SOMETHING ROTTEN! Comes To St. Dunstan's Outdoor Greek Theatre In Bloomfield Hills

It has been three years since St. Dunstan's has been able to perform a show in the Outdoor Greek Theatre! This June, come experience the 'Renaissance in the Greek' with the highly anticipated production, Something Rotten! There is nothing like seeing an action-packed, musical comedy outdoors and under the stars. You won't want to miss this production in the beautiful outdoor Greek Theatre, located right behind the St. Dunstan's pavilion in Bloomfield Hills.

Something Rotten takes place in 1595 when William Shakespeare is at the top of a list of famous playwrights, while Nick and Nigel Bottom are definitely, well, at the bottom. Desperate to write a hit play, they are stuck in the shadow of that 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!

St. Dunstan's has put together and all-star cast for this production including Patrick Lane (Bloomfield Hills) as Nick Bottom, Kevin Fitzhenry (Grosse Pointe Woods) as Nigel Bottom, Dan Dobrovich (Livonia) as William Shakespeare, and Doug Clark (Royal Oak) as Nostradamous. Nick's wife, Bea, is played by Lena Miles-LoRusso (Detroit). Mary Magyari (Mount Clemens) plays Portia, a puritan, who forms a relationship with Nigel Bottom. Jeff Foust (West Bloomfield) plays Brother Jeremiah, leader of the puritans and father to Portia. The part of the minstrel is played by Keith Rikli (Belleville).

This show requires a major undertaking from the St. Dunstan's production staff. Craig VanKempen (Beverly Hills) is making his directing debut in the Greek and has enlisted the help of his wife, Angela VanKempen (Beverly Hills) to serve as Choreographer. The pair met at St. Dunstan's in 2013 during the run of "Spamalot", and Craig even proposed to Angela in the Greek in 2015. Needless to say, the Greek Theatre holds a special place in their hearts. When asked about his experience directing Something Rotten, Craig says, "Angela and I (and the rest of St. Dunstan's) are so excited to be returning to performing a show in the Greek for the first time in three years. When we first saw the show all I could do was picture how great it would translate to the Greek and an outdoor setting. It is Shakespeare after all! Angela loves a tap show, so she has really enjoyed putting this show together with such a talented ensemble. For as fun as this show is, it is deceptively hard work. There have been many challenges putting together this show. It was originally supposed to be performed in June of 2020, so we have waited a long time for this. And despite challenges with schedules and COVID outbreaks, we have charged forward and are looking to be on track for an unforgettable production. The talent in this cast is through the roof, and we can't wait for you to see them mash up Shakespeare and Broadway!"

The VanKempen's are joined by a fabulous production crew, including Assistant Director, Katie Kezelian (Franklin), Music Director, Debbie Tedrick (Bloomfield Hills), and Producer, Jake Zinke (West Bloomfield). Linda Watson is busy with her crew creating dozens of costumes for the production, and Anthony Marsalese of Antonino Salon in Birmingham is consulting on hair. Mike Kezelian (Franklin) is leading the set construction, and Pam Richards is gathering props for the show. Justine Dearth (Beverly Hills) is stage managing, Chuck Goddeeris (St.Claire Shores) is the sound engineer, and Paul Dorset (Birmingham) is the lighting designer. Running tickets and house management is Ruth Bennett (Sterling Heights).

The cast is rounded out with an ensemble of true "triple threats" including N'Jeri Nicholson (Hazel Park) who is also serving as dance captain, Bronwen Mischel (Grosse Pointe), Emma Stevens (Troy), Elaine Parenteau (Pleasant Ridge), Molly Dorset (Birmingham), Shelley Fager (Fraser), Deb Dworkin (Berkley), Stephanie Peltier (Royal Oak), Sarah Kwas (Berkley), Pat Rodgers (Novi), Eric Franz (Ferndale), Anthony Targan (Bloomfield Hills), Celeste Hackmann (Royal Oak), Analisa Guido Thomas (Sterling Heights), Alex Zull (Detroit), Solomon Dudley (Southfield), Toby Gittleman, Jonathan Grygiel (Birmingham), Kimberly Paullin (Livonia), and Mariel White (Royal Oak).

St. Dunstan's will present Something Rotten on June 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, and 18. All shows begin at 8:00 p.m, Tickets are $24 each for adults and $22 each for students and seniors. St. Dunstan's is located at 400 Lone Pine Road in Bloomfield Hills.

The Greek Theatre is located behind St. Dunstan's Playhouse at 400 Lone Pine Road, between Woodward & Lahser in Bloomfield Hills. Enter the St. Dunstan's lobby to get to the Greek Theatre. Please allow time for walking.

To order tickets, or for more information - including details on parking, and seating - visit www.StDunstansTheatre.com or call 1-844-DUNSTAN (1-844-386-7826).

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