The National Tour of "Something Rotten!"
It is always such a pleasure to go to the theatre just for the purpose of laughing. Although I have seen some wonderful productions within the past year or so, it has been awhile since I have seen a pure comedy where I had the opportunity to do nothing more than laugh my face off for a couple of hours. Luckily, the national tour of Something Rotten! allowed me to bask in the wonder of a well written musical comedy. Something Rotten! is a witty musical (with a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell, and a score by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick) about the Bottom Brothers, Nick and Nigel, who are struggling playwrights that are constantly overshadowed by the starlet of a playwright, William Shakespeare. Nick visits Thomas Nostradamus (Nostradumus' less in demand nephew) to find out what the next big trend in theatre will be, so he can get ahead of the game and dethrone Shakespeare of his high status in the world of theatre. Nostradamus tells Nick that some years down the line, musicals are going to be all the rage in the world of theatre. So, Nick sets out to write the world's first musical. Hilarity ensues. The show is ridiculous, but I mean that in the best way possible. It is a show that has you smiling the entire time and makes you feel an ungodly amount of happiness.
I loved Something Rotten! It is gaudy, hysterical, and it sparked so much joy inside of me. I love musical theatre and this show was pure, unadulterated musical theatre. Since the show was about the theatre and it was a comedy, my little nerd heart was running free in the Plaza Theatre as the performance continued. The references to other musicals are spot on, as are each of the show's jokes. The humor is stupid and sometimes inappropriate (though there's nothing that wouldn't go over the heads of children. Bring your kids to this show.), but I was laughing the entire time. I think that there was an obscene and almost inappropriate amount of jokes about Jewish people, but other than that I loved the humor. How the three writers of this show were able to come up with a plot that is this ludicrous is beyond me. I truly never thought I would ever see a musical where gigantic eggs come onstage and begin to tap dance. The Kirkpatricks and O'Farrell have done an excellent job creating a story that is refreshing, hilarious, and utterly delightful.
The score is quite good, but isn't what I'd call a work of musical genius. It is rather generic at times, but it serves the story quite well, in addition to delivering more than a few catchy tunes with comically intelligent lyrics. Although this is a rather cliched statement, I walked out singing some of the songs. The numbers "A Musical" and "Bottom's Gonna Be On Top" are spectacular in every way imaginable. Quite a bit of the music hearkens back to the old school musical theatre, with numbers that were reminiscent of "Friendship" from Anything Goes and "Comedy Tonight" from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Casey Nicholaw's choreography is showstopping and both his direction and choreography bring the show to great levels of je ne sais quoi. The biggest criticism I have of the show is that it runs a little bit too long. I think that both acts could stand to lose about fifteen minutes. Towards the end of each act, I began to become somewhat removed from the action, but luckily there were numbers that were able to draw me back in.
The cast of this touring production was at the very top of their game. Matthew Michael Janisse was perfect in playing the arrogantly charismatic character that is Nick Bottom. Nick Bottom does some pretty reprehensible things throughout the show, but you can't help but love him and laugh at him, since he is our lead after all, and he does come around by the end of the show. I think that the writers did a great job of making Nick Bottom an interesting character. His songs provide excellent insights into his mind and while he is pretentious and full of himself, you can really sense the insecure writer beneath all of those parts of him. Playing opposite him as his brother and writing partner, Nigel, Tim Fuchs (stepping in for Richard Spitaletta) was quite charming and sang with a pristine voice.
As William Shakespeare, Matthew Baker was perfectly cast. I was not particularly impressed by the song, "Will Power," but Baker sold the song and stole the show with his hilariously dashing persona. Also providing an enthusiastic performance is Greg Kalafatas who is so lovable as Nostradamus. Kalafatas delivers an insane performance and he walked away with every single scene that he was in. Something I found amusing about the character is that while he may misinterpret some of his futuristic glimpses, at no point during the show was Nostradamus flat out wrong. Although Nicholaw's choreography is incredible, Kalafatas' charming persona does just as much to sell "A Musical." I also must make note of Emily Kirsten Morris, who has an incredible voice and enjoyable character as Nick Bottom's wife, Bea.
Although this is a brilliant musical, it is not without its "pointless" subplots. As Nigel Bottom's love interest, the good Puritan Girl named Portia, Jennifer Elizabeth Smith is lovely. Although Smith delivers a striking performance, the only purpose her character serves is to provide inspiration to Nigel and of course, to provide the audience with more great jokes and songs. However, I think that the writers put that subplot there on purpose since they do lovingly make fun of musicals in this show, so they threw this subplot at us to make fun of the trope of pointless romantic subplots in musicals. For that reason, I don't mind the romantic subplot, but the show wouldn't be horribly different without it. Although, I would miss the character of Brother Jeremiah (played marvelously by Mark Saunders), Portia's father and leader of the Puritans in that area.
Scott Pask's large, yet quaint scenic design is absolutely gorgeous. The backdrops were quite beautiful and some of the best I have seen. There is a scene that takes place in a courtroom late into the second act, and it truthfully looked as if I could walk deep into the setting being represented on the backdrop. The person who I saw the show with noted that Gregg Barnes' costumes blended flawlessly with Pask's scenic design and it looked as if we were looking at a Renaissance painting.
Something Rotten! was a blast of a theatrical experience. I have seen very few shows that rise to a comedy of this level. In fact, the only other one that comes immediately to mind is The Book of Mormon (my second favorite musical, also directed by Nicholaw). With all of the turmoil that the world and our country is in, it was very nice to go laugh for a couple of hours. I think that Something Rotten! is a show that anyone who is looking to write a musical comedy should take notes from. It is simply a riot. I would highly recommend this show to anyone who loves musical theatre or is simply looking for a good old fashioned laugh.
SOMETHING ROTTEN!
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell
Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
Conceived by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
For more information on the national tour of SOMETHING ROTTEN!, please visit https://www.rottenbroadway.com/
At the time I saw the show, the cast of the national tour of SOMETHING ROTTEN! consisted of:
Shakespeare- MATTHEW BAKER
Nick Bottom- MATTHEW MICHAEL JANISSE
Nostradamus- GREG KALAFATAS
Bea- EMILY KRISTEN MORRIS
Brother Jeremiah- MARK SAUNDERS
Portia- JENNIFER ELIZABETH SMITH
Nigel Bottom- RIHCARD SPITALETTA*
The Ensemble- DREW ARISCO, ABBY BARTISH, EMMA BENSON, ZACHARY BIGELOW, JULIAN BURZYNSKI JR., BRIAN COWING, TIM FUCHS, ROBERT HEAD, DEVIN HOLLOWAY, KELLEY ANNE MCCORMICK, NICK PANKUCH, AVEENA SAWYER, ALLISON C. SCOTT, PETER SURACE, DORSEY ZILLER
Swings- KATIE SCARLETT BRUNSON*, ALEX EISENBERG*, DANNY LOPEZ*, PETER SURACE
Dance Captain- DANNY LOPEZ
Assistant Dance Captain- KATIE SCARLETT BRUNSON
*At the performance I attended, the role of Nigel Bottom was played by TIM FUCHS, ALEX ESIENBERG played Fuch's ensemble role of Tom Snout, while KATIE SCARLETT BRUNSON and DANNY LOPEZ both appeared in the ensemble.
Performance Reviewed: April 2, 2019 (7:30 P.M.)
I loved Something Rotten! It is gaudy, hysterical, and it sparked so much joy inside of me. I love musical theatre and this show was pure, unadulterated musical theatre. Since the show was about the theatre and it was a comedy, my little nerd heart was running free in the Plaza Theatre as the performance continued. The references to other musicals are spot on, as are each of the show's jokes. The humor is stupid and sometimes inappropriate (though there's nothing that wouldn't go over the heads of children. Bring your kids to this show.), but I was laughing the entire time. I think that there was an obscene and almost inappropriate amount of jokes about Jewish people, but other than that I loved the humor. How the three writers of this show were able to come up with a plot that is this ludicrous is beyond me. I truly never thought I would ever see a musical where gigantic eggs come onstage and begin to tap dance. The Kirkpatricks and O'Farrell have done an excellent job creating a story that is refreshing, hilarious, and utterly delightful.
 |
| Matthew Michael Janisse (Nick Bottom), Greg Kalafatas (Nostradamus), and the ensemble of the national tour of Something Rotten!. Photo by Jeremy Daniel |
The score is quite good, but isn't what I'd call a work of musical genius. It is rather generic at times, but it serves the story quite well, in addition to delivering more than a few catchy tunes with comically intelligent lyrics. Although this is a rather cliched statement, I walked out singing some of the songs. The numbers "A Musical" and "Bottom's Gonna Be On Top" are spectacular in every way imaginable. Quite a bit of the music hearkens back to the old school musical theatre, with numbers that were reminiscent of "Friendship" from Anything Goes and "Comedy Tonight" from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Casey Nicholaw's choreography is showstopping and both his direction and choreography bring the show to great levels of je ne sais quoi. The biggest criticism I have of the show is that it runs a little bit too long. I think that both acts could stand to lose about fifteen minutes. Towards the end of each act, I began to become somewhat removed from the action, but luckily there were numbers that were able to draw me back in.
The cast of this touring production was at the very top of their game. Matthew Michael Janisse was perfect in playing the arrogantly charismatic character that is Nick Bottom. Nick Bottom does some pretty reprehensible things throughout the show, but you can't help but love him and laugh at him, since he is our lead after all, and he does come around by the end of the show. I think that the writers did a great job of making Nick Bottom an interesting character. His songs provide excellent insights into his mind and while he is pretentious and full of himself, you can really sense the insecure writer beneath all of those parts of him. Playing opposite him as his brother and writing partner, Nigel, Tim Fuchs (stepping in for Richard Spitaletta) was quite charming and sang with a pristine voice.
 |
| Matthew Baker (Shakespeare) and the ensemble of the national tour of Something Rotten! Photo: Jeremy Daniel |
As William Shakespeare, Matthew Baker was perfectly cast. I was not particularly impressed by the song, "Will Power," but Baker sold the song and stole the show with his hilariously dashing persona. Also providing an enthusiastic performance is Greg Kalafatas who is so lovable as Nostradamus. Kalafatas delivers an insane performance and he walked away with every single scene that he was in. Something I found amusing about the character is that while he may misinterpret some of his futuristic glimpses, at no point during the show was Nostradamus flat out wrong. Although Nicholaw's choreography is incredible, Kalafatas' charming persona does just as much to sell "A Musical." I also must make note of Emily Kirsten Morris, who has an incredible voice and enjoyable character as Nick Bottom's wife, Bea.
Although this is a brilliant musical, it is not without its "pointless" subplots. As Nigel Bottom's love interest, the good Puritan Girl named Portia, Jennifer Elizabeth Smith is lovely. Although Smith delivers a striking performance, the only purpose her character serves is to provide inspiration to Nigel and of course, to provide the audience with more great jokes and songs. However, I think that the writers put that subplot there on purpose since they do lovingly make fun of musicals in this show, so they threw this subplot at us to make fun of the trope of pointless romantic subplots in musicals. For that reason, I don't mind the romantic subplot, but the show wouldn't be horribly different without it. Although, I would miss the character of Brother Jeremiah (played marvelously by Mark Saunders), Portia's father and leader of the Puritans in that area.
 |
| Richard Spitaletta (Nigel Bottom) & Jennifer Elizabeth Smith (Portia) in the national tour of Something Rotten!. Photo by Jeremy Daniel |
Scott Pask's large, yet quaint scenic design is absolutely gorgeous. The backdrops were quite beautiful and some of the best I have seen. There is a scene that takes place in a courtroom late into the second act, and it truthfully looked as if I could walk deep into the setting being represented on the backdrop. The person who I saw the show with noted that Gregg Barnes' costumes blended flawlessly with Pask's scenic design and it looked as if we were looking at a Renaissance painting.
Something Rotten! was a blast of a theatrical experience. I have seen very few shows that rise to a comedy of this level. In fact, the only other one that comes immediately to mind is The Book of Mormon (my second favorite musical, also directed by Nicholaw). With all of the turmoil that the world and our country is in, it was very nice to go laugh for a couple of hours. I think that Something Rotten! is a show that anyone who is looking to write a musical comedy should take notes from. It is simply a riot. I would highly recommend this show to anyone who loves musical theatre or is simply looking for a good old fashioned laugh.
 |
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell
Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
Conceived by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
For more information on the national tour of SOMETHING ROTTEN!, please visit https://www.rottenbroadway.com/
At the time I saw the show, the cast of the national tour of SOMETHING ROTTEN! consisted of:
Shakespeare- MATTHEW BAKER
Nick Bottom- MATTHEW MICHAEL JANISSE
Nostradamus- GREG KALAFATAS
Bea- EMILY KRISTEN MORRIS
Brother Jeremiah- MARK SAUNDERS
Portia- JENNIFER ELIZABETH SMITH
Nigel Bottom- RIHCARD SPITALETTA*
The Ensemble- DREW ARISCO, ABBY BARTISH, EMMA BENSON, ZACHARY BIGELOW, JULIAN BURZYNSKI JR., BRIAN COWING, TIM FUCHS, ROBERT HEAD, DEVIN HOLLOWAY, KELLEY ANNE MCCORMICK, NICK PANKUCH, AVEENA SAWYER, ALLISON C. SCOTT, PETER SURACE, DORSEY ZILLER
Swings- KATIE SCARLETT BRUNSON*, ALEX EISENBERG*, DANNY LOPEZ*, PETER SURACE
Dance Captain- DANNY LOPEZ
Assistant Dance Captain- KATIE SCARLETT BRUNSON
*At the performance I attended, the role of Nigel Bottom was played by TIM FUCHS, ALEX ESIENBERG played Fuch's ensemble role of Tom Snout, while KATIE SCARLETT BRUNSON and DANNY LOPEZ both appeared in the ensemble.
Performance Reviewed: April 2, 2019 (7:30 P.M.)
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