HERE’S SOMETHING
DECIDEDLY NOT ROTTEN

A lively, joy-filled production wins over
even the most reluctant musicalgoer

I was not looking forward to Something Rotten. I’m not big into Shakespeare (gasp, sorry), and my taste in musicals is more Sondheim than shtick. A cousin who is half my age and au courant with new musicals (this being one of her favorites) insisted I would love it, so dubiously I went with her last night to the always intimate and stellar Lyric Stage Company of Boston. By the first few bars I had changed my tune, and a fraction of the way through the perfectly constructed and executed opening number “Welcome to the Renaissance,” I was dancing in my seat, enthralled and all in.

Credit to the writers for creating a well-structured show whose shtick rarely eclipses its cleverness and panache–music and lyrics by brothers Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, the latter co-writing the book with John O’Farrell. Director Ilana Ransom Toeplitz lets the cast have fun with the material’s inherent silliness and hammy nature while still grounding us in the world of the show as somewhere we want to live for a while, with real-feeling stakes for the characters.

The plot centers around two brothers (Nick and Nigel Bottom, played and sung beautifully by Ryan Mardesich and Ohad Ashkenazi) who are contemporaries of Shakespeare trying to create works that rival his. Attempting to cut Shakespeare off at the pass, Nick secretly enlists a soothsayer (the incredibly talented Joy Clark who steals the show and moves like magic) to reveal what the next big theatrical fad will be so he can create a sure-fire hit. Clark and the talented triple-threat ensemble delight us with the answer in one of the show’s best numbers “A Musical.” This gem along with the book, lyrics, and score (not to mention the evocative costumes and props thanks to Chloe Moore and Lauren Corcuera) give us countless easter eggs of theatre and musical references that we thespians will be treasuring and chewing on for days.

The Bard (played, sung and embodied with both vitality and cool ease by Jared Troilo) is the equivalent of a modern-day rock star, and yet so insecure that he must thwart the brothers’ attempts at every turn. Each brother has something important riding on their success, involving not only a “to thine own self be true” lesson, but also yearned-for futures with their significant others (excellently played and cast Kristian Espiritu and Lauren Dodds). Throwing up more roadblocks is the puritanical Brother Jeremiah (Kenny Kelleher) who devilishly steals each of his scenes with a creatively interpreted performance that you must experience in person to fully appreciate and enjoy.

As strong as each principal actor is, the entire ensemble wows us with the breadth of their talents, deftly coming in and out of multiple personas, costumes, tap shoes, choreography, and harmonies with what reads as effortlessness but is in fact clearly the product of an incredible amount of work. A special shout-out to Indijhan Richard who may have the most variety of roles and material, all executed with aplomb.

Each production element supports this successful creation, particularly the lighting design by Bretton Reis and choreography by Christopher Shin. The superb orchestra (directed and led by Katya Stanislavskaya, sound design Alex Berg) is just one more reason to see the show.

To top it all off, it is apparent that the cast themselves are having a delightful time (not only with the material, but with vibing off each other), which only serves to heighten our enjoyment. As Ransom Toeplitz proudly offers in her Director’s Note, “What if laughter is essential? What if joy is actually a form of rebellion?” Take it from a former Something Rotten skeptic and go find out for yourself.

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photos by Nile Hawver

Something Rotten!
Lyric Stage Company of Boston
140 Clarendon Street
two and a half hours with intermission
ends on June 7, 2026
for tickets, call 617.585.5678 or visit Lyric Stage

for more shows, visit Theatre in Boston

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