By Lynn Venhaus
Merry mischief makers mix the Muny’s musical mash-up “Something Rotten!” into a zesty end-of-season treat. Of course it’s special — it has an exclamation point!
Sending up the art form while celebrating it, a high-energy ensemble accepts the mission: deliver a delightful, daffy show at a dizzying fast-pace for the 108th season closer.
One of two premieres this summer, this comedic gem takes place in 1595, during the Renaissance, and brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom (Matt Doyle, Will Burton) are desperate to write a hit play but are overshadowed by the pompous megastar William Shakespeare (Jacob Dickey), who has fangirls and an adoring entourage.
Nick enlists a soothsayer, Nostradamus (not that one, but his niece Donna), to predict the next big thing. Dynamo Jen Cody tells him to write a musical. Singing! Dancing! Acting! All together now — say what?
And when Nick asks Nostradamus to predict what Shakespeare’s next hit will be, however, she just misses the mark – proclaiming it is “Omelette!” (Not you know that depressed Danish prince with family and girl trouble.)
And into the madcap romp we go near Mel Brooks-Monty Python land. What silliness! “Something Rotten!” contains more than 60 inside jokes and ‘Easter eggs’ referencing other musicals and shows throughout the entire production.
Theater-insider quips and well-written zingers abound — and an all-in audience reacts with glee. IYKYK, but it’s not required to be well-versed in Shakespeare and all things musical theatre to enjoy this amusing spectacle.
A crowd-pleasing cast of Broadway veterans and familiar faces is firing on all cylinders. They look like they are having a lot of fun throughout, but especially in the super-sized splashy signature numbers “A Musical,” “Welcome to the Renaissance,” and an absolutely bonkers “Something Rotten/Make an Omelette” (defies description).
The show-stopping “A Musical” is a bursting party pinata with nods to “Annie,” “Rent,” “A Chorus Line,” “Cats,” “Wicked,” “Chicago” and “Les Miserables” and more.
A big and shiny, mighty fine-y
Glitter, glitz, and chorus line-y
Bob your head and shake your heiney
Musical
As the Minstrel, DeMarius R. Copes splendidly kicks off the spoofy, goofy fun with the catchy opener “Welcome to the Renaissance” that sets the go-for-broke tone.
The ebullient tap-dancing ensemble excels throughout the show: Lawrence Alexander, Matt Allen, Darien Crago, Aaron Patrick Craven, Kristen Smith Davis, Johnny Duvelson, Michael Harp, Sean Harrison Jones, Ryan Kasprzak, David Paul Kidder, Carina-Kay Louchiey, Spencer Davis Milford, Lizz Picini, Daniel Plimpton, Renée Reid, Allysa Shorte and Caitlin Stebelman.
The 2015 show, conceived by brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick as a paean to the creative process in a pastiche of Broadway’s greatest hits, received 10 Tony nominations. Christian Borle won his second Tony as Shakespeare, its only nod.
The brothers – one a songwriter, the other a screenwriter — teamed up on the music and lyrics, and British satirist John O’Farrell came aboard to collaborate with Karey on the clever book. Hailed by critics and fans alike, it ran for 742 performances.
Magnetic Matt Doyle commands the stage as the passionate but stubborn Nick, who is driven to out-write the Bard for his failing acting troupe. He shows his resentment in “God, I Hate Shakespeare.”
He’s so consumed by jealousy that he clashes with his insecure but very talented brother Nigel, who is the better wordsmith. He and Will Burton make a good pair, teaming in the rousing “Bottom’s Gonna Be on Top” Act 1 closer.
Doyle, Tony winner as Jamie in the 2022 “Company” revival, is a master of lightning-fast vocal stamina (Sondheim’s “I’m Not Getting Married Today”!), and with his soaring vocals, gets the audience on his side in the redemptive “To Thine Own Self.”
Burton is sweet as the sensitive, shy guy whose way with words wins over the heart of Portia, a Puritan. Elizabeth Teeter, in a welcome return to the Muny, is bright and bubbly as the poetry-obsessed young woman that rebels against her overbearing oppressive father Brother Jeremiah (her real-life dad, Lara Teeter). The couple blend beautifully in the heartfelt ballad “I Love the Way.”
With moves like Jagger, Jacob Dickey plays slick Will as a whirling dervish of preening rock ‘n roll excess. This showman’s got game, and swagger to spare – and is an arrogant buffoon.
New to the Muny stage, Dickey sure knows how to make an entrance, working every angle. The mega-watt “Will Power” encapsulates rock god cliches, a la “Spinal Tap,” and his unbridled ego shines through on “Hard to Be the Bard.”
Jen Cody is always a secret weapon and makes her ninth Muny show memorable, stealing every scene as genre-bending Nostradamus. With her crisp and snappy delivery, her visions of the future were a hoot, quickly endearing herself.
Fun Fact: Cody won an Annie Award (animated films) for voicing the flamboyant Southern belle Charlotte “Lottie” La Bouff in “The Princess and the Frog” in 2009.
Bryonha Marie, a Muny standout as Dolores in “Sister Act” and Mother Abbess in “The Sound of Music,” is fierce and fun-loving as Bea, an early feminist married to Nick. She wants to help support her family, and takes odd jobs disguised as a guy, best expressed in “Right Hand Man.” She and Doyle are a pleasing pair.
With such quick-witted pros as Lara Teeter as Brother Jeremiah, the priggish fire-and-brimstone Puritan preacher; Adam Heller as producer wannabe Shylock; and Gary Glasgow as wealthy patron Lord Clapham, they’re a force field of fun. Their timing is impeccable and their presence cheerful.
Director Rob Ruggiero, the winningest director in St. Louis Theater Circle Awards history (3), leans into the zany. His Muny collaborations on grand-scale musicals are always distinctive, bringing out the best in cast and crew alike.
The creative team is in absurd overdrive – costume designer DW adds visual gags to the vibrant costumes, based on originals by Gregg Barnes; new video designer Camilla Tassi has fun with Broadway marquees and those plentiful eggs, and lighting designer Rob Denton illuminates it all with verve. Sound designer Joshua Hummel and wig designer J. Jared Janas added to the playful ambience.
Scenic designer Edward E. Haynes Jr., back for his 10th show, created a colorful canvas transporting us to 16th century London and Stratford-upon-Avon with striking rotating and expansive Tudor and Elizabethan architecture.
Choreographer Parker Esse’s vivacious storytelling is a master class of fluid, upbeat motion, with associate choreographer Justin Prescott ensuring seamless moves from one high-spirited number to the next. Here for her third show, music director Anne Shuttlesworth is a marvelous maestro in motion, a beat poet with a baton.
Another fun fact: The 2015 show, previously on national tour here at the Fox Theatre in 2017, starred Muny favorite Rob McClure as Nick Bottom, and his real-life wife Maggie Lakis, as Bea.
Surely even the grumpiest, most cynical theatergoer will find something to smile about, for laughs were in abundance from start to finish in this well-cast, well-staged show.
With zippy wordplay, sterling comic timing and vivacious musical numbers, the Muny has delivered another love letter to this cherished art form. “Something Rotten!” is a refreshing tonic, something silly and summer-y to savor when we’ll be in the throes of the winter blues! Until we meet again, thanks for the memories.
The Muny presents Something Rotten August 17 – 23 at 8:15 pm. Performances take place on the Muny’s outdoor stage in Forest Park. For more information: muny.org.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
