The time is Renaissance England, where two brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, are desperate to write a hit play. But how can they when the competition is the biggest star of the era, everyone's favorite bard: William Shakespeare? So they seek out the soothsayer Nostradamus. But not the Nostradamus, his nephew Thomas, who gives our heroes a completely original idea from the future - write a play with songs. And thus, the first ever musical is born. But not without much mayhem, madness, and musical mishaps. There is indeed Something Rotten! - and it will have audiences rolling in the aisles.
You could describe 'Something Rotten!' as 'Shakespeare in Love' meets 'Spamalot'...With all its showmanship and silliness, 'Something Rotten!' begins on an extremely promising note, sustains it throughout act one, and then falters in act two, where attempts are made to resolve the haywire plot...Even so, 'Something Rotten!' is a great deal of cartoonish fun, especially for musical theater fans who can appreciate the inside references...Its cheery songs are enjoyable and hummable...The cast is comprised of musical theater veterans who deliver larger-than-life performances. Borle is especially hilarious, portraying Shakespeare like a narcissistic rock star, and James gives a sympathetic turn in the leading role.
...Something Rotten! has established itself as Broadway's funniest, splashiest, slap-happiest musical comedy in at least 400 years...tremendous care and showbiz savvy have gone into making a sophisticatedly silly rom-com that has it all: laugh-out-loud lyrics, catchy music, jaw-dropping sight gags and a powerhouse cast selling Bard-laced punch lines to the ecstatic balcony...the songs...are perfectly placed and deliver an escalating level of zaniness. Director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw...keeps it all spinning dizzily, imbuing the self-referential theatricality with sass and smarts. And what a cast. If you didn't already know what a smashing actor and singer Brian D'Arcy James is...here is a chance to see him carry a show with wit, fire and some impressive tap moves.
2015 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2017 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Christian Borle |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Brian d'Arcy James |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | John O'Farrell |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Karey Kirkpatrick |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Casey Nicholaw |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Casey Nicholaw |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Christian Borle |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Brad Oscar |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Wayne Kirkpatrick |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Karey Kirkpatrick |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Musical | Something Rotten! |
2015 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Larry Hochman |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Christian Borle |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Brian d'Arcy James |
2015 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | Something Rotten! |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Brian d'Arcy James |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Christian Borle |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Something Rotten! |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Casey Nicholaw |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Gregg Barnes |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Casey Nicholaw |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | John Cariani |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Heidi Blickenstaff |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design | Jeff Croiter |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | Something Rotten! |
2015 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design | Scott Pask |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Karey Kirkpatrick |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | John O'Farrell |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Casey Nicholaw |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Gregg Barnes |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Casey Nicholaw |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Timothy Laczynski |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Kyodo Tokyo Inc. |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Wendy Federman |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Barbara Freitag |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | LAMS Productions |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Winkler/DeSimone |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Kevin McCollum |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Jujamcyn Theaters |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | JAM Theatricals |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Robert Greenblatt |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Dan Markley |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Harris/Karmazin |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Morris Berchard |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Ronald Frankel |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Jerry Frankel |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Mastro/Goodman |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | CMC |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Broadway Global Ventures |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Something Rotten! |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Larry Hochman |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Karey Kirkpatrick |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Wayne Kirkpatrick |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Christian Borle |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Brad Oscar |
2015 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Brian d'Arcy James |
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