The Bard Hits Boston! SOMETHING ROTTEN! Launches National Tour Tonight

Something Rotten!, the ten-time Tony-Award nominated smash hit musical comedy, launches its national tour at the Boston Opera House tonight, January 17, through January 29, 2017, following a preview period at Proctors in Schenectady, NY.

Three of the current Broadway principals will be reprising their roles on tour: Rob McClure as Nick Bottom, Adam Pascal as Shakespeare and Josh Grisetti as Nigel Bottom.

The touring cast also features Maggie Lakis as Bea, Blake Hammond as Nostradamus, Autumn Hurlbert as Portia, Scott Cote as Brother Jeremiah and Jeff Brooks as Shylock.

Rounding out the ensemble are Lucy Anders, Kyle Nicholas Anderson, Kate Bailey, Daniel Beeman, Brandon Bieber, Mandie Black, Nick Rashad Burroughs, Ian Campayno, Pierce Cassedy, Eric Coles, Drew Franklin, Juliane Godfrey, Leah Hofmann, Kristie Kerwin, Ralph Meitzler, Patrick John Moran, Joel Newsome, Con O'Shea-Creal and Tonya Thompson.

The completely original new musical Something Rotten! isdirected 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 National Tour will launch at the Boston Opera House January 17-29, 2017, following a preview period at Proctors in Schenectady, NY. The announced tour route includes Schenectady (preview performances): January 10-15, 2017; Boston: January 17-29, 2017; Pittsburgh: January 31-February 5, 2017; St. Louis: February 7-19, 2017; Cincinnati: February 21-March 5, 2017; Tampa:March 7-12, 2017; Naples: March 14-19, 2017; Ft. Lauderdale: March 21-April 2, 2017; Durham:April 4-9, 2017; Greenville: April 11-16, 2017; Baltimore: April 18-23, 2017; Cleveland: April 25-May 14, 2017; Omaha: May 16-21, 2017; Tulsa: May 23-28, 2017; Austin: May 30-June 4, 2017; Houston: June 6-11, 2017; Dallas: June 13-25, 2017; Nashville: June 27-July 2, 2017; Chicago:July 11-23, 2017; and Kansas City: July 25-30, 2017.

The award-winning design team of Broadway veterans includes Scott Pask (scenic design), Gregg Barnes (costume design), Jeff Croiter (lighting design), Peter Hylenski(sound design), Josh Marquette (hair design), Phil Reno (music direction / conductor), Glen Kelly (arrangements), Larry Hochman (orchestrations) and casting by Telsey + Company/Bethany Knox, CSA.

From the director of Aladdin and co-director of The Book of Mormon and the producer of Rent, Avenue Q and In the Heights, this hilarious new musical comedy tells the story of brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom, two playwrights stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rockstar Will Shakespeare. When a soothsayer foretells the next big thing in theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, the Bottom brothers set out to write the world's very first MUSICAL! With the most singing, the most dancing and the most gut-busting laughs on Broadway, it's something wonderful... something for everyone...

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!