Something Rotten!
St. James Theatre
August 4, 2015
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| Photo courtesy of Something Rotten! |
Unique! Brilliant! Witty!
Intelligent! Bold! Bawdy!
Crisp! Ingenious! Yes, I have seen Something’s Rotten! and those are only a few words to describe
it. It’s a farce, a parody, a slapstick comedy,
a musical. It’s Shakespeare meets the
Carol Burnett Show (I mean that in a good way).
The plot is original and surprising. The play takes place in 1595 in the South of
London, where William Shakespeare is the most revered playwright of the
day. The Bottom Brothers, Nick and
Nigel, want to write a play that supersedes the work of the Bard. When Nick’s wife announces she is going to
have a baby, he begins to feel desperate.
He employs a soothsayer to look into the future to see what the next
popular theatre style will be. He sees
something new and different… the musical.
Zaniness ensues as the soothsayer’s visions become vague and muddled, leading
the Bottom Brothers on a journey to perplexing hilarity.
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| Brian d'Arcy James as Nick Bottom and Christian Borle as William Shakespeare Photo courtesy of Something Rotten! |
Brian d’Arcy James as Nick, John Cariani as
Nigel, and Christian Borle as William Shakespeare are all amazing. Their characters are boldly written and their portrayals
are skillfully tremendous. Heidi
Blickenstaff, as Nick’s wife Bea, and Kate Reinders, as Nigel’s love interest
Portia, bring the perfect blend of tenderness and humor to their roles. The only way to mention other strong
performances would be to list every name in the program. The stage consistently exudes vibrant energy,
as every cast member does an impeccable job delivering top notch material.
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| Photo courtesy of Something Rotten! |
The production is superbly directed and
choreographed by Casey Nicholaw. The
book and lyrics, by Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell, and Wayne Kirkpatrick,
are highly intellectual and witty. The
Shakespeare references are right on and the musical theatre spoofs are
priceless. The score, by Wayne
Kirkpatrick and Kary Kirkpatrick, is excellent.
It delivers a pace and tone that makes you tap your feet and sway in
your seat. Sets, by Scott Pask, and costumes,
by Greg Barnes, are designed with broad strokes and bright humor. They take you back to Shakespeare’s time grinning
with delight.
Something Rotten! is sure to
be a long running favorite. No matter
how much you pay for your ticket, it is worth five times the price.
Domenick Danza
I agree that this show is clever, brilliant, entertaining, and more. It made me both laugh and smile. This is a show that I can definitely see again!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it better than Carole Burnett -- J.C.
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