By NATE KING
Salina Post
Hailed by "Time Out New York" as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years," "Something Rotten" is coming to Theatre Salina Friday through April 16.
Salina Post sat down with Theatre Salina Executive Director Michael Spicer to find out the inside scoop on what makes this farcical Shakespearean musical a must see.
A musical "romp through Shakespearean England"<br>
Based on the book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell and the music of Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick, Theatre Salina, 303 E. Iron Avenue, in partnership with Kansas Wesleyan University, is stepping back in time to Shakespearean England.
Follow the tale of two brothers who set out to write the world's first musical in this hilarious mash up of sixteenth-century Shakespeare and twenty-first-century Broadway.
Spicer said this will be the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that Kansas Wesleyan University and Theatre Salina are putting their creative minds together to create a truly hilarious production.
"This is a partnership with Kansas Wesleyan University. We did it for a number of years, and then the pandemic hit, and we had to put it to bed," Spicer said."We're bringing it back this year as opposed to being every year, it'll be every other year."
Spicer said beginning this year, every other year, Theatre Salina will pick a show that is specifically tailored to have roles that are available not only for community members, but for KWU students as well.
"There are four KWU students in the show. KWU is providing the orchestra, musical director and the pit conductor and Theatre Salina is all of the rest of the creative team," Spicer said. "It is one of the funniest shows that we've done in a very long time, which is quite a compliment, because we did 'The Play That Goes Wrong' this time last year. And that was pretty much the funniest thing I've ever done."
Spicer said even if you hate Shakespeare, you're going to love this show.
"But if you love Shakespeare, you're going to love this show on a whole different level, because it's all about these two brothers and they want to have success in the theater. And so they go to a soothsayer, and the soothsayer, brilliantly played by Bill Brown- when you turn Bill loose on the stage, he is a force of nature," Spicer said.
The soothsayer tells the two brothers the only way to write a musical that can stand the test of time is to include tap dancing, singing and dancing. And so the brothers write a plot for their musical and they show it to their financial backer and it is about the Black Death.
"So they find another financial backer, and and I am not going to tell you what the musical is about because there is a visual, that goes with it that is hilarious!" Spicer said. "It is a fantastic comedic romp through Shakespearean England."
"Something Rotten" will be showing at Theatre Salina on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between March 31 and April 16, excluding Easter Sunday.
Cast members
Nick Bottom – Christopher Graber
Nigel Bottom – Nick Rogers*
William Shakespeare – Alex Engelland
Beatrice “Bea” Bottom – Kathryn Shaft
Brother Jeremiah – Timothy Burns
Portia – Matea Gregg
Shylock – Robert Jones
Minstrel/Troupe/Footman – Kurt Krupp
Lord Clapman/Master of Justice – Richard Groetzinger
Nostradamus – William Brown
Tom Snout – Jacob Brown *
Peter Quince – Patrick Hoffman*
Robin – Tommy Flores
Francis Flute – Scott Snyder
Valet #1 – Andrew Graber
Valet #2 – Camille Graber
Snug/Horatio/Foreman – Jeff Leger
Bard Boys
Andrew Graber
Hollis Murdock*
Jasper Carter*
Camille Graber
Ensemble
Abril Vazquez-Ortiz*
Mara Mondt*
Addilyn Jagodzinske
Brynn Shaft
Elizabeth-Ali Schade
Camille Morris
Mary King
Katie Morgan
*Indicates Theatre Salina mainstage debut
Tickets are now on sale for "Something Rotten." For more information click here.