Review: SOMETHING ROTTEN! at Santa Fe Playhouse

Welcome to the Renaissance!  Something Rotten!, Santa Fe Playhouse’s rollicking feel-good musical, is just the ticket we need for these dark ages.

Set un 1595 London, Something Rotten!, follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom’s (Dakotah Lopez and Christian Libonati) struggle to make a name for themselves as playwrights while living in the shadow of the renowned William Shakespeare (Jet Terry). Desperately hoping to somehow upstage and surpass Shakespeare, Nick seeks guidance from a Nostradamus (not the one you know, played by Travis Burge) who predicts that the future of theatre is the creation of the musical. The brothers then embark on creating the world's first musical, navigating the challenges of the theatrical world, romance, and religious conflict along the way. 

The first thing the audience will notice when entering the theater is the pure perfection of the space for this show. The amazing painted walls and even a starry frescoed ceiling grace this beautiful space, which makes a perfect backdrop for Scenic Designer Daniel Hogan’s inventive set-  it truly looks like it came with the space and invokes the feeling of Shakespeare’s original Globe Theater; the multiple levels and thrust configuration were both excellent choices for this large cast.

Once the lights go down and the show begins, the audience will be transported back in time, being carried along by an incredibly strong ensemble and fully realized lead characters. It’s so refreshing to see truly professional musicals being done in Santa Fe, and this is one of the strongest I have seen in 30+ years here.

Standout moments include the wonderful (and hilarious) number “It’s a Musical”, where Nostradamus shows Nick the vision of what the future holds for theater. While I won’t reveal Nick’s vision for the subject of the world’s first musical, let’s just say it will have you and the rest of the audience cracking up. Lopez is the backbone of this show and does an incredible job of keeping energy high, amid strong vocals and a powerful performance. Caiti Lord plays Bea, Nick’s long-suffering wife, with strength and heart. Christian Libonati is endearing and offers great comic relief as younger brother Nigel.

The ensemble reaches a fever pitch at the appearance of Shakespeare, and rightfully so, as Jet Terry fully commands the stage and captures the same goofy, wannabe rock star feel of the original production (for which Christian Borle won the Tony). Special kudos to Travis Burge as well, who has the task of not one, but two roles; as Nostradamus, he’s mystical and wacky, as Brother Jeremiah, head of the Puritans, he is spiritual and, also, wacky, with so many quick changes you might get whiplash.

More praise for the choreography of Laura Orozco Garrett, who makes great use of the entire space and gives each character their own signature style. Many of the cast learned tap just for this show, but are out there hoofing it like they’re seasoned pros.

Finally, sound and lights – two things that sometimes give me pause. The lighting design by Zac Goin is lush and rich, the stage is flooded with color and beauty thanks to this design. The sound, which can be problematic when singing to tracks, was almost perfectly balanced throughout, capturing the crisp diction of both the dialog and song – great work by designer Gregory J. Fields and his team.

Finally, big applause to Anna Hogan, not only the director of this production but the Producing Artistic Director for the Playhouse. She has been a breath of fresh air to the Santa Fe theater scene, bringing a wonderful balance of crowd pleasers like this and more obscure and local work; the Playhouse is truly emerging as the leader and bar setter for theater in New Mexico.