Nick Bottom needs a hit badly. He’s got a new baby on the way. He’s trying to support his wife and take care of his younger brother. But, most of all, he just wants to stick it to his hated rival, William Shakespeare. So desperate does Nick become to taste a bit of success that he consults a soothsayer to tell him what the next big thing in theatre will be and to discover what will be Shakespeare’s greatest play. Upon gaining this knowledge, he plots to create the world’s first musical entitled. . .Omelet!! This is Something Rotten! and it is currently playing at Theatre Lawrence.
Something Rotten! is currently the hottest show on the community/regional theatre circuit. So hot has it been this season that it has been difficult to find a theatre that didn’t have it on its schedule. This is my fourth review of a version of this show this season and this particular take also ranks as one of the best shows of the season.
I knew I was watching something special from the very beginning. Cliff Hoitt-Lange started off things white hot with an incredibly energetic and animated introduction (“Welcome to the Renaissance”) and things only went nuclear from there.
This was one of those magic performances where everything fell into place. You had an audience hungry to be entertained. You had a cast firing on all cylinders. The technical elements were all in place. The orchestra was entrancing. The direction was sure and certain and even found little extras to make a great show even greater.
Jamie Ulmer has an auspicious debut with his first directorial work with Theatre Lawrence. His understanding of the script was off the charts. He knew when to be big. He knew when to be serious. He knew how to lean into the meta (the show pokes fun at musicals while being one). Ulmer’s guidance of the actors is of virtuoso quality as all are in the moment and there isn’t a weak performer in the lot. His use of space was top notch as he utilized every centimeter of space on the stage, but staged his actors so all could be seen and appreciated at every moment.
What can you say about an ensemble like this? I could wax poetic on all of them, but, as “brevity is the soul of wit”, here are some of the highlights of this incredible group.
As previously stated, Cliff Hoitt-Lange is not only massively entertaining as the Minstrel, but they get an A+ in the art of presence. Keep your eyes on them as they play a variety of character roles with no dialogue, but utilize subtle changes in body language and gestures to differentiate each into a unique person. Secily Rees just nails the role of Bea, Nigel’s loyal wife. She is the rock in the family and I just loved how far she leaned into her ridiculous disguises when she poses as a man to get some income into the family coffers. Rees also has a big, powerful voice that matches her presence with a hilarious turn in “Right Hand Man”. Julia Ruddy provides an amazing display of hilarity when her Puritan cork is popped and she can finally indulge her love of poetry and the arts as Portia. Andrew Ramaley is perfect as Thomas Nostradamus, the off-kilter soothsayer. Ramaley skillfully blends oddity with pearls of wisdom and has a high old time explaining the nuances of “A Musical” to Nick.
Daniel Denton provided an angle on Shakespeare that I had not yet seen this season. Oh, he certainly oozed charm and a sexual magnetism that drove the ladies wild, but he also managed to keep Shakespeare thoroughly unlikable. Let’s be honest. He’s a prick. Denton’s Shakespeare wallows in the limelight, but hates the effort needed to stay famous and isn’t opposed to stealing an idea or two (playing off the literary theory that Shakespeare didn’t write his own works). Denton manages to retain that arrogance in his singing as he glories in himself with “Will Power”.
Spencer Greenwood brings a real gentleness and innocence to his portrayal of Nigel Bottom. He’s one of the great romantics of all time and his written words express the feelings that his tongue might have trouble spitting out. Greenwood handles Nigel’s poetic moments with grace and naturalness and I truly appreciated how his pining for Portia was plaintive and honest (with a smidge of Marlon Brando tossed in). Greenwood has a very emotive tenor and he shines with turns in “I Love the Way” and “To Thine Own Self Be True”.
Alan Martin brings a real pathos to his interpretation of Nick Bottom. Martin’s Bottom is a good guy, but you can see him slowly cracking under the pressure of debt, his jealousy of Shakespeare, and his inability to write a hit. Martin did a lot of little things with his expressions to show Nick’s inner thoughts. You could see his regret when he raided the money box. You could see he felt like a heel when he made the decision to steal Shakespeare’s greatest idea even though he also derived a certain schadenfreude from finally sticking it to The Bard. Martin’s singing voice communicates a wide variety of emotion such as disgust and even self-reflective honesty in “God, I Hate Shakespeare” and the crowing of a bad winner in “Bottom’s Gonna Be On Top”.
Patricia Ahern and her orchestra flawlessly performed the score. Robbie Fowler provides an astounding piece of choreography with the show’s lavish dance numbers and the dancers executed his steps without missing a beat. Particular standouts were “A Musical”, “Make an Omelet” and the seeming freestyle of “Welcome to the Renaissance” and “Welcome to America”. Danny Rogovein’s set appears deceptively simple as it consists of a few buildings, but they’re more complex than you think once they start lighting up with bright colors for the energetic musical numbers. I also particularly liked his kaleidoscope effect on Nostradamus whenever he had a vision. Bob Newton enhances the lights with some great sounds like a tinkling musical effect with the kaleidoscope moments. Jane Pennington’s costumes come right out of the Renaissance with the bustles, jerkins, Puritan gear, and poofy pants.
I’ve tried my best to give you a taste of what you’ll experience when you watch this show, but the only way you’ll really find out is to watch it for yourselves. Take it from me, you’re in for a fantastic time, but I’d suggest acting fast because, if the Saturday night crowd is an indicator, these tickets are going to be a rare and precious commodity.
Something Rotten! runs at Theatre Lawrence through June 25. Showtimes are Thurs-Sat at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:30pm. There is no Thursday show on June 22. Tickets are $33.09 and can be purchased by calling 785-843-SHOW, visiting the Box Office, or visiting wp.theatrelawrence.com. Theatre Lawrence is located at 4660 Bauer Farm Dr in Lawrence, KS.
Chris' Corner 