When you have weeks of Pittsburgh gray skies and a barrage of political discussion, some silly humor giving
rise to a belly laugh will put that skip back into your day. That is just what happens
when you experience the creative and whimsical plot of this musical comedy, Something Rotten, which is part of the PNC Broadway Pittburgh series.
The show opens with the energetic
contemporary song, "Welcome to the Renaissance" where
everything is new. Nick sings, “God, I Hate Shakespeare" in part due to his jealously of the insanely
popular Shakespeare who emulates a rock star in the play. Nick then seeks out a
Soothsayer, Nostradamus, who advises him that the next big thing in theater will be a play with singing and dancing -a Musical. He sings, It's A Musical, explaining that this new theater has sporadic song and dance aiming to just entertain the audience giving them a reprieve from deep thought. (It's A Musical- words)
The play uses amusing adult innuendos (just like the donkey
in Shrek). The costumes that accent the male anatomy, are stand alone hilarious. Then when you add Nostradamus’ advice that Shakespeare’s
next big hit will be “Omelet” and when the brothers write a musical with the big
number called, “Make an Omelet,” and it has tap dancing eggs, you get a mixture of
hysterical entertainment.
Like any musical there is a little boy meets a girl and falls in love action when Nigel falls for the Puritan leaders daughter's, Portia. Also, Nick's wife sings "Let Me Be Your Right Hand Man" as she offers to get a job to support the family during their financial slump. She dresses as man and asks, "why are all the good jobs for men?"
This is one play you can’t really explain. The songs are catchy. The music is contemporary. The energy high with a lot of sharp tap dancing and the costumes are fun. It’s an ingenious idea about the birth of a musical during the Renaissance which means “rebirth”.
This is one play you can’t really explain. The songs are catchy. The music is contemporary. The energy high with a lot of sharp tap dancing and the costumes are fun. It’s an ingenious idea about the birth of a musical during the Renaissance which means “rebirth”.
I loved the wit of this
play. Something Rotten will give you the joyful comic relief needed to put a skip back into
your day. Isn’t that what musicals should do?
Something Rotten runs from
January 31 through February 5th at Benadum Center.( See Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for PNC Broadway Pittsburgh shows and more shows to come) (see US Tour schedule)
Spiritual Source
And Nehemiah continued,"Go and celebrate with a feast of choice food and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!" (Nehemiah 8:10)
Other Sources:
Pittsburgh Broadway https://trustarts.org/production/48832/something-rotten
It’s a Musical https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-KPsAv7wlY
Welcome to the Renaissance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD5GWehrrvg