Pugilistic Playwrights

Nick Bottom has hit, well, bottom.  Unable to write a hit play and deep in debt, he discovers he and his wife are about to have a baby.  Desperate to achieve success he consults a soothsayer to discover the next great thing in theatre and Shakespeare’s greatest play (so he can get one over on his hated rival).  However, Bottom is going to discover that you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.  This is Something Rotten! and it is playing at Topeka Civic Theatre.

This seems to be my season for serendipitous discoveries.  For the second time this year, I discovered a theatre doing a show that caught my fancy while en route to another assignment and managed to squeeze in an extra review.  And, for the second time, I found myself having a marvelous time.

Shannon J. Reilly really gets this show.  He has a good grip on the show’s disparate elements and blends them together well.  Reilly knows when to lean into the absurdity and when to treat the show with heart attack seriousness.  He stages the show very simply as he focuses on the storytelling and uses a backdrop and a few simple set pieces (designed by Bryce Korf) to help enhance it.  Reilly has also had his actors create some truly delightful characters destined to leave their mark on your memories.

Some of the memorable performances in the supporting cast come from Bruce Smith who brings a childlike excitement to Shylock, the Jewish moneylender who is tickled pink to finally be part of theatre (in the form of his financial support).  Jayme Green makes for a fine Minstrel as he frames the show’s two acts for the audience.  Jaryl Perkins is outstanding as Brother Jeremiah whose overenunciating prudishness seems to barely mask his own sexual appetites.

Bethany Ayers nearly steals the show with her rendition of Portia, the daughter of Brother Jeremiah with a love for poetry.  Ayers’ Portia is a combination of Melissa Rauch and Carol Kane and she has comedic timing that can’t be taught.  Whether she’s getting soused at a party or waiting the precise number of beats for a humorous farewell, Ayers had the crowd laughing heartily at her wit and antics.  She also has a beautiful singing voice with “We See the Light” and “I Love the Way” being particular standouts.

Brett Broadbent makes his Nigel Bottom a bashful milquetoast at the top of the show, but his performance really begins to soar in Act II when the bashfulness gives way to his gentleness.  Broadbent just shines in the show’s quieter and sweeter moments and he has a wonderful tenor and falsetto.  His solo performance in to “To Thine Own Self Be True” is a bit of musical mastery.

Adam Groves is a cocky prick as William Shakespeare.  Shakespeare was a rock star of his era and this show takes that idiom literally as Shakespeare behaves and is adored as a rock star.  Groves comes off as a hybrid of David Bowie and Mick Jagger as he gyrates and heats up the audience with his poetry.  Groves’ Shakespeare isn’t afraid to take a few shortcuts to success as he enjoys the fruits of fame more than the work of fame.  Groves also has a blistering rock tenor which he uses well in “Will Power” and “Hard to Be the Bard”.

Daniel Kooser gives a superlative performance as Nick Bottom.  Kooser understands Bottom’s multifaceted nature and is able to project his decency, his frustrations, his fears, and his regrets.  His delivery is extremely extemporaneous and he has a gift for nimble wordplay.  Kooser also easily transitions from one emotional beat to another.  His hallmark moment is “Bottom’s Going to Be on Top” where he not only croons a fine tune, but engages in an epic tap and verbal joust with Shakespeare.

I enjoyed the period correct costumes of Chelle Decker which were replete with jerkins, tights, cod pieces, and billowing dresses.  Marilyn Foree and her orchestra hit all the right notes (pun intended) of the score and were epic and intimate as the need arose.  Kristin Ross has some fairly effective choreography with the tap battle in “Bottom’s Going to Be on Top” and the sweeping “A Musical” and “We See the Light” being the top moments.  Lauren McCauley-Jones has some nice lighting moments with the rock concert feel of “Will Power” being my favorite.

Act I seemed to suffer from a bit of the Thursday doldrums and needed a bit more energy at some points.  That being said, they found their full groove in Act II and came out swinging.  Some of the dancing also needed to be a bit cleaner.

Something Rotten! is one of the hottest musicals making the rounds on the regional/community theatre circuit. It has great songs and a story that’s meta (the show is aware that it’s a musical), but also funny, sweet, and a little bit dramatic.  Add a director and cast that understands this and you have the recipe for an amusing night of theatre like the one waiting for you in Topeka Civic Theatre’s production.

Something Rotten! runs at Topeka Civic Theatre through April 1.  Showtimes are Thursdays at 7pm, Fri-Sat at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2pm.  Tickets cost $25 ($46.50 for dinner option on Fri-Sat and $40.50 for Sunday brunch) and can be purchased at www.topekacivictheatre.com.  Topeka Civic Theatre is located at 3028 SW 8^th Ave in Topeka, KS.

Battle of the Bards

Nick Bottom is determined to be the bard of bards, but has to topple William Shakespeare from his perch to reach that goal.  Desperate to get out of debt and provide for his wife and soon to be newborn, Bottom consults a soothsayer in order discover the next big thing in theatre and to stick it to his hated rival by stealing Shakespeare’s greatest idea.  However, ol’ Will has a thing or two to say about that.  This is Something Rotten! and it is currently playing at Springfield Little Theatre.

This article is a personal milestone as it marks my 200^th play review.  I was truly hoping to find something special for the occasion, but failed to do so with this show.

I didn’t find “something special”.  I hit the theatrical lottery.

I knew I was on to something from the first notes of Connor Sanders’ Minstrel and what I got was the pinnacle of theatrical kismet.  This show has everything.  An original and endearing story.  Marvelous melodies.  Dazzling costumes.  Stunning sets.  A director who knew how to put it all together.  A cast more than ready to perform and an audience hungry to be entertained.

Jamie Bower’s direction was nothing short of masterful.  The pace of the show was blitzing and started on high octane and worked its way up to volcanic fury by the end.  He had a nearly symbiotic connection with the beats as he knew when to be fast and funny, when to be slow and sweet, when to be heart attack serious, and when to be farcical and bold.  Bower made this anachronistic world quite believable and guided his troupe to virtually flawless performances.

The entire ensemble gets a standing ovation from me for their work.  All of them were always in the moment and you could see and feel the joy of performing radiating from them and contributed so much in bringing the audience into this world.  Some outstanding work in the supporting cast came from Claire Caubre as Nick Bottom’s wife, Bea.  Caubre’s Bea is the rock in her marriage and willing to do whatever it takes to support her man and makes sure he knows she’s his “Right Hand Man”.  Dean Price is hilarious as the holier than thou stick in the mud, Brother Jeremiah, determined to quash immorality (i.e. fun) while constantly making unintentional double entendres.  Joseph Galetti provides some yuks as Shylock, the Jewish moneylender who sounds like a Jersey version of Jerry Seinfeld.  Todd Smith darn near steals the show as the soothsayer, Thomas Nostradamus, with his over the top summoning of his visions and his ability to wring a boatload of laughter from the delivery of a single word.

Kaleb Patterson is superb in his SLT debut as Nick Bottom.  Patterson brings a real sincerity and, dare I say, vulnerability to the frustrated writer.  Patterson’s Bottom is a good man, but is slowly losing himself due to his jealousy of Shakespeare and his increasing desperation to be a good provider and make his mark in the theatrical world.  Patterson also has a gentle, soothing tenor and merges it with a wide range of interpretative ability whether he is snarking out in “God, I Hate Shakespeare”, being broad and theatrical in “A Musical”, or being honest and forthright in “To Thine Own Self”.

Andrew Wilson matches his “brother” step for step with his take on Nigel Bottom.  Wilson is wonderful as the shy, unassuming poet with an incredible gift for language.  His initial awkwardness around his love, Portia, is so natural and spot-on and his raw honesty with his brother about writing from the heart and truth always hits the mark.  The only tiny, tiny, tiny change I would make is that he got a bit shrieky on a couple of cries when a more plaintive cry would have had the audience sobbing.  Wilson has a mighty tenor of his own which is blessed with a gorgeous falsetto and put to excellent use in “I Love the Way” and his own take on “To Thine Own Self”.

Katie Orr is comedic gold as Portia.  I believe her to be sincere about attempting to be a good Puritan, but she just can’t deny her poetry loving heart.  Orr is just a scream as she has a “When Harry Met Sally” climax moment as she swoons to Nigel’s poetry and is a convincing drunkard after accidentally chugging a stein of alcohol at Shakespeare’s party.  Orr also has an angelic soprano, beautifully utilized in “I Love the Way” and “We See the Light”.

Eli DePriest is an arrogant, smug prick as William Shakespeare.  The Shakespeare of this story is the equivalent of a modern rock star and he just laps up the adulation.  DePriest’s Shakespeare is fully aware of his status as #1 and lords it over all and appears to have a pansexual appetite as he openly flirts with girls and guys and would sleep with himself if he could.  DePriest is also gifted with his own strong tenor as he wallows in his own greatness in “Will Power” or grouses about the hard work involved in being the best in “Hard to Be the Bard”.

This is my third time reviewing a show at SLT and, in my nearly thirty years in the business, I don’t think I’ve found a choreographer to match the skill of Chyrel Love Miller.  Miller’s dance numbers are always flashy, big, and full of pizzazz and this show is no exception.  Favorite numbers of mine were “Welcome to the Renaissance”, “A Musical”, “We See the Light”, and “Make an Omelette”.  John R. “Chuck” Rogers has designed another sensational set with the period correct village buildings, but my favorite piece of scenery was the raised stage with the lanterns for Shakespeare’s “Interpretation in the Park”. Jamie Bower pulled triple duty as he also designed the lights & sounds along with directing and my favorite moments with these were “Will Power” with the lit lanterns, star patterns in the spotlights, and the colorful backdrop which looked like the NBC logo and was also reused in the closing number, “Welcome to America”.  Kaley Jackson and Bailey Doran nailed the costumes with the period correct jerkins, cod pieces, tights, Puritan outfits, and petticoats and bustles.  But I truly loved the zing of the colorful Puritan garb when they started rocking out in “We See the Light”.  Danielle Hardin and her orchestra’s handling of the score was heavenly and pinpoint precise.

Truly, I can’t say enough good things about this show.  You just have to go and see it.  I promise you a good time and you may just want to go back again and again before the run is through.  It is amazing!!

Something Rotten! runs at Springfield Little Theatre through Sept 25.  Showtimes are Thurs-Sat at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.  Tickets range from $23-$37. For tickets, visit http://www.springfieldlittletheatre.org or call the Box Office at 417-869-1334.  Springfield Little Theatre is located at 311 E Walnut St in Springfield, MO.

Something’s Rotten, But it Sure Ain’t this Show

Nick Bottom is determined to write a hit play and best his hated rival, William Shakespeare.  Saddled with debt and with a child on the way, Bottom consults a soothsayer to dip into the future and decides to create the world’s first musical and steal Shakespeare’s greatest idea to create his magnum opus, Omlette.  This is Something Rotten! and it is currently playing at Ralston Community Theatre.

Let me get this out of the way first:  not only is this the new best musical I’ve seen mounted on an Omaha stage, it’s now also one of my personal top five shows.  If you love musicals, you’re going to love this show.  If you HATE musicals, you will still love this show because it points out that genre’s inherent absurdities and plays them up to the fullest especially with the musical in the musical.

Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell came up with something truly unique with this show.  It’s historical, anachronistic, parodic, and even brings in some literary theory concerning the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays.  Throw in a score by Wayne & Karey Kirkpatrick that not only lifts elements from all types of musicals, but includes a showstopping number that includes a mash-up of some of the biggest musicals ever written and you’ve got the elements for a heckuva good time.

Todd Uhrmacher gets this show and his sparkling direction reflects that.  This show goes in a lot of different directions and Uhrmacher knows when to be serious and when to be silly.  His staging is top notch.  The pace is lightning quick.  The characterizations are sublime and the cue pickups were right on the button.

The ensemble did a very good job of breathing life into this world and there were some incredible standouts in the supporting cast.  Chloe Rosman brings the comedy stylings of Kate Micucci along with an angelic soprano in her rendition of Portia.  Jenna McKain is the rock of her family as Bea Bottom and can really belt out a tune, burning brightly with “Right Hand Man”.  But I specifically want to shine a spotlight on Jon Flower who gave his best performance to date with his take on Nostradamus.  Flower was not only hysterical, but I think the operatic world lost a potential star with that magnificent tenor and he just soars in “A Musical”.

David Ebke is pitch perfect as William Shakespeare.  Ebke brings a Johnny Depp/rock star vibe to the role and is arrogant, oozes sex appeal, and wallows in the excesses of celebrity.  Ebke’s Shakespeare admits the work it takes to get famous isn’t as fun as the being famous part and it’s implied he uses a few shortcuts to retain that fame and fortune.  Ebke also possesses a dynamic tenor and made the ladies swoon with “Will Power”. 

The role of Nigel Bottom seems to be tailor made for Kyle Avery.  Avery is utterly natural and perfectly believable as the gentle, soft-spoken poet & writer.  His gentle tenor can either tug your heartstrings or fill you with the warm fuzzies and has two hallmark turns with the romantic “I Love the Way” and the moving “To Thine Own Self Be True”.  However, he does need to be careful not to go overboard with the pitch on his speaking voice in some of his more lamentable moments.

Steve Krambeck adds some serious layers to the role of Nick Bottom.  Bottom is a pretty conflicted guy.  He’s a decent sort, but his jealousy of Shakespeare’s success and his desperation to dig himself out of a financial and creative hole compel him to act recklessly and behave childishly.  Krambeck admirably balances and reflects Bottom’s many sides and adds his own mighty tenor with turns in “Bottom’s Going to Be on Top” and “God, I Hate Shakespeare”.

Chris Ebke and his orchestra show some impressive versatility with their handling of the highly varied score.  Debbie Massy-Schneweis has supplied the best piece of choreography I’ve seen in a local production.  This show has big numbers and Massy-Schneweis rises to the occasion with some of my favorite numbers being “A Musical” and “Make an Omlette”.  The production was fortunate to have the skills of Joey Lorincz as he designed yet another stellar set with the Renaissance building cutouts and utilizing a screen which projected illustrations of London Bridge, streets, and parks to indicate locale changes.  His lights always add something special such as tight spotlights on intimate numbers and his going to town with colors in “A Musical”.  Leah Skorupa-Mezger’s costumes suit the Renaissance period with the poofy pants, the colorful jerkins, the period correct dresses, and an elaborate scene with dancing eggs and omlettes.

Some of the dancing needed to be a bit cleaner and relaxed and a few bits of dialogue weren’t picked up by the mikes, but that did little to stop the avalanche of awesomeness that was this show.

If you’re looking for some fun and are a fan of theatre or even an opponent of musicals, then this is the show to see.  It’s the best thing going this summer.

Something Rotten! plays at the Ralston Performing Arts Center in Ralston High School under the auspices of Ralston Community Theatre through July 24.  Showtimes are Fri-Sat at 7:30pm and Sun at 2pm.  Tickets cost $23 and can be purchased at the Box Office, calling 402-898-3545, or visiting www.ralstoncommunitytheatre.org.  Parental discretion is advised for this production.  Ralston Community Theatre is located at 8969 Park Dr in Ralston, NE.