Will Chase Will Wave Good Morrow to the Bard This Fall in SOMETHING ROTTEN!

Following the solemn news of SOMETHING ROTTEN's closing last night, the Broadway musical's current cod-piece clad Shakespeare -- Will Chase -- took to Twitter today to announce his own departure date. No word yet on his replacement.

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Chase has starred as Luke Wheeler on the ABC drama "Nashville." On stage he most recently starred as John Jasper in the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Tony, Outer Critics Nominations). Other Television includes Detective Doug Young on "The Good Wife," Michael Swift on NBC's "Smash," "Necessary Roughness," "Rescue Me," "Pan Am," "Unforgettable," "White Collar," "Royal Pains," "Blue Bloods," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Cupid," "Conviction," "Third Watch," "One Life To Live," "Guiding Light," "All My Children" and "As The World Turns." Best known for his work on stage, he has starred on Broadway in Nice Work If You Can Get It, Rent,Miss Saigon, The Full Monty, Aida, Lennon, High Fidelity, The Story of My Life and Billy Elliot. He was also seen at New York City CenterEncores! in Bells Are Ringing and Pipe Dream. Film includes Butterflies of Bill Baker, Four Single Fathers, Shaft and Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway. Recordings include the original Broadway Cast recordings of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, High Fidelity and The Story of My Life; A Little Princess: Studio Cast Recording; Love On A Summer Afternoon: Songs of Sam Davis; This Ordinary Thursday: The Songs of Georgia Stitt; and Thirteen Stories Down: Songs of Jonathan Reid Gealt. He trained at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he studied conducting with Atlanta Symphony's Robert Spano and earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in percussion. Will has two daughters, Daisy and Gracie, and resides in New York City.

As previously announced, the 10-time Tony Award nominated hit musical comedy Something Rotten!, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin), with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Wayne Kirkpatrick and Golden Globe Award and Tony Award nominee Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Tony Award nominees Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John O'Farrell will conclude its critically acclaimed engagement on Broadway on January 1, 2017 following 742 performances. A first class US national tour will officially launch January 17, 2017 at The Boston Opera House.

Something Rotten! stars Tony Award nominee Rob McClure as "Nick Bottom," Tony Award nominee Will Chase as "Shakespeare," Theatre World Award winner Josh Grisetti as "Nigel Bottom," Lortel Award winner Leslie Kritzer as "Bea," two-time Tony Award nominee Brad Oscar as "Nostradamus," Catherine Brunell as "Portia," David Beach as "Brother Jeremiah," Edward Hibbert as "Lord Clapham/Master of the Justice," Gerry Vichi as "Shylock," and André Ward as "Minstrel."

Something Rotten! features Matt Allen (Honeymoon in Vegas, The Wedding Singer), Callie Carter (Tuck Everlasting, Rock of Ages), Max Clayton (On The Town, Gigi), Elizabeth Earley (Mary Poppins tour), Eric Giancola (The Book of Mormon), David Hibbard (Elf), Jenny Hill (Spamalot), Leah Hofmann (War Horse, Big Fish), Stacey Todd Holt (Rocky), Aaron Kaburick (Motown The Musical), Tari Kelly (Anything Goes), Beth Johnson Nicely (Bullets Over Broadway), Brian Ogilvie (Gigi, Mary Poppins), Aleks Pevec (Aladdin), Hayley Podschun (Wicked, Chaplin), Eric Sciotto (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), Brian Shepard (Young Frankenstein), Ryan VanDenBoom (Annie), Matt Wall (Annie) and Marisha Wallace (Aladdin).

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 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 (McClure) and Nigel Bottom (Grisetti) are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance
rockstar known as "The Bard" (Chase). When a local soothsayer (Oscar) 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!

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus