Video: Inside Rehearsals for SOMETHING ROTTEN at Lyric Stage

Lyric Stage has released rehearsal footage of SOMETHING ROTTEN, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell's hilarious musical comedy, now playing through June 7, 2026 in Boston.

Directed by Ilana Ransom Toeplitz with music direction by Katya Stanislavskaya and choreography by Christopher Shin, the show follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom as they attempt to unseat Renaissance rock star William Shakespeare by writing the world's very first musical. A misinformed soothsayer plants the seeds for this brilliant idea, setting off a history-twisting mash-up of 16th-century setting and 21st-century Broadway dazzle packed with outrageous characters and musical showstoppers.

Ryan Mardesich leads the cast as Nick Bottom, with Ohad Ashkenazi as Nigel Bottom and Jared Troilo as William Shakespeare. The cast also features Joy Clark as Nostradamus, KRISTIAN ESPIRITU as Bea, Lauren Dodds as Portia, Bobbie Steinbach as Shylock, and Kenneth Kelleher as Brother Jeremiah, with Jonah Barricklo, Temma Beaudreau, Danny Hernandez, Elliana Karris, Jennifer Preston, Indijhan Richard, and Colin Welter rounding out the ensemble.

The creative team includes Cameron McEachern (scenic design), Chloe Moore (costumes), Bretton Reis (lighting), and Alex Berg (sound).