Over the past few years, the musical “Something Rotten!” has been produced at several Bay Area theaters, yet the one now onstage at Woodside Musical Theatre in Woodside is the best one this reviewer has ever seen. None of the actors can boast professional credits, but they have something wonderful that an Equity card can’t guarantee. Like those Damn Yankees, this company has plenty of heart!
“Something Rotten!” opened on Broadway in 2015 and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including “Best Musical.” The story line is interesting and cute, but it’s the inspired music and lyrics that has had audiences rolling in the aisles, then and now.
As the Minstrel, Qian Zhang opens Act 1 impressively, playing the mandolin and singing “Welcome to the Renaissance!” in a strong, clear voice.
Set in 1595, the story follows two brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, who are struggling to find success in the theatrical world as they compete with the wild popularity of their contemporary, William Shakespeare.
One of the many running jokes involves Nick Bottom (a versatile Tyler Savin) consulting a soothsayer to try and get an idea for a play. The soothsayer, Thomas Nostradamus, is the foolish nephew of the famous Nostradamus. He’s not so foolish though, that he isn’t happy to take Nick’s money and give it a shot.
To get the money, Nick is so desperate for a patron that he secretly accepts backing from Shylock (a persuasive Lisa Hane), of all people.
As played by William Rhea, Nostradamus is an amusing bigger-than-life character. He conjures up ideas about “eggs,” “Danish” and “ham” to conclude that Nick should write a play called “Omelette,” about a Danish prince, of course. (That’s a groaner, but it gets a laugh.)
Audience members needn’t be theater experts to appreciate the cleverness in “Rotten’s” lines. Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell’s book includes numerous references to some of the most well-known musical productions of the last 50 years. Listen carefully to hear lines that mention “Cabaret,” “The Sound of Music” (“How Do You Solve a Problem like Ophelia?”), “Les Mis,” “Annie,” “Chicago” and “A Chorus Line.”
Funniest of all is the send up of “Cats!” Watch for it .
There’s so much to absorb in the topsy-turvy storyline that all theatergoers can do is sit tight in their seats and go along for the ride. For example: You want tap numbers? Oh, yes, they are here aplenty! How about Ziegfeld Follies cuties with gigantic feather fans? Yep.
Other standouts in the cast include Adam Weaver as Nick’s uptight brother, Nigel; Alexander Reyes as the devilishly handsome and devious William Shakespeare; and Mia Helene Faillace as Nick’s love interest, Portia.
Running about two hours with one intermission, “Something Rotten!” has many things to entice, thrill and give an audience the giggles.
“Something Rotten!” plays at the Performing Arts Center on the campus of Woodside High School thorugh October 17, 2026. For further information, click here.
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Rating: ***1/2 (For an explanation of TheaterStorm’s rating system, click here.)
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“Something Rotten!” by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick. Music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Produced by Woodside Musical Theatre. Director: Nicole Tung. Music Director: Sarah Green. Choreographer: Samantha Ayoob. Vocal Director: Sara Rangel-Murphy. Technical Director: Donald Coluzzi. Costume Design: Greet Jaspaert. Production Stage Manager: Nancy Fitzgerald-Metzler. Properties: Donna Losey. Box Office Manager/Producer: Michelle Ayoob. Usher Manager/Coordinator: Karen Peterson. Fly/Vortec Operator: Fletcher Johnson. Follow spot: Darrell Batchelder, Bob Sawyer, Jack Rosen.
Cast:
Nick Bottom: Tyler Savin. Nigel Bottom: Adam Weaver. Shakespeare: Alex Reyes. Bea: Illeana Yanez-Pastor. Portia: Mia Faillace. Nostradamus: William Rhea. Shylock: Lisa Hane. Minstrel: Qian Zhang. Lady Chapman: Ayanna Brewer. Brother Jeremiah: John Price. Ensemble: Macen Adams, Evelyn Chan, Alyson Chilton, Javier DeGuzman, Kristin Hill, Alix Josefski, Bridgette Martin, Aaron McMurrian, Ron Munekawa, Joe Murphy, Taylor Navas, Emma Roth, Shauna Sapper, Genevieve Schmidt, Ralph Shehayed, Chava Suarez, Miriam Stern, Sarah Szeibel, Natalie Turturro, Sione Unga, Tessalou Valera.
Orchestra:
Music Director: Sarah Green. Keyboards: Sean Green, Rick Reynolds, Kevin Dong, Andy Switky. Reeds: Ron Bowman. Trumpet: Jeff Worrall. Guitars: Dylan Escudero, Ed Riegelsberger. Bass: Andrew Lawrence. Drums: Christine Lovejoy.
