Welcome to the Renaissance, East Lansing! Without leaving their seats, Wharton Center audiences have traveled across the world and through the decades this season. And now, the Tony Award-nominated musical “Something Rotten!” takes audiences on a journey back to the 90s. Well, the 1590s, that is.
“Something Rotten!” tells the story of Nick and Nigel Bottom, a pair of brothers struggling to write a hit play in the shadow of fan favorite William Shakespeare. Out of desperation, Nick seeks the help of a soothsayer, who predicts that the next big thing in theater will be musicals. What ensues is a fun song and dance through modern musical references and plenty of in-jokes for theater lovers.
With Tony-nominated music and lyrics from brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick and Tony-nominated direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw, “Something Rotten!” is the distant English cousin of other self-aware musicals from this century, such as “Spamalot” and “The Book of Mormon”; Nicholaw was also Tony-nominated for best choreography for those productions, as well as for co-directing “The Book of Mormon.”
Rob McClure’s energetic Nick works as a foil to Josh Grisetti’s earnest and romantic poet Nigel. Nick is very relatable for anyone who feels like an old penny next to a shiny dime; McClure tackles that balance between annoyance and reverence in songs like “God, I Hate Shakespeare.”
As Nick’s boisterous wife Bea, Maggie Lakis is no shrinking violet. In a nod to the idea of men dressing as women on the stage, Bea learns that the best way to get a job and help her family earn money is to dress as a man. And, as we learn, Bea is stronger and more resourceful than the time period would give her credit for.
If the chemistry between Nick and Bea seems natural and lived-in, there’s a good reason for that: McClure and Lakis are a married couple in real life. This was a fun detail I noticed in the program before the show, and serves the characters well.
As The Bard of the hour, Adam Pascal’s Shakespeare is a glam rock Billy Idol to the masses of gasping fanatics; in one of the show’s most creative moments, the rock concert vibe of Shakespeare in the park (“Will Power”) is capped off with fans swaying candles instead of lighters.
Pascal, best known for originating the role of Roger in “Rent,” perfects the art of the Bard humble brag, and his gritty voice suits his leather-wearing persona to a T. Pascal looks like he is having a blast up there.
Another cast highlight is Scott Cote as Brother Jeremiah, a Puritan who tries to keep his daughter Portia (a bubbly Autumn Hurlbert, reminiscent of Kristin Chenoweth) from falling for Nigel the playwright. Cote hilariously stumbles into double entendres that reveal his own suppressed desires; with a look and a head tilt, Cote brings some of the biggest laughs of the show.
“Something Rotten!” really hits its stride with its show-stopping Act I number, “A Musical.” As soothsayer Nostradamus, Blake Hammond is like a wild-haired Genie from “Aladdin.”
While Nostradamus describes his visions of Fosse fingers and chorus lines, an incredulous Nick goes from naysayer to full-on believer in a future that involves actors breaking into song. That exuberance for the new genre carries into the preposterous Act II performance of the Bottoms’ “Omelette: The Musical.”
The musical theater references are almost too many to count; as a fan of Broadway, many of these are surprising and delightful. I did wonder at times if audience members who weren’t catching on to the references felt left out of the joke. Yet the show also has fun with skewering its time period; somehow, even a song about “The Black Death” can draw a giggle.
The hardworking ensemble of “Something Rotten!” gives life to the production. Even in their colorful and restrictive period costumes, the ensemble members dance and move with ease; that is, they make something hard look effortless, and that takes talent. Check out my interview with Mandie Black, a member of the ensemble and assistant dance captain, to learn more about her role in the show.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, and to thine own self be true. “Something Rotten!” marries the Renaissance with fresh humor to make a fun night out to the theater — no codpiece or corset required.
See “Something Rotten!” at the Wharton Center now through March 18, 2018. Click here for show and ticket information.