Something Rotten!
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell
Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
Directed and Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
The Fox Theatre
February 7, 2017
Josh Grisetti, Rob McClure and Cast
Photo by Joan Marcus
Something Rotten! National Tour
I love Shakespeare, and I love musicals. Something Rotten! should be right up my alley, then. I had been looking forward to this show since I found out the tour was coming to the Fox. I’ve also loved the production’s funny advertising campaign (like bragging about losing Best Musical at the Tonys). It’s a great concept, with lots of potential and a great cast. I’m glad that, for the most part, the show has lived up to my lofty expectations.
After a flashy intro of “Welcome to the Renaissance” led by Nick Rashad Burroughs as the Minstrel, we are introduced to Nick (Rob McClure) and Nigel Bottom (Josh Grisetti), a pair of brothers and theatrical collaborators whose theatre company is constantly in the shadow of the rock star-like William Shakespeare (Adam Pascal), who is the talk of the town and whose plays are always smash hits. The frustrated Nick and poetic Nigel struggle to produce a show that will get the attention of the Shakespeare-obsessed public, as Nick struggles to make ends meet and his outgoing wife Bea (Maggie Lakis) announces that she’s expecting. Nigel’s struggle is more with artistic integrity, wanting to write from his heart rather than just pandering to the demands of the public. He also finds himself attracted to the spunky Portia (Autumn Hurlburt), who shares Nigel’s passion for poetry against the wishes of her strict Puritan father Brother Jeremiah (Scott Cote). And then there’s the problem of Shakespeare himself, who seems oddly obsessed with the Bottoms’ latest work despite his own success. When Nick hires a soothsayer named Nostradamus (Blake Hammond)–not that one, but his nephew–to tell him what type of show people will want to see in the future, as well as what Shakespeare’s greatest hit will be, the Bottom Brothers begin their development of their innovative new show Omelette: The Musical, and much intrigue and hilarity ensues.
It’s a fun show, with some great jokes and chock full of witty musical theatre references and lots of innuendo and double entendres. The music is memorable, with standouts like the seriously showstopping “A Musical”, “God, I Hate Shakespeare” and “To Thine Own Self” as well as the hilarious “Make an Omelette”. It does seem a little derivative at times, though, with the influences of Monty Python and Mel Brooks being the most obvious, although the characterizations are great and the story manages to be heartwarming and a whole lot of fun. The cast is great, led by the terrific McClure as the determined Nick and Grisetti as the sensitive Nigel, with excellent support from Lakis as the forward-thinking Bea and Hurlburt as the plucky Portia. There’s are also great comic turns from Hammond as Nostradamus and Cote as Brother Jeremiah, and Pascal hamming up a storm as the self-absorbed but insecure Shakespeare. There’s a top-notch ensemble as well, lending lots of charm and energy to the fabulously staged production numbers dynamically choreographed by director Casey Nicholaw.
Technically, this show is impressive as well. The versatile set by Scott Pask is a colorfully cartoonish representation of Elizabethan London, with a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre as a centerpiece. There are also whimsical period-style costumes by Gregg Barnes and brightly striking lighting by Jeff Croiter. The sound, designed by Peter Hylenski, is crisp and clear and the small musical ensemble conducted by Brian P. Kennedy represents the score well, sounding appropriately big and grand despite its size.
This is a fun show. It’s not quite as original as I had been expecting, but it’s bold, witty, and a whole lot of fun, with a truly wonderful cast. For fans of musical theatre and especially those who also like Shakespeare, Something Rotten! can be a real treat.
Adam Pascal (center) and cast
Photo by Joan Marcus
Something Rotten! National Tour
The national tour of Something Rotten! is playing at the Fox Theatre until February 19, 2017.
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