by Macey Levin
There is a rollicking production of a witty and very corny show with exuberant musical numbers at the Sharon Playhouse in Sharon, Connecticut.
Something Rotten!, book by Karley Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell with music and lyrics by Karley and Wayne Kirkpatrick, takes place in London, 1595, when William Shakespeare was at his zenith as the greatest playwright in history. Two brothers, Nick (Michael Santora,) a struggling playwright, and Nigel Bottom (Max Crumm,) a failed poet, have never had success, but see themselves in competition with Shakespeare (Danny Drewes).
Nick is the go-getter, he thinks, while Nigel, introverted and shy, reluctantly follows his brother into continuous failure. Bea, (Emily Esposito) Nick’s wife, has ambitious ideas and bemoans her fate as a woman. At one point she says, “Things are changing. This is the ‘90’s.” The audience laughs knowingly at this. A familiar comment.
The weird and comedic soothsayer Donna Nostradamus (Jen Cody) looks into the future at Nick’s request to help him become more popular and more respected than Shakespeare. This leads into a show-stopping number (one of several) “A Musical” that satirizes this theatre mainstay. Cody is dynamic and almost steals the show. Nostradamus sees what she says will be the greatest play ever written by the Bard of Avon, but Nick plans to write it first. What follows are a series of hysterical scenes as the brothers Bottom attempt to bring their new plot to the Globe Theatre.
But misadventures occur. Nigel falls in love with Portia (Melissa Goldberg,) the daughter of a Puritan minister, Brother Jeremiah (Daniel Pivovar.) They have a lovely duet – “I Love the Way.” Her father, however, forbids them from ever seeing each other again. Nigel also receives an invitation from Shakespeare who has read some of Nigel’s sonnets and invites him to a party which he attends with Portia. This results in conflict between the brothers as well as Portia’s father threatening to exile her. And the complications mount.
The book is a never-ending pastiche of corny jokes, puns and clever wit. There are references to contemporary culture when Nostradamus rolls off a litany of “Dream” songs from modern Broadway musicals – “I Have a Dream,” “The Impossible Dream,” “I Dreamed a Dream” as well as references to “The Lion King” and “Phantom of the Opera.” Farce is a constant element that weaves through several sentimental moments especially between the Bottoms and their loved ones.
The show would not work without a strong cast and this production has a terrific one starting with Santora’s Nick who charms the audience by breaking the fourth wall and speaking to individual audience members. He sings, dances and delivers hysterical lines. His sincerity elicits sympathy as he attempts to reach the pinnacle of his art. Crumm as Nigel starts as a willing foil for his brother. When he falls in love with Portia and then meets Shakespeare he becomes a force of nature. The two actors carry the crux of the plot with great confidence.
Emily Esposito as Bea is someone to be reckoned with. She goes out on her own to prove to Nick that as a woman she can do a man’s job which evolves into several charming scenes between the two of them. Melissa Goldberg’s Portia is, at first, subservient to her father, but her love for Nigel gives her strength.
The diminutive Jen Cody is a dynamo as Nostradamus in a broad, broad characterization. Her voice fills the theatre with joy and sarcasm as she scampers across the stage. It is a performance to be relished. Drewes is a hilarious and very gay Shakespeare who chews the scenery especially in his rendition of “Will Power.”
Amy Griffin’s direction is a powerhouse of theatricality. Even the softer scenes move quickly maintaining the hectic pace of the show. The blocking is precise when a huge part of the cast occupies the stage with over-the top energy. The choreography by Justin Boccitto, who won a Berkie last year for Sharon’s Guys and Dolls, does it again here. With his specialty being tap dance all the numbers are a joy to see and to feel the exuberance from the dancers on stage.
The costumes by Kathleen DeAngelis are gorgeous, colorful and, for several scenes, out-of-the-ordinary. TJ Greenway’s sets are minimal, but they inform the myriad locations and allow movement to flow easily in and around them. The set changes, even when large pieces have to be moved, run smoothly helping to maintain the pace of the show. The lighting is either subtly atmospheric or brash. The staff lighting designer Alix Lewis has outdone herself.
This Something Rotten is a flawless production. Your face is going to hurt from all the smiling and laughter. Be ready!!
Something Rotten; Music and Lyrics by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick; Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell; Director: Amy Griffin; Choreographer: Justin Boccitto; Assistant Choreographer: Michelle Lemon; Music Director: Jacob Carll; Cast: Michael Santoro (Nick Bottom) Max Crumm (Nigel Bottom) Danny Drewes (William Shakespeare) Emily Esposito (Bea) Melissa Goldberg (Portia) Daniel Pivovar (Brother Jeremiah) Emma Simon (Lady Clapham) Ryan Palmer (Shylock) Tyler Miranda (Minstrel) Jack Canevari, Niko Charney, Mackenzie Farrell, Jeffrey Konowitch, Emma Kops, TJ Kubler, Vincent Law, Michelle Lemon, Molly Model, Stephanie Eve Parker, Leeanna Rubin, Joshua Spencer, Griffin Tomaino, Xavier Turner (The Players); Set Design: TJ Greenway; Lighting Design: Alix Lewis; Sound Design: Daryl Bornstein; Technical Director: Leonard Lively; Stage Manager: Casey Cook; Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes – one intermission; June 23-July 9, 2023; 49 Amenia Rd., Route 343, Sharon, CT 06069; 860-364-7469; info@sharonplayhouse.org https://www.sharonplayhouse.org/