Something Rotten! - Musical Theatre Comedy meets Shakespeare (literally!)

Something Rotten is a musical that tells the story of two brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, who are striving to become the best writers in all of Renaissance England, but they’re having trouble overcoming their rival, William Shakespeare! In an effort to outshine “the bard,” Nick visits a man who claims to see the future and says the next big thing in theatre will be musicals! This leads to the fortune teller seeing the future and all of the famous musicals that come with it! But things really take a turn when Nick asks what Shakespeare’s greatest hit will be, and the fortune teller can’t separate the future of musicals from Shakespeare’s plays! But don’t worry, just because it’s set in the 1590s doesn’t mean everyone talks in iambic pentameter. We spoke with some of the cast and crew of Something Rotten and asked them about their favorite musicals and Shakespeare references within the show.

Here are some of our favorite musical references:

• There is a direct reference to the show “Chorus Line,” where the actors stand in a straight line and hold pictures in front of their faces, representing head shots.

• Within a song, you can hear the chords from “Seasons of Love” from the musical “Rent.”

• You can also hear the chorus sing the notes from the title song of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

• There’s even about one measure of “Luck Be a Lady” from Guys and Dolls

• A prolonged moment in the show directly references Les Misérables. This reference is particularly easy to catch as they literally say the title of the show!

• And there are so many other small references that are changed just slightly or are so brief to avoid copyright infringements! We encourage you to see how many references you can catch!

And here are a few of our favorite Shakespearean references:

• Several lines in the show are caught halfway between a musical reference and a Shakespearean one. One example of that is the line “Raindrops upon Rosencrantz and whiskers on his kitten.” Which is a mix of “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music,” and the character of Rosencrantz from Shakespeare’s Hamlet

• Shakespeare is more akin to Elvis in this show. It also considers him the undisputed king of theater at the time.

• A character who is in disguise tells people his name is Toby. When he removes the disguise, he announces, “Toby? Or NOT Toby!” (as in “to be, or not to be, that is the question!”)

• Many of the characters in the show are named after famous Shakespearian characters including Portia, Bea, Shylock, and Nick Bottom (who is a direct reference to a character of the exact same name in A Midsummer Night’s dream)

• “To thine own self be true.”

That last line, “To thine own self be true,” is a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and is referenced heavily throughout Something Rotten! It encourages the characters to be themselves and live honestly and honorably. This line holds significant meaning for Brent Welch, who is playing the character of Shylock in our production. “The past few years have taught me to quit putting on masks to please people. It’s not who I am, and I need to be more faithful and kind to myself.” Brent recalls performing in “A Chorus Line,” and that show has had a significant impact on him. He recalls a family in the audience who connected deeply with the show as the character he portrayed, Paul, reminded them of their late son/brother.

Lily Pope, who is playing Portia, also resonates with connection. “The best part of theatre comes from letting go of the pressure to be perfect, and focusing on the connection with the audience.” Recently, Lily was in the show “Mean Girls.” She says, “I felt like that was the show where I figured out how to just sit back, relax, and trust the material. From now on, I’ve tried to carry that same mindset into every project I work on.”

We also heard from Randy Wallace, who plays the Master of Justice and is an ensemble member, that the theatre has made him more thoughtful about the people he meets in his everyday life. “The second show I ever did was “Amadeus,” and it was as a humorless character in a dark drama - it really required me to find out whether I could actually act. That show opened my eyes to finding the depth in the characters I portray. I learn something new in every show, and all contribute to my development as an actor and human being.”

And there are always new things to learn in theatre, and Rebecca M. Krause, an ensemble member, learned a lot in a recent production of “9 to 5.” “I met some of my closest friends there, one of whom even referred me to my current job. It was challenging due to the dance numbers, costume changes, vignettes, and scene changes. I was constantly moving, and it was a huge learning moment for me!”

When Madelaine Comte, who is also in our ensemble, joined the cast of “Legally Blonde” at the Lofte in 2022, she got to do some learning, too. “This was my first show since high school. I always wanted to do community theatre, but didn’t have the confidence to pursue it. Taking a chance and auditioning opened up the door to a passion that has become an integral part of my life!”

The ensemble in “Something Rotten” is quite busy, with large musical numbers, frequent set changes, and numerous songs to sing; there’s little time for a break. Samantha Colvarro, who plays Bea, remembers being part of the ensemble in “Crazy for You.” “We were all around the same age and became so tight-knit as we all had to learn to tap together! It was so much fun.”

We also asked everyone if they had anything they wanted to say to the audience! And newcomer to the Lofte stage, Del Casteel, who is playing Nostradamus, joined in on the fun!

• “What a fun show! Fantastic music and hilarious jokes! I hope y’all enjoy it as much as we do!”

• “The cast and crew of Something Rotten have been working very hard- you won’t want to miss this show!”

• “I hope you have as much fun watching this show as we did making it!”

• “Thank you for supporting the arts!”

• “I’m glad you’re here. Sit back and enjoy the show!”

Get your tickets to Something Rotten! Tickets are available at lofte.org/tickets or by calling 402-234-2553. Performances are July 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31, and August 1, 2, & 3. Shows start at 7:00 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 2:00 on Sundays. The concession stand will open 1 hour before the show starts, and the house will be open for seating at this time as well.