The WVU School of Theatre and Dance presents the uproariously funny musical “Something Rotten!” from April 23-26 at the WVU Canady Creative Arts Center Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre.
Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as "The Bard." When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self—and all that jazz.
“Something Rotten!” is simultaneously a satire and an homage to musical theatre, told through the lens of Elizabethan England in the time of William Shakespeare.
“To take a form of theater that is so popular and universal as musical theater is, though it is an American art form, and use the lens of Shakespearean times and Elizabethan England to filter the joy, the excitement, the clichés and the structure of musical theater is quite ingenious,” said Director Lee Blair, Associate Professor of Acting and Musical Theatre. “As bizarre as that is, it is even more bizarre on stage, but it’s also funny and sweet.”
At its core, “Something Rotten!” is an underdog story: A family man is determined to succeed and make a name for himself so he can better care for the ones he loves. To do that, he just has to out-bard Shakespeare himself, which leads to some outrageous decisions and some unexpected outcomes.
Despite its historic setting, “Something Rotten!” is a contemporary production, dressed in humor and spectacle and liberally sprinkled with musical theatre and Shakespeare references. But one doesn’t have to be a theatre nerd to enjoy the play’s bawdy, slapstick comedy and show-stopping musical and dance numbers.
After the final bows have been taken and the curtain closes, Blair wants the audience to walk out of the theatre feeling joyful.
“Why do we laugh? Because it’s cathartic. We feel better. It makes us feel good to laugh,” said Blair. “So what I want audiences to take away from this performance is joy.”
“Of course,” Blair added, “the people who get the inside jokes will enjoy it a little more.”
“Something Rotten!” runs April 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 2 p.m. in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at the WVU Canady Creative Arts Center. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for children. Purchase tickets online at go.wvu.edu/somethingrotten, by phone at 304-293-SHOW or in person at the box office located in the main lobby of the WVU Canady Creative Arts Center, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.