Review: “Nothing's as amazing as” Theatre Three's production of SOMETHING ROTTEN!

When Something Rotten! arrived on Broadway back in 2015, the show received mixed reviews from the critics. Luckily, the Tony nominating committee did not pay any attention to the negative press and rewarded the production with 10 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, making it the second most nominated show of that season. I honestly wonder if my colleagues and I were watching the same show. I had the privilege of experiencing this show thanks to Port Jefferson’s Theatre Three who truly “welcomes the audience to the Renaissance!”

Something Rotten! takes place during the aforementioned time period; the Great Rebirth. The time of change in the fields of art, knowledge and culture. The time of DaVinci, Descartes, and of course, William Shakespeare. This show is the brain child of satirist John O’Farrell (Book), screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick (Book/Lyrics), and his brother, songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick (Music/Lyrics). These creative minds have brought to the world some classic Disney films, songs by Eric Clapton and Little Big Town, and the soon-to-be film series Chicken Run; its sequel is due to be released this year on Netflix. This musical is an ode to the theater told through slapstick comedy. If you put Spamalot, Mel Brooks, Shakespeare in Love, and Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous in a blender, you will get Something Rotten!

The farcical musical tells the story of the playwriting duo Nick and Nigel Bottom; two brothers who dream of having a huge stage hit and dream of upstaging their rival and former theater troupe member, the Bard himself. The Bottom brothers believe they’ve found the next hit by turning the life of Richard II into a play. Alas, the dream doth not come to fruition as they learn Shakespeare has the same idea. Disgusted and desperate, Nick swipes the family money box and seeks the counsel of soothsayer Nostradamus; however, it’s not that Nostradamus. It’s Thomas Nostradamus, “THE” Nostradamus’s loony nephew who is almost as good as his uncle.  Nostradamus foresees the next big thing to hit the stage will be musicals and Shakespeare’s next big hit will be a play about eggs and Danish called Omelette. Will the Bottom boys finally have a huge hit or will the Bard of Avon swipe the idea for his own?

In order to put on a successful homage to theater, it must be under the helm of someone who truly lives and breathes theater. Broadway was lucky enough to have Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon; Some Like it Hot) and Long Island is extremely lucky to have Jeffrey Sanzel. Once again, Sanzel’s dedication and love of theater is amplified by bringing together an exuberant ensemble and stellar crew. As soon as you walk into the theater, you are immediately transported to the Renaissance. The scenic design by Randall Parsons and Karin Bagan was brilliant. As opposed to creating a set to look like Ye Olde English Towne, they replicated Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. They mastered its Tudor architectural style and gave the audience the ultimate Shakespearean experience. It was a true stroke of genius! The ambiance is heightened further when you see the magnificently crafted costumes, designed by Chakira Doherty, adorned by the ensemble. The audience is then “welcomed to the Renaissance” by The Minstrel, portrayed by Jae Hughes, who plays their role to perfection. Hughes also inhibits other ensemble roles and nails each performance.

The cast is led by Ryan Nolin as Nick Bottom and is first-rate in this role As the Act I finale goes, “Bottom’s Gonna Be on Top” and Nolin indeed is. Evan Teich portrays William Shakespeare as a glam-rock star who is an amalgamation of Mick Jagger, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and Captain Jack Sparrow; he was a delight every time he was on stage. Nolin and Teich’s iambic pentameter tap battle was brilliantly comical. Andrew Boza and Danielle Pafundi were perfect as star-crossed lovers and give Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan’s infamous When Harry Met Sally scene a run for its money; one would say it’s quite poetic. Christine Boehm, as Nick’s wife Bea, gives a fierce performance of the show’s feminist anthem “Right Hand Man.” While all of the leads did a formidable job, the true stars of this production were some its supporting players. Angelo DiBiase as Shylock, Jim Sluder as Brother Jeremiah, and the true showstopper of the show, Dennis Setteducati as Nostradamus, all had me laughing out loud throughout the evening. They were truly riveting, especially Setteducati’s zany soothsayer.

As if the ensemble, set, costumes, and humor wasn’t enough, you also have the music. The Kirkpatricks provide numerous showstoppers throughout the production. Act I’s “A Musical” is worth the price of admission alone. What’s great about the show is it just continues to grow after that number; it doesn’t falter. The showstoppers just keep on coming and are brought to life by the amazing ensemble, the glorious LIVE pit orchestra led by Jeffrey Hoffman, and fantastic choreography by Sari Feldman and Josie McSwain. The tap dancing, scythe wielding grim reapers in the number “The Black Death” was one of the best sight gags I’ve seen in the theater.

What’s great about this show is you don’t have to be a Shakespearean scholar or a musical theater nerd to appreciate the show’s humor; it’s accessible to all. While some may feel the humor is sophomoric, you must remember that sophomoric can also be great fun when done well and leave you in stitches. A laugh is what we all need right now especially in the dark times we are all currently living in. Do yourself a favor, see this show and embrace the light!

Something Rotten! will be playing at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson through June 24, 2023

You can purchase tickets here: https://www.theatrethreetickets.com/t3?date=2023-5-20

You can also purchase tickets to Theatre Three’s upcoming season which will include: The Prom (September 16 – October 21, 2023), Jeffrey Sanzel’s landmark production of A Christmas Carol (November 11 – December 30, 2023), The Gin Game (January 13 – February 3, 2024), tick…tick…BOOM! (February 17 – March 16, 2024), Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (April 6 – May 4, 2024) and The Producers (May 18 – June 22, 2024)

To post a comment, you must register and login.