Something Rotten! is a musical comedy with a book by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find success in the theatrical world as they compete with the wild popularity of their contemporary William Shakespeare.
Something Rotten! opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on April 22, 2015, where it played for 708 performances. It was nominated for ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and won one for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Christian Borle). Tours and international productions have followed.
Background The musical began with an idea that brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick had had since the 1990s. They finally joined with John O'Farrell to write several songs and presented those songs and a treatment to the producer Kevin McCollum in 2010. The team then joined with Casey Nicholaw, who brought in several of the actors, resulting in the workshop in 2014.
Something Rotten! was expected to have a pre-Broadway tryout at the 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle, Washington, in April 2015. However, when a Broadway theatre became available, Kevin McCollum decided to open the show without the Seattle tryout. "David Armstrong, artistic director of 5th Avenue Theater, said ... that after the positive buzz surrounding the musical's workshop in October , he and Mr. McCollum began discussing the possibility of the show bypassing Seattle in favor of Broadway."Healy, Patrick. " 'Something Rotten!' to Skip Seattle Premiere and Debut on Broadway in March", The New York Times, December 16, 2014. The developmental lab took place in New York City in October 2014 with Casey Nicholaw as director and choreographer.
Productions
Broadway (2015–2017) Something Rotten! began previews on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on March 23, 2015, and officially opened on April 22, starring Christian Borle as William Shakespeare, Brian d'Arcy James as Nick Bottom, John Cariani as Nigel Bottom, Heidi Blickenstaff as Bea Bottom and Brad Oscar as Thomas Nostradamus. It was directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, with the sets designed by Scott Pask, costumes by Gregg Barnes and lighting by Jeff Croiter. The production closed on January 1, 2017 after 742 performances.Gans, Andrew. " Something Rotten! Closes on Broadway January 1" Playbill, January 1, 2017. It was nominated for ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and won one (for Borle as Best Featured Actor in a Musical).
US national tours (2017–2019)
The show launched a US national tour with previews at Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, New York on January 10, 2017, before officially opening at the Boston Opera House on January 17. The tour cast featured Rob McClure (Nick Bottom), Adam Pascal (Shakespeare) and Josh Grisetti (Nigel Bottom).
The show also launched a Non-Equity national tour beginning on September 19, 2018 at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts in Columbus, Georgia. The tour starred Matthew Janisse (Nick Bottom), Matthew Baker (Shakespeare), and Richard Spitaletta (Nigel Bottom) and was staged by Steve Bebout (associate director of the original Broadway production).Gans, Andrew. " Something Rotten! National Tour Begins September 19" Playbill, September 19, 2018 In June 2019, the show played a short run of June 9–30 at the Chungmu Art Center Grand Theater in Seoul, South Korea, marking the final destination on the tour.Lee, Jimin. "BWW Review: Something Rotten! at Chungmu Art Center Grand Theater, 'It's Eggs!'", Broadwayworld.com, June 24, 2019
International productions A Swedish-language production ran from November 8, 2018 to March 3, 2019 at the Wermland Opera in Karlstad, Sweden, directed by Markus Virta. The translation was by Calle Norlén. A South Korean production in Korean played in late 2020, at the Chungmu Art Center Grand Theater, though some of the performances were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Mee-yoo, Kwon. "COVID-19 stuns struggling theater industry", Korea Times, August 25, 2020 A Czech-language production played from June 19 to 23, 2021, from September 2021 to June 2022, and on May 22, 2023,Listing of performances at J. K. Tyl Theatre, May 2023, Other Stages at Nová Scéna, produced by J. K. Tyl Theatre, in Plzeň, Czech Republic. The translation was by Pavel Bár and the director, Lumír Olšovský."Something Rotten: Wayne Kirkpatrick", Operabase. Retrieved September 2, 2024
Another production in Swedish ran at Åbo Svenska Teater in Turku, Finland during the 2023–2024 season. A production in Germany played from November 7, 2023 to January 14, 2024, at The English Theatre Frankfurt, directed and choreographed by Ewan Jones. An Austrian production, the first German-language production of "Something Rotten!" (the earlier production in Frankfurt, Germany was in English), premiered on November 16, 2024, at the Landestheater Linz with Gernot Romic as Nick Bottom and Christian Fröhlich as Shakespeare. The production swapped the sexes of several minor characters: Lord Clapham was Lady Clapham (Alexandra-Yoana Alexandrova) and Nostradamus was Nancy Nostradamus (Daniela Dett).
Stratford Festival (2024) A production at the Canadian Stratford Festival began previews on April 16, 2024, and opened on May 28 at the Festival Theatre, directed by Donna Feore. The production closed in November 2024."Something Rotten!: Stratford Festival", Playbill. Retrieved November 21, 2024 The production was revived for the 2026 season at the Festival Theatre with Feore again directing and choreographing.""The Stratford Festival announces Antoni Cimolino’s final season as Artistic Director", Stratford Festival, August 12, 2025
West End concert (2024) A concert staging played at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London's West End on August 5 and 6, 2024. Jason Manford starred as Nick opposite Richard Fleeshman as the Bard, Gary Wilmot as Nigel, Evelyn Hoskins as Portia and Marisha Wallace as Bea. It was directed by Tim Jackson.Wild, Stephi. Jason Manford Will Lead Something Rotten! Concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, BroadwayWorld.com, May 1, 2024Wiegand, Chris. "Something Rotten! is a riotous Shakespeare musical ripe for the West End", The Guardian, August 6, 2024
Manchester (2026) A production at the Manchester Opera House runs from 16 June to 19 July 2026, with Manford, Fleeshman and Wallace reprising their concert roles, Cassian Hackforth as Nigel, Carla Dixon-Hernandez as Portia and Jackson returning as director.Molyneux, Hannah. "Review: Something Rotten! at Opera House Manchester", Northern Arts Review, June 25, 2026
Synopsis
Act I The Minstrel welcomes everyone ("Welcome to the Renaissance"). Nick Bottom runs a theatre troupe with his brother Nigel. They are rehearsing their upcoming play, Richard II, when Lord Clapham, a patron of the troupe, announces that Shakespeare is doing Richard II. The news outrages Nick, as Shakespeare has already done Richard III, and the thought of going backwards seems absurd to him. Lord Clapham tells the brothers he is stopping their funds unless they have another play by the next morning, sending Nick into a rant: "God, I Hate Shakespeare".
On the way home, Nick encounters Shylock the Jew who wants to help fund the troupe, but Nick rejects this as it is illegal to employ a Jew. Nick and his wife Bea are saving for a better life, and when Nick tries to open the Money Box, Bea pulls it away, instead offering to help them by working, but Nick is adamant ("Right Hand Man"). Despite Nick's arguments, Bea goes out to do jobs that Nick claims are for men. Nick reveals that he hates Shakespeare because he is jealous of Shakespeare's success ("God, I Hate Shakespeare" (reprise)). He seeks a way to top Shakespeare and steals from the Money Box to see a soothsayer named Thomas Nostradamus (the nephew of Nostradamus). Nick asks him what the next big thing in theatre will be, and Nostradamus says that it will be "a musical", where the speaking stops, and the story is told through songs. Nick finds this ridiculous but quickly warms up to the idea ("A Musical").
Nigel has just met Portia, the daughter of Brother Jeremiah, and they immediately fall in love. Nick tells him that he shouldn't pursue her because she is a Puritan. Nick soon tells Nigel about the musical idea but does not tell him about seeing Nostradamus. Nigel wants to musicalize "The Brothers from Cornwall", the story of how they came to England, but Nick says it has to be bigger and decides to adapt the Black Death. The troupe performs a song for Lord Clapham ("The Black Death"). Lord Clapham is disgusted and deserts the troupe, and Brother Jeremiah threatens to have Nick executed if he continues with his work.
Nigel tries to write a new play. Portia sneaks out to see him; they discover that they both love poetry ("I Love the Way"). Nigel tells Portia he sent one of his sonnets to Shakespeare for feedback. A messenger arrives with an invitation for Nigel to attend Shakespeare in the Park and an after-party. Nigel takes Portia as his "plus one", and they watch Shakespeare perform ("Will Power").
Bea tells Nick she's pregnant, and he is ecstatic, yet also worried. Shylock also has an invitation to the after-party and tells Nick that Nigel is attending it. Furious at Nigel, Nick goes to the party to tell him off. There, Portia gets drunk, and Shakespeare asks to read Nigel's journal of poems and writings. Nick chastises Shakespeare for trying to steal Nigel's ideas and reprimands Nigel for his naiveté. Brother Jeremiah arrives to find a drunk Portia and once again admonishes Nigel. Desperate and out of options, Nick agrees to let Shylock invest in his play.
Nick goes back to Nostradamus with the remaining money from the Money Box to ask what Shakespeare's new hit is going to be. Nostradamus sees Hamlet but misinterprets it as "Omelette" and sees the protagonist eating a danish pastry rather than being a Danish prince. Nick dreams of a future in which crowds cheer for him and Shakespeare bows down to him ("Bottom's Gonna Be on Top").
Act II The Minstrel notes the stresses that the Bottom brothers and Shakespeare face ("Welcome to the Renaissance" (reprise)). Shakespeare laments trying to write hits while managing his fame. A spy tells him that the brothers are trying to steal his upcoming hit. Shakespeare decides to disguise himself as "Toby Belch" and audition for the brothers' troupe to steal the play ("Hard to Be the Bard").
The troupe is rehearsing Omelette: The Musical ("It's Eggs!"). Shylock is their new investor, but they cannot find a title that would make his role legal. Some of the actors wonder why Nostradamus is at their theatre; Nick says that he is an actor. "Toby Belch" arrives and is hired. Shakespeare is surprised to learn that his next hit is supposed to be about eggs.
Nigel sneaks out to London Bridge to see Portia and reads her another poem about his love for her. Portia says that everyone will change their minds about their relationship when they hear Nigel's beautiful sonnets ("We See the Light"). Nigel is not happy with Omelette, believing it won't work. Brother Jeremiah interrupts the lovers and imprisons Portia in a tower for disobeying. Saddened, Nigel is inspired to write a different play that is revealed to be Hamlet. At the theatre, Nigel tells Nick about this, and Shakespeare realizes that this is his next hit and takes advantage of Nick and Nigel's argument to get it ("To Thine Own Self"). Nick is having qualms about Omelette as well but dismisses these doubts when he learns the musical is sold out. Shakespeare steals Nigel's hit under the guise of "improving it". Bea tells Nigel that they should trust Nick because they can always call on him if they need him ("Right Hand Man" (reprise)).