Summer Musical 2025:

Something Rotten! is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell. The show is a humorous, irreverent love letter to musical theatre, set in the English Renaissance. What Spamalot is to Monty Python, Something Rotten is to Shakespeare. The musical pokes fun at Shakespeare, the theatre world, and the conventions of musical theatre itself. Creativity, sibling rivalry, gender roles, the struggle for recognition, and the joy (and absurdity) of making art are themes in the show.

 

Plot Summary

 

Set in 1595, the story follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom, struggling playwrights in the shadow of William Shakespeare, who is depicted as a rockstar of the era. Desperate to outshine Shakespeare, Nick consults a soothsayer, Nostradamus (the nephew of the famous one), who predicts that the next big thing in theatre will be "musicals"—where actors sing their feelings. The Bottom brothers set out to write the world’s first musical, leading to a series of hilarious mishaps, misunderstandings, and showbiz chaos.

 

Key Characters

 

Nick Bottom: Ambitious, frustrated playwright who wants to beat Shakespeare.

Nigel Bottom: Nick’s younger brother, a passionate poet and writer.

William Shakespeare: The charismatic, egotistical “rockstar” playwright.

Bea: Nick’s resourceful and supportive wife.

Nostradamus: The soothsayer who predicts musicals.

Portia: A Puritan’s daughter and Nigel’s love interest.

 

Notable Songs

 

Some of the standout musical numbers include:

- “Welcome to the Renaissance”

- “God, I Hate Shakespeare”

- “A Musical” (a meta, show-stopping number referencing dozens of famous musicals)

- “Right Hand Man”

- “Hard to Be the Bard”

- “To Thine Own Self”

 

Production History

 

- Broadway Premiere: April 22, 2015, at the St. James Theatre.

- Original Cast: Included Brian d’Arcy James (Nick), John Cariani (Nigel), Christian Borle (Shakespeare), Heidi Blickenstaff (Bea), Brad Oscar (Nostradamus).

- Awards: Nominated for 10 Tony Awards in 2015, including Best Musical. Christian Borle won for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

- Tours & International: The show has enjoyed U.S. national tours and international productions.

 

 Fun Facts

 

- The title is a play on the famous line from Shakespeare’s "Hamlet": “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

- The musical debuted at the St. James Theatre in New York and ran for over 700 performances

- The musical is packed with references, jokes, and musical numbers that parody and pay homage to dozens of classic Broadway shows, including "Les Misérables," "The Lion King," "Chicago," and "West Side Story."

- "Something Rotten!" received 10 Tony Award nominations in 2015, including Best Musical. Christian Borle, who played Shakespeare, won the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

- Despite stiff competition, "Something Rotten!" quickly became a cult favorite among theater fans for its witty humor, catchy songs, and love letter to musical theater.

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