Blake Hammond News

In the best possible way, Something Rotten is a circular argument celebrating its own existence. It's a glorious, hilarious, tuneful tribute to that pinnacle of theatrical entertainment, the modern, mainstream American musical.

The completely original new musical Something Rotten!, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin), with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Wayne Kirkpatrick and Golden Globe Award and Tony Award nominee Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Tony Award nominees Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John O'Farrell, opens at Playhouse Square April 25 for a limited three week run.

SOMETHING ROTTEN! National Tour at Durham Performing Arts Center

Last Saturday I attended the Broadway tour of Once The Musical. I knew that they had won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2012, but I had never really looked into the show.  I had expected it to be not my favorite of the Broadway series at The Hanover Theatre, but I had been totally wrong. The music was mesmerizing, and the set was cleverly done. Before the show, they let the audience up on stage to buy their drinks from the bar in the pub set that they had created. Not only did that set double as a pub, but also a music store, a house, a Hoover repair shop and much more. Without large changes of sets, they created these different environments with tables, chairs, and a change of lighting. Sam Cieri and Mackenzie Lesser-Roy were strong leads as Guy and Girl followed by an equally strong cast of characters. The simple staging of the show made the small moments usually missed by the audience, more exposed and made the show more emotional. Kudos to Steven Hoggett, the movement director, for flawlessly using movement to move the show along in an eye catching way. Overall, it was a beautifully written and performed musical, that I would see again if I had the chance and would recommend to friends! 

I know that some critics will probably refer to Monty Python's Flying Circus or the work of Mel Brooks when they try to explain the appeal of SOMETHING ROTTEN!. There are some similarities to both, but the fact is, this show (book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell with Music and Lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick) is actually something uniquely original. Sure a lot of contemporary musicals have taken the opportunity to crack wise while parodying musical theatre tropes before, but never as thoroughly and hilariously. The current touring show at The Fox Theatre is just great fun, and I highly recommend that you attend!

The completely original new musical Something Rotten!, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin), with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Wayne Kirkpatrick and Golden Globe Award and Tony Award nominee Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Tony Award nominees Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John O'Farrell, launched its National Tour on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at the Boston Opera House. 

The completely original new musical Something Rotten!, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin), with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Wayne Kirkpatrick and Golden Globe Award and Tony Award nominee Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Tony Award nominees Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John O'Farrell, launched its National Tour on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at the Boston Opera House. See the cast in action below!

With nine Tony Award nominations under its belt, SOMETHING ROTTEN! closed on Broadway on January 1, 2017, and barely took a breather before hitting the road with three of its principal players reprising their roles. Director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw brings Rob McClure, Adam Pascal, and Josh Grisetti on the National Tour that launches in Boston at the Opera House.

The completely original new musical Something Rotten!, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin), with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Wayne Kirkpatrick and Golden Globe Award and Tony Award nominee Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Tony Award nominees Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John O'Farrell, launched its National Tour on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at the Boston Opera House. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening festivities below!

Something Rotten!, the ten-time Tony-Award nominated smash hit musical comedy, launches its national tour at the Boston Opera House tonight, January 17, through January 29, 2017, following a preview period at Proctors in Schenectady, NY.

Before we bid farewell to Something Rotten! BroadwayWorld has rounded up some of our favorite videos from its magical and hilarious run. Check them out below!

Producer Kevin McCollum  just announced casting for the National Tour of Something Rotten!, the ten-time Tony-Award nominated smash hit musical comedy. Three of the current Broadway principals will be reprising their roles on tour: Rob McClure as Nick Bottom, Adam Pascal as Shakespeare and Josh Grisetti as Nigel Bottom.

Producer Scott Rudin announced that, with the addition to the company of Beanie Feldstein, in the role of 'Minnie Fay,' principal casting is now complete for the upcoming Broadway revival of Michael Stewart (book) and Jerry Herman's (music and lyrics) Hello, Dolly!, starring the legendary Bette Midler. Directed by four-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winnerWarren Carlyle, Hello, Dolly! will begin performances at Broadway's Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street) on March 15, 2017, with an official opening night of April 20, 2017.

Producer Scott Rudin announced the much anticipated Broadway revival of Michael Stewart's (book) and Jerry Herman's (music and lyrics) masterpiece Hello, Dolly!, starring legendary performer Bette Midler. Directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, Hello, Dolly! will begin performances at Broadway's Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street) on March 15, 2017, with an official opening night of April 20, 2017.  Tickets go on sale, via Telecharge.com, tomorrow, Saturday, September 17, at 10:00 A.M. (EST).

Get ready to mash things up! In celebration of the opening night performance of IDAHO! THE COMEDY MUSICAL this Saturday, July 9, Mayor Carolyn Goodman has proclaimed July 9, 2016 "IDAHO! THE COMEDY MUSICAL DAY" in Las Vegas. A proclamation ceremony will take place in Symphony Park at 6 p.m. that evening, which is open to the public, and will be followed by the opening night performance at 7:30 p.m. in Reynolds Hall. The proclamation ceremony will take place in front of an epic 18-wheel, 6-ton Big Idaho Potato Truck, which will remain on display in Symphony Park through Tuesday, July 12. Tickets to this 'spudtacular' production are still available, and include admission to the Ida-Ho-Down after-party on Saturday night. For more information, please visit TheSmithCenter.com.

Celebrated for its roster of unparalleled musical theatre offerings, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts announces the complete cast for its debut of IDAHO! THE COMEDY MUSICAL, exclusively at Reynolds Hall this July. Written by Buddy Sheffield with music by Sheffield and Keith Thompson, preview performances will be held July 6 - 8, followed by the official opening night on July 9 and additional performances July 10 - 17. This limited engagement will offer patrons the rare opportunity to see the show as it is being developed.

Adorable, utterly romantic, and thoroughly winsome, this stage adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's CINDERELLA is, admittedly, a wonderful surprise---filled with dazzling stage ingenuity; a dreamy, sweeping classic score by two legendary titans of musical theater; a revised, 21st-Century-tinged new book by playwright Douglas Carter Beane; magical Tony Award-winning costumes from the great William Ivey Long that will have you wondering 'how'd they do that?' and, lastly, an ensemble cast of terrific actor-singers that will have you cheering its inevitable happy-ever-after. And, if you're anything like me, you too will be easily swept up by its visual and musical loveliness and its endearing, sweet love story.The Broadway musical's Equity National Tour---now in its last weeks---has finally winded itself back to So. Cal., this time for a two-week stay at Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through May 1, 2016 (the tour then moves on from here to its final scheduled week-long stop at San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre through May 8).

RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA, the 2013 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical from the creators of South Pacific and The Sound of Music, will play Segerstrom Center for the Arts for a limited engagement running April 19 - May 1, 2016.

Broadway sensation and the originator of the 'Marie/Fairy Godmother' role in Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA Victoria Clark visited the national tour of CINDERELLA in Toronto at the Ed Mirvish Theatre on Thursday, January 7, 2016. Scroll down for photos! 

On Tuesday night, RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA opened a week-long run at Orlando's Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Running through Sunday, I was fortunate enough to attend the tour stop's opening night, as was fellow BWW Orlando editor Kimberly Moy. As we did when we discussed THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, first show of the 2014-2015 Orlando Broadway Series, we had a back-and-forth conversation about CINDERELLA. While I tend to look at things from a more historical and critical point of view, Kim is an admitted fan girl.