RALEIGH, NC – Why did the egg regret being in an omelet? It wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
Raleigh Little Theatre’s Something Rotten! was far from rotten – it was fresh, organic, and new. Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick‘s 2015 comedy brings the perception of art, politics, and gender from the 1590s into the 21st century through common musical tropes and irresistible characters with one simple dream – beat William Shakespeare at his own feathery game.
If you were one of William Shakespeare’s contemporaries, would you have been envious, obsessed, or utterly annoyed with his talent? Brian Westbrook played an incredibly egotistical Shakespeare, making you believe it was an accurate depiction of his real personality. How could you not be pompous when authoring titles such as Romeo & Juliet and Twelfth Night? One can only imagine that Shakespeare was a celebrity and the hoards of obsessive fans were probably often seen surrounding the premises of the Globe Theater in London.
The opening number, “Welcome to the Renaissance,” led by the Minstrel (Wade Newhouse), let audience members know right away that this production was full of dramatic characters, colorful costumes, and humor to the likes of The Book of Mormon (Note: this show is intended for ages 13 and up). From their first number, “God, I Hate Shakespeare,” to their last, brothers Nick Bottom (Erik Agle) and Nigel Bottom (Michael Sheehy) captured the audience’s hearts with their desire to be the most successful writers in town.
With the help of fortune teller and soothsayer Thomas Nostradamus (David Henderson), Nick Bottom discovers that stages in the future will be filled with the irresistible beauty of musicals, specifically a musical titled The Tragedy of Omelette. Song, dance, and poetry in one production? He’s felt as though he’s won the golden ticket (but not literally because that musical hasn’t been written yet). With this newfound information, Nick attempts to persuade Nigel to take it to production, but Nigel knows better than to write a story about omelets singing and dancing.
In the meantime, Nigel falls in love with Brother Jeremiah’s (Ron Lopez Jr.) daughter, Portia (Shelby Barros). Despite their feuding families, the two manage to fall in love over their passion for poetry. Lopez Jr. was a hilariously good strict pastor with an unexpected feminine side. Barros aced her performance as a rebellious teenager who just wanted to meet the famous Shakespeare, and maybe drink a little wine for the first time too.
The two Bottom brothers go through highs and lows in their relationship but remain loyal to each other when the time comes to face the consequences of their failed, runny production. Each musical number was quite catchy in its own right, sung by powerhouse solo vocalists and backed by talented ensemble members who carried the entire show through the end. Big dance break numbers such as “Make an Omelette,” “A Musical,” and “Will Power” stood out with costume changes, and impressive tap dancing and choreography.
At its eggy-core, Something Rotten! is an ode to musicals and their irresistible magic. Subtle references to Cats, Les Miserables, Annie, Cabaret, The King and I, A Chorus Line, Hairspray, and many more iconic productions made audiences laugh out loud. The entire cast brought their all onto the stage and into the brilliance of the production. Local theater creates community and this production carried the show’s message that even though you may not be the best at something, you will always have your community behind you through life’s most challenging, and memorable moments.
Something Rotten! continues through September 15 at Raleigh Little Theatre.
