Something Rotten 11.03.16

Something Rotten

Location: St James Theatre, New York City

Date Seen: 11^th March 2016

Seen With: Dad

Understudies at This Performance: David Hibbard as Nick Bottom, Eric Giancola as Eyepatch Man/Francis Flute & Matt Allen as Yorick/Shakespeare’s Valet

Summary

When I visited New York City in September 2015, I heard ripples of admiration for Something Rotten from previous patrons as I walked past on numerous occasions. It got me wanting to see it and my recent trip to New York City provided the perfect opportunity. Focussing on the story of two brothers and their attempt to write a hit to rival renaissance idol William Shakespeare, we see the ‘birth’ of the modern musical.

Acting

The acting is very strong throughout from the leads to the ensemble members. Most of the heavier dialogue scenes fall between the lead characters and within the comedy there are moments of sincerity particularly from Heidi Blickenstaff as Bea. Although she has a storyline with quite a comedic portrayal, she also demonstrates the real values and relationships that are core to the story and to her character. In contrast, some of the characters like Nostradamus played by Brad Oscar, have to be over exaggerated and grotesque and this is done equally as well.

Music & Songs

I briefly listened to the soundtrack before I saw the show but it didn’t prepare me for how good the songs in the show are. The music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick are a work of genius. I never thought anyone could come up with a musical song about omelettes but they did with a hilarious outcome. ‘A Musical’ makes reference to many hit musicals and the way it has brought these together is inspired. My favourite song is ‘Hard To Be The Bard’ about Shakespeare’s struggles to keep writing great hits and meet the expectation of his fans.

Choreography

The show is choreographed by Casey Nicholaw who choreographed The Book Of Mormon and Aladdin which are two of my favourite shows. He did not disappoint with Something Rotten with superb ensemble routines that were clever and comedic. One of the signatures of his work for me is his tap dance breaks that feature in ‘Turn It Off’ from The Book Of Mormon and ‘A Friend Like Me’ in Aladdin. Here they are seen in numbers ‘A Musical’ and ‘Make An Omelette’ and they are truly impressive. Another great tap moment in this show is a ‘tap off’ between Shakespeare and Nick Bottom. You need to see it to believe it. The annunciation onfeach beat is remarkable and unforgettable.

Direction

Casey Nicholaw also directed this show and it is an absolute triumph. He brings Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick’s script to life and has truly pulled off all the comedy elements that are fundamental to this show. I’ve laughed a lot in musicals but not as frequently as I did here. The staging itself is quite simple but it focuses in on what is being said by the actors. I think they’ve achieved what they set out to here as so much of the narrative is based on the words of Shakespeare’s works and the big hit the Bottom brothers are attempting to write.

Set/Lighting

The set features traditional Tudor buildings on flats with several larger pieces including The Globe Theatre which also doubles up as Nick and Nigel Bottom’s rehearsal space for their own theatre troupe. Throughout, the scenes are often changed mainly through use of different cloths and flats. Overall the set on face value seems quite simple but it does a great job of setting the time period and filling the stage with atmosphere.

Costumes

I’ve seen some amazing costumes in productions but Something Rotten’s costumes by Gregg Barnes really stood out. The bold colour of the renaissance wardrobe really fills the stage. The stand out costumes was the female ensemble costumes featured in the song ‘A Musical’. The best way to describe them is as renaissance showgirls with rouched skirts and fitted bodices accompanied with stunning velvet covered heeled tap boots. I also absolutely loved the modern take on Shakespeare. He wore what was expected of the time but it was brought into the 21^st century with leather and detailing on the back of his doublet. I found a great article about the designs of the costumes and the thought process behind them which you can find here.

Stand Out Performances

Christian Borle as Shakespeare – there is a reason why he won a Tony Award for his performance as he makes the perfect Shakespeare. He knows how to gain attention from the show audience to the actual audience. When he dons his disguise, his versatility as an actor is put to the forefront with a convincing Yorkshire accent.

Brad Oscar as Nostradamus – if he hadn’t been up against his co-star, he would have deservingly won the Tony award for this role. His highlight is his role in ‘A Musical’ but he entertains throughout the show with his insight into the future.

David Hibbard as Nick Bottom – although I had wanted to see Brian D’arcy James, David Hibbard effortlessly filled the boots of Nick Bottom and his vocals seemed like it was the same person. I would say he is a superman of sorts, as he covers 3 main roles in the show whilst normally performing in the ensemble on a daily basis.

Me with Christian Borle who plays Shakespeare

Show to Show Comparisons

I can compare the comedy of this show to The Book Of Mormon despite the differences between the plots. The comedy is less crude in Something Rotten but it gets you laughing out loud in the same way. As I’ve also previously mentioned, the fact the shows are choreographed by the same person also draws similarities with the dance numbers in both being original and memorable.

Would I Recommend?

If you’re in New York and get a chance to see this then absolutely and there are often tickets in the TKTS booth at a discount price. It is the funniest musical I’ve ever seen and the whole coming together of this show is an absolute triumph.

Overall Verdict (Out of 5 Stars):

5 Stars