Submission
The must-see musical event of the summer is next week’s southern New Hampshire premiere of the Broadway smash hit “Something Rotten!” The Broadway production was lauded by audience members and critics alike, receiving 10 Tony Award nominations and hailed by Time Out New York as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years.”
Ovation Theatre Company, who packed the Londonderry Town Common for Mamma Mia! last July, brings this summer’s wildly comedic, dance-packed spectacle indoors to the Derry Opera House.
Welcome to the Renaissance and the outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce, Something Rotten!
Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.
Both fans of Shakespeare and those less enthused by him will delight in his over-the-top portrayal and the many references, both reverent and irreverent, to his works. Adam Furgal, who brings the bard to life on stage, loves that “from heart-touching tender moments to crying from laughter at the drop of a hat, there is something to be enjoyed at every twist and turn. It is an absolute blast to work on this hysterical material and make Shakespeare the rock star that he is with such a talented and well-rounded team.”
Musical theatre enthusiasts will enjoy spotting the countless references in the lyrics, text, song and dance of Something Rotten! to popular musicals such as Hamilton, Chicago, Les Misérables, and many more. Choreographers Katy Gore and Adam Furgal have interwoven iconic dance moves from at least 30 different musicals and challenge you to find as many as you can. Gore describes it as “a laugh-till-your-sides-hurt kind of show from beginning to end with something for everyone. The choreography draws inspiration from everything from both classic and modern musical theatre to 70s pop and even old-school boy bands. It has been a dream show of mine to choreograph for years, and it has been the most joyful experience watching this phenomenally talented cast bring my vision to life.”
Something Rotten! features an accomplished cast of actors ages 15-55 drawn from all over southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. The creative team is Director Meg Gore, Music Director Sarah Herron, Choreographers Katy Gore and Adam Furgal, Stage Manager Tim Gore and Assistant Stage Managers Avenley Allen, Audrey Labbe, Abby Parnell and Elizabeth Sosa.
The cast includes Ava Amaro, Alyssa Beaulieu, Betsy Brown, Jennifer Brown, Chloe Ferraro, Dan Gore, Katy Gore, Aidan McKivergan, Justin Millis, Madeline Rolfe, Joseph Smith, Maddie Tufts, Mason Turek and Randy Williams of Londonderry; Ella Burroughs, Emma Cate, Evelyn Morin, Landon Sprague, Zoe Sternberg and Jonathan
Uber of Hampstead; Ryan Carrigan, Tony Gallo and Bryn Steinmetz of Derry; Debrah Hernandez of Chester, Adam Furgal of Auburn, Cailean Anderson and Samantha Weis of Hudson, Seanna Kelly and Ezra Sherwood of Manchester, Max Von Markgraf of Merrimack, Cecily Schultz of Epsom and Emma Barnaby, Jonna Barnaby and Zac Barnaby of Pepperell, Mass.
“Something Rotten!” will be presented on Friday, July 22, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 23 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Derry Opera House, 29 West Broadway, Derry. Tickets are $20 through July 15 and $25 beginning July 16 and are on sale at ovationtc.com.