Theatre Frisco presents Something Rotten
Something Rotten
Directed by Neale Whitmore
Music Directed by M Shane Hurst
Choreographed by Emily Leekha and Megan Kelly Bates
My thoughts on Something Rotten or…going out on top with the Bottom Brothers
Theatre Frisco presents
Something Rotten
Book by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick
Music and Lyrics by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Directed by Neale Whitmore
Music Directed by M. Shane Hurst
Choreographed by Emily Leekha
Tap Choreography by Megan Kelly Bates
It’s official. This is the last production helmed by Neale Whitmore at Theatre Frisco before he and wife Joni start their retirement travel. And if you must have a swan song, Neale, you could not have made a better choice than Something Rotten, which puts all your skills to the test and comes out smelling like the rose by any other name.
Something Rotten is a show with terrific songs and a pun and anachronism filled book. It is the story of Nick and Nigel Bottom. Nick despises his play writing competitor Shakespeare, while Nigel admires the bard immensely and tries to emulate his writing. Nick visits Thomas Nostradamus, a soothsayer, to learn what Shakespeare’s greatest play will be so he can write it first. All sorts of comic situations ensue from there. Of course, there is a love story involved. Nigel falls for a young Puritan woman who is controlled closely by her tyrannical father, Brother Jeremiah. What could possibly go wrong? Everything does, in a musical theater heaven sort of way.
Director Whitmore never lets the action lag, nor does he ever miss the opportunity for a joke, and he has assembled a cast of singers/dancers/actors who are more than up to the challenge of all the comedy and the sexual innuendo that is pervasive in Something Rotten. Although playing a character named Nick Bottom, Sterling Beard is most definitely top notch. Beard carries the central role in the show like the seasoned pro he is, singing, dancing, and spouting his comic lines as if he wrote them. He is especially good interacting with Bea, his wife in the show played by the angelic voiced Samantha Snow, who is stage excellence personified, and the totally unrecognizable Alex Rain as Thomas Nostradamus. I have seen four other actors play the Nostradamus role, but none were better than Rain in the big number “It’s a Musical.” I am certain that Nathan May who plays Nigel Bottom is a star in the making. This young man has stage presence galore and a glorious voice with a beautiful falsetto. His scenes with his Puritan girlfriend Portia, played to the comic hilt by Rae Hillman, who also has a lovely voice, are playful, sexy, and charming. Speaking of playful and sexy, who knew Anthony Holmes, who plays Shakespeare, had that great voice and all those slinky moves? I’ve previously known Holmes only as an accomplished music director, but he is most definitely ready for the musical comedy big leagues. Holmes owns the stage as the preening playwright and delivers a provocative “Will Power” to his feverish fans. Stage veteran Doug Fowler gets some scene stealing moments as the stern Brother Jeremiah, who is just as prone to sexual innuendo as scripture quoting. Austin Bender is excellent as the foppish Lord Clapham, who seems to be interested in Shakespeare for more than just his writing. Peter Tremmel as Shylock looks and sounds like he just stepped out of a real Shakespearean play, if Shylock were funny and sprinkled a little Yiddish into the Renaissance English. Eric Feldman as the Minstrel welcomes us to the Renaissance with his thrilling voice and sets the tone for the play. Completing this dynamic, hardworking, and always “in the moment” ensemble are John Avant III, Bryson Beavers, Abbey Copeland, Elanor Gross, Amy Parsons, Layla Rorem, Jacob Taylor Sellers, Mia Tremmel, Shelby Tuffnell, and Dayton Wilson.
Rodney Dobbs designed the Tudoresque set with lighting by Alex Ammons and sound design by Director Whitmore. The grand and colorful period costumes are designed by Michael Robinson.
The superb on-stage band is led by M. Shane Hurst. The band is the backbone of this show as they play almost constantly and provide the music for Emily Leekha’s fun choreography featuring some laugh producing anachronistic moves and Megan Kelly Bates’s outstanding tap choreography which is just about over the top. Or should that be “over the tap?”
Something Rotten is a fitting topper to Neale Whitmore’s directing career. I would urge you to go buy tickets immediately to this crowd pleasing and endlessly clever musical, but the entire run is sold out. That is a fitting tribute to the dedication and genius of Neale Whitmore. Time to relax, Neale. I’ll see you and Joni in the audience.
