FST's 22-23 Winter Mainstage Series Opens With Hit Broadway Musical, SOMETHING ROTTEN!

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) kicks off its 49th Winter Mainstage Series with Something Rotten!, a hit musical comedy that was nominated for ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical. With Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell and Music & Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, Something Rotten! is a humorous mashup of 16th century Shakespeare and 21st century Broadway. Something Rotten! begins playing November 9 in FST's Gompertz Theatre.

Something Rotten! is part of a four-show subscription package. Also included in the Winter Mainstage subscription package is the Florida Premiere of What the Constitution Means to Me, the thought-provoking drama Network, and the World Premiere of Visit Joe Whitefeather (and bring the family!). Subscriptions for all four Winter Mainstage shows can be purchased for as little as $69, and single tickets for Something Rotten! range from $29-49. Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or at 941.366.9000.

"Something Rotten! is a big, fun, and highly theatrical show," said Richard Hopkins, FST's Producing Artistic Director. "This show is both Elizabethan and contemporary at the same time. It is delightful and exactly the kind of play FST would produce. I love how it juxtaposes the spectacle of Broadway musicals with rigidity and traditionalism of the Elizabethan era."

Called "Broadway's new big, fat hit" by the New York Post and "Devilishly funny" by USA Today, Something Rotten! ran on Broadway for almost two years before launching a 16-month national tour. Set in Elizabethan England, this amusing musical follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom, two enterprising playwrights who are stuck in the shadow of the Renaissance rock star known as "The Bard." When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing, and acting-all at the same time-Nick and Nigel set out to write the world's very first musical.

Directing this Broadway hit is FST Associate Artist Ellie Mooney, who has over 25

years of professional experience as a director, choreographer, and performer. After 15 years in NYC, working nationally and internationally, Ellie spent 10 years working for the historic Walnut Street Theatre on over 30 productions. At FST, she has served as the Choreographer for FST's hit production of Bright Star (2020), Intimacy Coordinator for Maytag Virgin (Summer 2022), and Director of Charlotte's Web (2022).

"Something Rotten! has something for everyone," said Mooney, "If you're an avid musical theatre fan, you're likely to love all the little 'easter eggs' sprinkled throughout the show. If you love (or hate) Shakespeare, there's a character in the show who will probably express thoughts that you, yourself, have had about 'The Bard.' If this is your first time at a theatre, you'll most likely be drawn in by the physical comedy, witty jokes, and big song-and-dance numbers."

Playing Nick and Nigel Bottom, the theatre-making brothers who try to outdo William Shakespeare, are Cordell Cole (Nick's Flamingo Grill, Alliance Theatre) and Cornelius Davis (Aladdin, National Tour), respectively. Bringing "The Bard" to life in FST's production of Something Rotten! is Charlie Tingen, who was in the National Tour of The Producers. Jillian Louis, who was last seen in FST's 2017 Summer Mainstage production of Burt & Me, plays Nick's determined wife, Bea. Kraig Swartz, who played Miss Tracy Mills in FST's production of The Legend of Georgia McBride last season, plays Nostradamus, the quirky soothsayer who reveals that musicals are the next big thing in theatre. Elena Ramos Pascullo, who makes her FST debut with Something Rotten!, plays Portia, Nigel Bottom's love interest.

James Patterson, who was featured in the Broadway productions of Gigi, Beauty and the Beast, and State Fair, plays Brother Jeremiah, Portia's overbearing father. David Cantor, who has performed on Broadway and at regional theatres along the East Coast, plays Shylock, a Jewish money lender whose real love is theatre. Travis Keith Battle, who was seen in FST's Cabaret, The Wanderers, last season plays The Minstrel and is a member of the ensemble.

The ensemble of Something Rotten! includes Jordan De Leon (The Prom, National Tour), BillyD Hart (also Associate Choreographer), Jahir L. Hipps (Be More Chill, Playhouse Square), Olivia London (Waitress, Second National Tour), and Lauren Teyke (Anastasia, Second National Tour).

The production's creative team includes Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay (Scenic Design), Susan Haldeman (Wig Design), Audrey Hess (Costume Coordination), Thom Korp (Sound Design), and Ben Rawson (Lighting Design). Minhui Lee will return to FST to serve as the Music Director. Casting by Alexa Vetter Torres.

FST's production of Something Rotten! is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The production is also supported by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues, the Shubert Foundation, and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Thank you to our media sponsors, ABC7 and the Herald Tribune Media Group.

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