Bea, played by McClure’s wife Maggie Lakis, whose voice and comedic acting are fantastic. Josh Grisetti plays the nerdy and endearing Nigel, and he brings the perfect combination of awkwardness and charm to this character. Josh Grisetti and Autumn Hurlbert, who plays Portia, are the perfect pair. Hurlbert’s voice is spectacular and her acting brings the adorable, endearing Portia to life. Adam Pascal plays Shakespeare, and his acting, though bringing to life a somewhat deplorable character, is exquisite. These leads combined with the superb talent of each individual in the Company, bring forth an amazing show. Each and every actor sings, dances (both typical and tap!), and acts with remarkable finesse.
Scenic design (Scott Pask) is just one of several more highlights in Something Rotten. As mentioned earlier, the setting is 1590s England, and the set is certainly reminiscent of this time and place. From charming Tudor homes to enchanting and creepy alleys, each change of scenery is completed with smooth, flawless transitions. The sets are appealing, creating a space that the audience is drawn to and simply cannot look away from. Every scene contains elaborate detail and successfully adorns the story and the stage on which it takes place.
Complimenting the scenery is the costume design (Gregg Barnes). Not only is the clothing strikingly colorful, it is also unique. At one point there are eggs dancing around the stage, and in the next moment the eggs have become omelets. There are other tricks to these costumes too, but to truly appreciate them they just have to be witnessed first-hand. All eggs aside, the common attire of each character has clearly been carefully chosen and created; each person is consistently adorned in the perfect outfit. Barnes has done a pristine job in creating the perfect attire for this flawless show.
Perhaps (most definitely) the greatest charm in Something Rotten is the references to those musicals that are so well known and loved. Musicals are mocked and simultaneously praised. Audience members seemed most pleased when these familiar melodies played throughout the theater; the jokes were eaten up.
With the mocking of musicals come inspiring stories. Something Rotten brings the tale of an underdog to the stage. Nick’s character learns to trust his own and his loved ones’ judgment and finds himself leaning on those around him for the first time. The two lead women bring more than just beauty to the stage: they are strong, smart, and passionate about things not typically appreciated by women in stories such as these. Their characters are refreshing and most welcome at this time!
Something Rotten will bring any and all members of the audience pure joy from start to finish; this show cannot be recommended highly enough.