Theatre Review: 'Something Rotten'

Something Rotten is a Must-See Musical Comedy at BayWay Arts Center

By Cindi Sansone-Braff

Photos Lisa Schindler

Studio Theatre’s Bayway Arts Center kicks off its third season with the Long Island Regional Premiere of the Broadway smash-hit Something Rotten.  If you liked Spamalot, Urinetown, and The Producers, you will love this bawdy musical comedy.

Something Rotten at Studio Theatre’s Byway Arts CenterSomething Rotten, created by Grammy-award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick and accomplished screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, received a whopping 10 Tony-award nominations in 2015. This uproarious musical lampoons Broadway musicals and classic theatre. There are allusions to at least 20 other Broadway scores, with many references to the Shakespearean canon thrown in the mix to keep audiences on their toes!

Set in England during the 1590s, Something Rotten features a large cast of over-the-top wacky characters starting with the fraternal playwriting team, Nick and Nigel Bottom. They are about to lose their patronage unless they come up with a smash hit. The main obstacle blocking their success is the Renaissance superstar, Shakespeare, who is stealing everyone else’s thunder. Desperate for answers, Nick consults a soothsayer, Thomas Nostradamus, hoping to discover the next big thing in theatre. The clairvoyant predicts that “musicals” will be all the rage in the future, and the brothers set out to write one.

Something Rotten at Studio Theatre’s Bayway Arts CenterSteven Cottonaro is most convincing as Nick, a frustrated and penniless playwright. His animosity toward the Bard is glaringly apparent from the show’s start when he belts out the song, “God, I Hate Shakespeare.” Bea, his long-suffering wife, portrayed to perfection by the very talented TracyLynn Conner, is a woman ahead of her time. She wants to work but has to pretend to be a man to do so. Ms. Conner gave a powerful rendition of “Right Hand Man,” a heartfelt plea to her husband to allow her to help him in his time of need. Ms. Conner also served as the vocal director of this production. Under her astute direction, the talented singers and the entire ensemble hit all the right notes and delivered their songs with passion and boundless energy. Ms. Conner is one of my favorite performers, and I was blessed to have her star in my romantic comedy, Angel’s Mice and Men, in 2019 at the Hudson Guild Theater in New York City.

F.M. Grossman revealed his comedic genius portraying the part of Thomas Nostradamus, the renowned seer’s nephew. One of the funniest numbers in the show was “A Musical,” and Mr. Grossman’s noteworthy performance had the audience in stitches.

C.J. Russo gave a stellar performance as Nigel, a passionate man who loves poetry. He falls in love with Portia, masterfully played by Jenna Halvorsen. There was plenty of onstage chemistry between Nigel and Portia, and they aced their duet “I Love the Way.” Ms. Halvorsen is a rising star. She has an angelic voice, exceptional acting skills, and a charismatic stage presence. Dennis Creighton was sheer perfection as Brother Jeremiah, Portia’s judgmental, Bible-toting, scripture-quoting father, who believes that all theater, music, and poetry is the work of the devil. In the fantasy song and dance number “We See the Light,” Mr. Creighton received some of the biggest laughs of the evening.

Something Rotten at Studio Theatre’s Bayway Arts CenterNick and Nigel’s nemesis, Shakespeare, wearing skintight leather pants, struts about the stage like a rock star. Kevin Russo rocked the part of Shakespeare, and he stole every scene he appeared in with his powerhouse vocals and hip gyrations. 

Londel Collier opened the show on a high note with his pitch-perfect rendition of “Welcome to the Renaissance.” Robert Budnick received belly laughs as the comic character Shylock, a Jewish money lender. Shylock lets the audience know that this is the only job he is allowed to do as a Jew, but his real passion is theater. Christopher Crosby demonstrated his expert comic timing in his dual roles, that of Lord Clapham, the patron of the theatre, and the Minister of Justice.

Nicole Ashlee Bianco’s ebullient choreography alone is worth the price of the ticket. The audience particularly loved the tap dance numbers. The authentic Elizabethan costumes and wigs by Joe Kassner added a touch of realism to this slapstick musical. Some of the costumes in the fantasy numbers were riotous, like the sunny-side-up egg and omelette outfits the ensemble donned during the high-energy song and dance number “Make An Omelette.”

Kudos to the top-notch ensemble, including Daniel Bishop, Londel Collier, Julia Durfee, Olivia Giorgio, Katelyn Harold, Thomas Higgins, Ashley Huber, Will Logan, Arianna McMorris, Kate Russo, Abby Semelsberger, Kaela Steinbrenner, Dominic Trivigno, Kiernan Urso, Michelle Vicale, and James Lombardi. In 2017, James was in my play Beethoven’s Promethean Concerto in C Minor Wo0 at the BACCA Arts Center in Lindenhurst. He was phenomenal in that production and this one as well!

Something Rotten is a massive production to stage, but BayWay has succeeded spectacularly. Brilliantly staged and directed by Rick Grossman, this production of Something Rotten is bursting with non-stop energy, breathtaking song and dance numbers, fabulous costumes, stellar acting, and an incredible live orchestra. You don’t want to miss this must-show which runs until July 24.

For ticket information, call the box office at 631-226-8400 or go to their website at: https://www.studiotheatrelongisland.com/purchase-tickets.

Cindi Sansone-Braff is an award-winning playwright. She has a B.F.A. in Theatre from UCONN and is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Long Island Authors Group. She is the author of Grant Me a Higher Love, Why Good People Can’t Leave Bad Relationships, and Confessions of a Reluctant Long Island Psychic. www.Grantmeahigherlove.com.