Breaking News: SMASH Stars Brian d'Arcy James and Christian Borle to Reunite in SOMETHING ROTTEN! on Broadway

Producer Kevin McCollum has announced that Broadway favorite leading men and former SMASH costars, two time Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James (Shrek, Sweet Smell of Success) and Tony Award winner Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher) will return to the stage to star in Something Rotten!, a completely original new musical comedy directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin), with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Wayne Kirkpatrick and Golden Globe Award nominee Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John O'Farrell. The two starred in the readings of the show earlier this year. It was recently announced that the production, originally slated for an out of town tryout in Seattle would instead come straight to Broadway!

Additional casting and creative team will be announced shortly. Something Rotten! will begin previews Monday, March 23 and officially open Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at the St. James Theatre (246 West 44thStreet).

Brian d'Arcy James is a two time Tony Award nominee for his performances in the title role of Shrek the Musical and as Sidney Falco in Sweet Smell of Success. He recently finished shooting Tom McCarthy's upcoming feature film Spotlight opposite Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo and will be seen in the upcoming Tina Fey and Amy Poehler comedy Sisters. He received critical acclaim for his performance in the Donald Margulies's playTime Stands Still opposite Laura Linney and has appeared in the Broadway musicals Next to Normal, The Apple Tree, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,Titanic, Carousel and Blood Brothers. Brian co-starred in the NBC series "Smash" as Frank Houston opposite Debra Messing.

Christian Borle also starred on the NBC musical drama series "Smash" as Tom Levitt and recently received critical acclaim for his performance in the NBC event "Peter Pan Live!" He received the Tony Award® as well as Drama Desk and Drama League nominations for his performance in Peter and the Starcatcher, Tony®, Drama Desk and Drama League Award nominations for Legally Blonde: The Musical and has appeared in the Broadway musicals Spamalot, Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Amour, Jesus Christ Superstar and Footloose.

From the co-director of The Book of Mormon and the producer of Avenue Q comes something original... something fresh... Something Rotten!, a world-premiere musical comedy about the musical comedy that started it all.

Welcome to the '90s - the 1590s - long before the dawn of premium tickets, star casting and reminders to turn off your cell phones. Brothers Nick (d'Arcy James) and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rockstar known as "The Bard" (Borle). 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.

With its heart on its ruffled sleeve and sequins in its soul, Something Rotten! is an uproarious dose of pure Broadway fun and an irresistible ode to musicals - those dazzling creations that entertain us, inspire us, and remind us that everything's better with an exclamation point!

Casey Nicholaw is currently represented on Broadway as co-director and choreographer of The Book of Mormon for which he was honored with 2011 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards as co-director with Trey Parker while receiving the same nominations for his choreography, and as director and choreographer of Disney's hit musical Aladdin for which he received 2014 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award Best Choreography nominations.

Grammy Award winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick's Top Ten hits include "Change the World" by Eric Clapton which was named Song of the Year, "Every Heartbeat" and "Good For Me" by Amy Grant, "Wrapped Up In You" by Garth Brooks and "Place In This World" by Michael W. Smith.

Screenwriter and composer Karey Kirkpatrick wrote the hit film Chicken Run (Golden Globe Award® nominee) and his other feature credits include James and the Giant Peach, Charlotte's Web, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Over the Hedge which he also co-directed.

John O'Farrell is one of the UK's leading comic authors and script writers whose best selling works include The Best a Man Can Get, May Contain Nuts, The Man Who Forgot His Wife, and An Utterly Impartial History of Britain as well as three collections of his satirical columns for The Guardian newspaper. He was lead writer on Britain's hit comedy series "Spitting Image" (ITV) and "Have I Got News For You" (BBC). His books have been translated in over 25 languages and adapted for BBC Radio and television.

Producer Kevin McCollum received three Best Musical Tony Awards® for the original musicals In the Heights, Avenue Q and Rent, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize® for Drama. His production of the original musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone received five Tony Awards. He is currently represented on Broadway with the smash hit Motown the Musical, also on tour across the country and set to open in London's West End in 2016, and is also producing the new play Hand to God on Broadway this spring.

BIOGRAPHIES:

BRIAN D'ARCY JAMES (Nick Bottom) recently finished shooting Tom McCarthy's upcoming feature film Spotlight alongside Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams as the four member Boston Globe "Spotlight" team who won the Pulitzer Prize for their reporting on the Boston Archdiocese Catholic Church sex abuse scandal. He will also be seen in the upcoming Tina Fey and Amy Poehler comedy Sisters. Brian is a two time Tony Award® nominee for his title role performance in Shrek the Musical (Outer Critics Circle the Drama Desk Award winner) and as Sidney Falco in Sweet Smell of Success. He will next appear as King George in the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical Hamilton at the Public Theater. Brian also starred in The Public Theater's Giant. At Lincoln Center, he appeared as Banquo in Macbeth directed by Jack O'Brien alongside Ethan Hawke. He earned rave reviews on Broadway in the play Time Stands Still opposite Laura Linney, Christina Ricci and Eric Bogosian and originated the role of Dan Goodman in the Pulitzer Prize winning musical Next to Normal Off Broadway before reprising his role on Broadway. He is also an OBIE Award winner for his appearance in Conor McPherson's The Good Thief. Other Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include The Wild Party, Port Authority(Lucille Lortel Award), The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Apple Tree, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Titanic, Carousel and Blood Brothers. Film work includes Time Out of Mind, Admission, Bird in a Box, Fitzgerald Family Christmas, Game Change, Friends with Kids and Ghost Town. On television he is perhaps most well known for co-starring in the NBC series "Smash" as Frank Houston opposite Debra Messing. He most recently appeared on "Law & Order: SVU." Other credits include the F/X pilot "Hoke" starring Paul Giamatti, "Ironside," CBS's "The Good Wife," recurring on Showtime's "The Big C" starring Laura Linney, "Person of Interest," "Rescue Me" and "Cashmere Mafia."

CHRISTIAN BORLE (The Bard). Broadway: Peter and the Starcatcher (Tony Award®), Mary Poppins, Legally Blonde, Spamalot, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Amour, Footloose, Jesus Christ Superstar. Off-Broadway: Sweeney Todd (PBS' Live at Lincoln Center), Angels in America (Signature Theatre), Elegies: A Song Cycle (Lincoln Center), On The Town and Little Me (City Center Encores!). Television: "Smash," "Masters of Sex," "The Good Wife," "Sofia The First," Disney Junior's "Lucky Duck," "The Sound of Music Live!," "Peter Pan Live!" Film: The Bounty Hunter, Michael Mann's upcoming Blackhat.

CASEY NICHOLAW (Director, Choreographer). Currently represented on Broadway as director and choreographer of Disney's Aladdin (2014 Tony,® Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Award nominations Best Choreography), co-director and choreographer of The Book of Mormon (2011 Tony®, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Awards as co-director with Trey Parker receiving the same nominations for choreography). Other Broadway credits as director/choreographer: Elf: The Musical; The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony®, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle nominations); Monty Python's Spamalot directed by Mike Nichols (2005 Tony®, Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle nominations Best Choreography). Additional New York credits: for City Center Encores! - highly acclaimed productions of Anyone Can Whistle and Follies (direction/choreography), Bye Bye Birdie (choreography) and Can-Can (musical staging); for New York Philharmonic - Candide; South Pacific at Carnegie Hall (also on PBS Great Performances), Sinatra: His Voice, His World, His Way at Radio City Music Hall. He directed and choreographed the world premieres of Minsky's at Center Theater Group and Robin and the 7 Hoods at the Old Globe.

WAYNE KIRKPATRICK (Music and Lyrics) Grammy Award® winning songwriter of "Change the World" by Eric Clapton (Song of the Year). Other Top Ten singles include "Every Heartbeat," "Good For Me" (Amy Grant); "Wrapped Up In You" (Garth Brooks); "Place In This World" (Michael W. Smith); "My, Oh, My" (The Wreckers); writer and producer of three albums by Little Big Town, including hits "Boondock," "Bring It On Home," "A Little More You" and "Little White Church;" musician and music Director for Amy Grant's House of Love international tour. He has written in pop, rock, country, R&B, Americana and alternative formats, having songs recorded by Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Wynonna Judd, Joe Cocker, Gabe Dixon, George Strait, Mindy Smith, Trisha Yearwood, Babyface, Peter Frampton and songs on the last three Bonnie Raitt albums which yielded the singles "I Can't Help You Now," "I Will Not Be Broken" and "Take My Love With You." His songs have been featured in films such as Almost Famous ("You Had to Be There," "Hour of Need") and Tin Cup ("It Don't Matter to the Sun") as well as television shows such as "Gray's Anatomy," "Hart of Dixie" and "Nashville" as well as the national Dr. Pepper jingle, "Be You, Do What You Do", performed by Garth Brooks.

KAREY KIRKPATRICK (Book, Music & Lyrics) began his career as a screen and songwriter for Walt Disney Feature Animation where he pennedThe Rescuers Down Under and James and the Giant Peach. Additional film credits include Chicken Run (Golden Globe Award® nominee for Outstanding Comedy Film), Charlotte's Web, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Spiderwick Chronicles and Over the Hedge which he also co-directed. He directed the Paramount Pictures feature film Imagine That starring Eddie Murphy and also co-produced and performed on the film's soundtrack.

JOHN O'FARRELL (Book) is one of the UK's best known comic authors and script writers. Best-selling novels include The Best a Man Can Get,This is Your Life, May Contain Nuts and The Man Who Forgot His Wife. Non-fiction includes An Utterly Impartial History of Britain and Things Can Only Get Better and three collections of his satirical columns for The Guardian newspaper. His books have been translated in over 25 languages and been adapted for BBC Radio and television. Founded the UK's first daily satire website Newsbiscuit, staff writer and later panelist on the BBC's "Have I Got News For You," a lead writer on ITV's "Spitting Image." Currently writing a screenplay with Nick Park for Aardman Animations having just completed his fifth novel.

KEVIN MCCOLLUM (Producer) received three Tony Awards® for Best Musical for In the Heights (2008), Avenue Q (2004) and Rent (1996), which was also awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and made into a major motion picture. He also produced Motown the Musical (Broadway and Tour), The Drowsy Chaperone (five 2006 Tony Awards®), Baz Luhrmann's La Bohéme (two 2002 Tony Awards®), West Side Story (2009), Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (2001), [title of show] (2008), the Broadway debut stage production of Irving Berlin's White Christmas, and the Off-Broadway hit De La Guarda. Upcoming credits include Hand to God on Broadway in Spring 2015. McCollum was trained at the University of Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music and earned his Master's degree in film producing from the Peter Stark Program at the University of Southern California. In 1995, he received the Robert Whitehead Award for Outstanding Commercial Theatre Producing. McCollum received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, in 2005.