As someone who has spent years studying and watching musical theater, I can say that Something Rotten! is like one giant inside joke for the theater crowd, particularly those with a penchant for William Shakespeare.
Playhouse on the Square’s production of Something Rotten! is the perfect show for anyone who loves musical theater, but don’t worry, even if the multitude of theater references are flying over your head, you’ll still enjoy it. When I speak to director/choreographer Whitney Branan over the phone, she reassures me, “If you are somebody who is not a musical theater or a Shakespeare — I say this term with pride because I am one — nerd, you will still have the best night at the theater because it is hilarious.”
Something Rotten! takes place in the year 1595 during the English renaissance. Two brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, are struggling playwrights living in the shadow of the illustrious Shakespeare. Nick Bottom’s ill-fated plan to enlist a soothsayer to show him the future of theater ends up with him trying desperately to figure out how to pull off a full-scale musical without knowing quite exactly what that is. As Branan puts it, “It is the story of seeing these renaissance theater troupe members try to create this new art form from kind of hints from the future, and it goes terribly wrong.”
And so the Bottom brothers are pitted against Shakespeare, who Branan describes as “the rockstar of the day.” William Shakespeare is hilariously portrayed as a man whose fame has gone completely to his head, resulting in a sort of egocentric machismo that makes fun of itself more and more as the show unfolds.
Rife with pop culture and theater Easter eggs, the show’s musical numbers are all delightfully tongue-in-cheek. The ensemble cast truly shows their comedic chops in this play, as the dances themselves are often an additional layer in the ongoing musical-within-a-musical joke. The characters even poke fun — multiple times — at iambic pentameter, using modern slang and completely ignoring their Elizabethan setting.
According to Branan, “The concept of the show is really cool because it is set in Shakespeare’s world, but it has this anachronism aesthetic to it.” That aesthetic is a huge part of what makes the show inherently funny, but the performances are what really drive the humor home. Comedy is the force behind this musical, and it’s also where the company shines the most. I laughed out loud throughout the production.
Something Rotten! was originally slated to be performed at Playhouse during 2020 but was rescheduled multiple times due to the pandemic. The production that came out of that long interim was absolutely worth the wait. Branan took every opportunity to brag on both her cast and production crew. “The dancers that were originally cast in this show spent the pandemic upping their game,” she said explaining that some of the actors used the two-year wait as added time to perfect their tap dancing skills.
One of my favorite things about this specific production of Something Rotten! is that Memphis theater in particular receives nods throughout the show. Branan shares that she did this with great intention, even reaching out to Christi Hall, the choreographer of Guys and Dolls which opened at Theatre Memphis on the same night as Something Rotten!
There are two eight counts of choreography from Guys and Dolls that make a “special cameo appearance” in Something Rotten! Memphis theater regulars will also spot allusions to Playhouse favorites such Little Shop of Horrors and Kinky Boots. For a show that persevered through two years of Covid-19 delays, there is a kind of added affection attached. Branan puts it beautifully: “The show is a valentine to Shakespeare, it’s a valentine to theater, it’s a valentine to musical theater, but our work that we’ve done for a couple of years on this show is a valentine to the Memphis theater community.”
If you are a theater-loving Memphian, don’t let this opportunity to show your appreciation to local artists pass you by. It’s not every day that you can see a Broadway musical that has been specially personalized to fit your community.
Something Rotten! runs through September 18th at Playhouse on the Square.