‘Something Rotten!’ @ CenterStage TheatreWorks
—Hannah Kneen
I have seen theater in a lot of strange places, but an abandoned ULTA just may take the cake.
CenterStage TheatreWorks and director Charlotte Taylor make great use of this “found” space for the company’s production of Something Rotten!—bringing the show up close to the audience, and at times letting actors jump offstage and take a seat to watch the action. Two interchanging casts (Hard-Boiled and Scrambled) alternate performances—so if you’re a fan of this popular show, there’s reason to see it twice.
After a lively opening number (“Welcome to the Renaissance”), we are quickly introduced to the main characters, Nick and Nigel Bottom, brothers trying to make it big in a theater business entirely dominated by William (“God, I Hate Shakespeare”) Shakespeare, played by Jack Watson in the Hard-Boiled cast and Ian Taylor in the Scrambled cast. Nick Bottom (Nick Merritt/Scott Rice) is vocal about his hatred for The Bard. Why does he get that title when, after all, they are all bards? Nigel Bottom (Christian Merritt/Thomas Schnaible) is a poet with his head in the clouds compared to his very grounded brother—and a fan of Shakespeare, even if he’s ruining business for the Bottoms.
Nick, in a fit of desperation, accepts illegal patronage from “the Jew Shylock” (Riley Frauenheim & Quinton Coulonge), and seeks the help of the seer Nostradamus (Noel Nieczyporowicz/Rachel Sullivan)—who is really just a relative of the famous guy. Nostradamus tells Nick that the future of the theater is the “musical”—and that Shakespeare’s greatest hit will be a show called…Omelet. Of course, Nick runs with the idea of a musical about breakfast food (“It’s Eggs!”).
Meanwhile, Nigel has fallen in love with Portia (Alexis Martinez/Mary Lantz), daughter of theater-hating Puritan Brother Jeremiah (Nick Ballas/Simon Heimersson) who has the hilarious habit of talking in innuendo. Nigel is tired of writing about eggs, and pens a good many lines audiences will recognize from the plays of Shakespeare. The Bard notices Nick’s talent and sets out to steal his writing, disguised as a player named Toby Belch.
Musical numbers are backed up with choreography by Sarah Cat-Hendricks and Savannah Rhodes that both accommodates and showcases varying skill levels. Technical director Caleb Ross does an impressive job transforming the space for the show, and the actors have a lot to play with (though all the moving sometimes necessitate longer scene changes). Lighting is the work of Ross and director Taylor, with music direction by Marquis McBride, and colorful costumes from Rachel Sullivan. In particular, I appreciated Shakespeare’s rock-star leather pants, which definitely suited Jack Watson’s boisterous performance.
Speaking of boisterous performances, Audrey Shin’s Bea Bottom was always a joy to watch, with her lovely voice and great disguises (you cannot have a Shakespeare spoof without a cross-dressing leading lady); and everyone was properly shocked when “he” kissed husband Nick. Noel Nieczyporowicz’s Nostradamus was similarly fun to watch. She managed to find a beautiful balance and genuine approach for her eccentric character. (The show I saw was performed by members of the Hard-Boiled cast, with the exception of Mary Lantz from the Scrambled cast playing Portia.)
Grab a ticket to Something Rotten! this week, and get the answers to these burning questions: Are the star-crossed lovers really doomed? Will the Bottoms be caught accepting illegal payments from Shylock? Will Shakespeare get away with the Bottom’s best material? And most importantly, will the musical Omelet be a hit—or is it rotten?
WHEN: July 20-30, 2023
WHERE: Fairview Town Center, 132 Town Place, Fairview, Texas 75069
WEB: cstheatreworks.com
