Hilarity, mayhem and jazz hands are part of “Something Rotten!” at Richmond Civic Theatre.
The comedy, rated PG-13, opens May 9 and ends May 18.
Theater staff say William Shakespeare is London’s hottest playwright, much to the chagrin of his unsuccessful rival, Nick Bottom.
With his marriage and career in jeopardy, Nick needs his next play to succeed, so he pays the Soothsayer Nostradamus to predict theater’s next big trend.
Nostradamus says theater will involve tap dancing, powerful singing and jazz hands, so Nick and his brother Nigel begin writing the world’s first musical.
But the brothers soon disagree and wonder if they should follow Nostradamus’ prediction as closely as possible or stay true to their own artistic impulses.
When Nigel falls in love with Portia (a young Puritan) and Shakespeare himself tries to steal the Bottoms’ ideas, hilarity ensues.
The show is approximately 155 minutes, including intermission.
Participants
Cast: Nathaniel Arnett, Marty Hancock, Bart Teeters, Hollie Caskey, Chloe Waddle, Steve Lakes, Eric Swango, Matthew Socey, Mark Edwards, Michael Ward, Duane Coddington, Dustin Summan, Derek Summan, Devin Summan, Brady Day, Chastity Hinshaw, Kathie Zaleski, Emma Day, Whitney Kaehr, Erica Kretchman, Cassidy Ballin, Julie Pickett, Tammy Austin, Sage La’ren, Lis Deitsch, Jessica Richert, Nick Shank, Chuck Gilbert
Production team: Becky Jewison, Trudi Weyerman, Regina Branagin, Traci McCollum, Shelley Wambo, Kari Harrington, Kim Dearing, N. Ruth Brown, Cindy Perez, Ann McLarnan, John Faas, Sherri Vincent, Brennyn Bailey, Mickey White, Rick Funk, Aaron Clarke
Crew: Penny Smoker, Phil Baisley, Marty Hoelscher, Ben Sexton, Jenna Larson, Brennyn Bailey, Tony Wagner, Emily Croucher, Aaron Clarke, Julie Pickett, Whitney Kaehr, Autumn Fecher, Angi Wilson, Chelsy Jordan, Samantha Manlove, Susan Arnett, Trish Sheridan, Beth Van Der Burgt, Phil Kaler, Amy Jellison, Gianna Pollitt, Julie Jeffers, Gene Creviston, Nicole Andreas, Peyton Bain, Amanda Stuckey, Alessandro Santiago, Jenny Thornburg, Cindy Perez, Ron Blandford, Mickey White
Orchestra: Trudi Weyerman, Jenny Williams, Genevieve Baird, Kameron Richert, Sajen Hernandez
If you go
What: “Something Rotten!” comedy
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays (May 9-11 and 16-18) and 2 p.m. Sundays (May 12 and 19)
Where: Richmond Civic Theatre, 1003 E. Main St., Richmond
Cost: Upper balcony, $10; adults, $20; students/seniors 65-plus, $17. Show day, $2/$1 more.
Tickets: At gorct.org, 765-962-1816 or at box office (11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, or one hour before shows).
Bands, cast needed for ‘Rock of Ages’
Richmond Civic Theatre is seeking musicians 17 and older to perform 1980s rock in the musical “Rock of Ages.”
Band auditions are 2-4 p.m. May 11 and 5-7 p.m. May 18 at RCT’s annex behind the theater at 1003 E. Main St., Richmond.
Cast auditions to evaluate singing and dancing are 2-4 p.m. May 18 and 6-8 p.m. May 19 in the annex. Script readings will be at callbacks.
Online auditions are accepted for both groups; more information is available at ryan.shaw@gorct.org.
Shows will be Aug. 8-11 and 15-19.
A version of this article appeared in the May 8 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.