Sure as the day follows into the night, sure as the sky turns blue— this much I know, this much is true— Scottfield Theatre Company’s Something Rotten is the show for you! Because above all else— to thine own selves, they’re being true! It’s a mu-si-cal! That’s right— a mu-si-caaal. And it’s the polar opposite of its namesake! Directed by Chuck Hamrick with Musical Direction by Nathan Scavilla and Choreography by Beck Titelman, this laugh-a-minute, laugh-out-loud, sassy new show (the first of its kind in the area) has something for everyone! There’s Shakespearean references! There’s musical theatre references! There’s a lot of singing and dancing and— breakfast!? You just have to see it to believe it! It’s a steller production that delivers top quality performance from a bunch of talented individuals; you won’t want to miss this show.

With a simple Tudor background, which could readily emulate the exterior of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Set Designer Chuck Bowden keeps the scenery simplistic enough to let you know (as if the opening number didn’t do that already) that you’re being welcomed to the Renaissance era where bards are at their peak of playwrighting in England. Bowden utilizes mobile furnishings that whips in and out at precision pace (compliments of Stage Manager Katie Hamrick with her crew including Malia Williamson, Aubrey Klarman, Dan Morelli, and MaryBeth Sullivan) to provide smooth, slick scenic changes that don’t linger or gum-up the overall pacing of the performance. Bowden’s simple background also makes the perfect splashboard for Patrick Yarrington’s Lighting Design, which is used frugally but effectively for some of the splashier, “Big Broadway” style numbers. (You get a lot of fun lighting during “A Musical” and “Make An Omelette” as well some party spinners featured during “We See the Light.”)

Costume Designers Marta Noe and Elizabeth Marion set the scene right alongside Chuck Bowden’s Tudor-background, giving all of the ensemble dresses as well as pantaloons, tights, jerkins, doublets, caps and boots that fit the bill for a Renaissance comedy. You get garishly over-the-top glitz in purples and gold on Lord Clapham (Gabe Webster) and robust shimmery reds on Shylock (Chris Barsam) a reflective sign of the character’s wealth as the former is a patron of the arts and the latter a Jewish money lender. The more muted colors are reserved for Nigel and Nick Bottom, showcasing their poverty. Noe and Marion outdo themselves when it comes to simplistic functionality. (Warning: here be spoilers. About breakfast.) When it comes to staging up the costumes for “Make An Omelette”, Noe and Marion favor two-dimensional whole-egg cut-outs (think old fashioned photo-booth cut-outs at an amusement park) and yellow fold over’s (that when worn look like tasty, tasty tacos— but we get it, they’re omelettes!) over the more problematic three-dimensional approach. These simpler egg outfits are an eggscellent choice (see what I did there?) because they enable lightning-fast costume changes as well as clean and crisp choreography during that number. Noe and Marion have a bunch of praiseworthy outfits in the performance, particularly the dress seen on the Player Queen (Patrick Yarrington), but you should definitely come see them for yourself. (Serious shoutout to the dazzling silver sparkly drop-stoles seen as costume-magic during “We See The Light.”)

The unsung hero of any production is often the Stage Manager (as mentioned, Katie Hamrick) but with this production, you can clearly see the effort put in by Hamrick and her run crew (Malia Williamson, Aubrey Klarman, Dan Morelli, MaryBeth Sullivan.) Disguised as village peasants, Klarman, Morelli, and Sullivan slip through crowd scenes like they’re part of the ensemble, sliding furnishings on and off, allowing for flawless and effortless transitions from one moment to the next so that you never have a hiccup in the show’s overall pacing. There aren’t any long moments in darkness waiting for cues of props and furniture. Hamrick runs a tight ship and it is well reflected in the quality of the production, particularly in the costume-changes that are happening at a breakneck pace in the wings.

Vocally the production is exceptional. Musical Director Nathan Scavilla achieves brilliant harmonies from the ensemble as well as principal performers with unwavering consistency all throughout the production. When The Bottom Troupe Players (Haydn Floros, Adam Kurek, Tate Menges, Drew Opdyke, Sam Ranocchia, Matthew Wilson, Patrick Yarrington) come together during little moments of numbers like “To Thine Own Self Be True” and “The Black Death” you can feel those beautiful harmonies glistening together and sounding sublime. The same is true for Portia and Nigel Bottom when they sing a merry union during “I Love the Way” and later during “We See The Light.” There are powerful sounds arriving from full company numbers like “Bottom’s Gonna Be On Top” and the finale, “Welcome to America.” Scavilla tempers these talented musicians for all their worth, extracting a professionally blended sound from them, taking the musical experience of the show to the next level.

There’s so much more dancing than one might expect there to be in a musical all about Shakespeare (no, it’s really all about Shakespeare!) Choreographer Becky Titelman goes above and beyond to extract both precision and meticulous moves from her dancers. While each of the numbers demands a little something different— there’s a lot of basic box-stepping and twirl-gliding in some of the more mellifluous, slower-tempo numbers— where Titelman soars high with flying colors is with the crisp, clean tap routines executed frequently throughout the performance. Tap Core (Marlanea Guidotti, Gabby Harris, Samantha Jednorski, Sophia MacKinnon, Laura May, Tate Menges, Drew Opdyke, Maddie Saldaña) really get to showcase their stuff during “A Musical.” Tap Core also features three tapping Chefs (Gabby Harris, Tate Menges, Drew Opdyke) who get quite the impressive footwork series going on top of their silver-painted serving trays during “Make An Omelette.” Titelman’s choreography is energetic and exuberant, matching the joy that is radiating in waves off of the performers with every number.

Director Chuck Hamrick has gathered together a stellar cast, put the emotional turmoil of these characters (even though the show is a hilarious comedy) right to the forefront of the performance. Hamrick’s seasoned hand knows how to really get comedy out of some of the more subtle (and some way not-so-subtle) moments of innuendo. The setup and execution of “finishing too soon” during the poetry experience with Nigel and Portia is a perfect example. Hamrick guides these individuals to play their roles for truth, letting the humor of the show find its way naturally to the audience, even when some of the characters are larger than life— like Brother Jeremiah (Adam Biemiller.) Even some of the subtler characters like Shylock (Chris Barsam)— who arguably delivers one of the profound messages of the play, “theatre is my religion”— finds their niche under Hamrick’s direction. The pacing is precise, you never feel like the action or the musical number are rushed and yet nothing is dragging along either. There are characters not caricatures delivering well-timed comic execution and the story is being told.

Welcoming you to the Renaissance, The Minstrel (Patrick Yarrington) has a smooth, almost sensual voice that alights on the music at both the top of the show and the top of Act II sublimely. Yarrington doubles up as one of the players in The Bottom Brother’s Troupe and it is hysterics on feet. Sassy and flashy, you’ll love watching Yarrington play all of the ‘girl parts’ (as this is the era of Shakespeare, where it was a crime to put a woman on stage!) Fighting with Yarrington for the title of sassiest player on stage is Adam Biemiller in the stoic, albeit hilariously flamboyant, role of Brother Jeremiah, the pious Puritan. Biemiller has a vocal affectation that will leave you rolling in the aisles as she squashes everyone’s hopes, dreams, and happiness with his killjoy persona. When he snaps his cloak and stomps away, it’s a sassafras fit in motion! Biemiller even lends solid, clear vocals to a bit of “We See The Light”, which is a hilarious number performed by most of the ensemble plus Portia and Nick.

Looking a bit like one of those homage-nodded Jellicle Cats, which is so perfect because of all the theatrical references this character throws out there, Wayne Ivusich tackles the role of Thomas Nostradamus— soothsaying so-n-so— with a brilliantly aloof and delightfully haphazard air that makes you crack up every time a prediction comes zipping out of his mouth. Filling out the role with quirky gestures, goofy grins, and some earnest heartfelt enthusiasm for his super big-break number, “A Musical”, you find yourself giggling gleefully all throughout this number. (Anyone who has seen, knows, or loves musical theatre will absolutely lose their mind during this song.) Ivusich has these quirky one-liners as the premonitions hit him and they’re delivered in such an off-kilter fashion you can’t help but chuckle.

With a chipper and jovial nature, Portia (Maggie Dennis) is about as opposite from her Puritanical father as one can be (though the hideodeous gray dress of chastity provides a hilarious visual contrast, the costume department does her a great justice by giving her a sun-brightened yellow over-cloak to match her cheery personality later.) Blithe vocal spirits carry Dennis away in her duet “I Love the Way”, which she shares with the sweet and naïve Nigel Bottom. Dennis properly balances the quirky humor of the character while dripping syrupy sweet sounds into both her singing and speaking voice. This is reflected in her second song, “We See The Light” but with much more vim, vigor, and gusto. The meet-cute with Nigel is simply adorable and about as mushy-gushy as you could hope for with these two characters.

Bold and boisterous is Bea Bottom (Elizabeth Marion.) While the character is really only given one chance to shine vocally— with just one song and its reprise, Marion gives it everything’s she got for “Right Hand Man.” The song itself falls right around Marion’s natural range break, but her vocal acrobatics ensure an impressive delivery full of emotional chutzpah and real tenacity. She sells it and it lands. Marion has precision articulation with the lyrics in this song too. When she starts strutting around in disguise, her enthusiasm for finally getting to ‘wear the pants’ is pretty comical and well-timed. Though she doesn’t spend much time singing with Nick (he claps back a bunch during “Right Hand Man” but it’s not a romantic duet in the sense that the Portia-Nigel “I Love The Way” is), the chemistry between them is palpable and works well for that relationship dynamic.

The song might decry that it’s hard being The Bard but for Kirby Smith, playing William Shakespeare is like wearing a second skin. Mastering the cocky confidence and the Stratford-Upon-Avon-via-Broadway accent is all in a day’s pleasurable work for Smith, who really pitches that over-the-top narcissism that librettists Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell have put into this iteration of William Shakespeare. Everything from the strutting-peacock movements, to the dynamically popping pelvic thrusts while dancing, Smith is delivering in true rockstar fashion with this character. His articulation and precision work during the patter of “Hard to Be the Bard” is flawless and utterly mesmerizing. And where there’s a will, there’s a way? Smith is bringing the Will and the way for his blasty-rocker rendition of “Will Power.” (Shout out to all that awesome reverb rocking the mic from Sound Designer Scott Harclerode, whose deft balancing skills keep the pre-recorded music in balance with the microphones giving this production some seriously impressive sound equilibrium.) Kirby Smith is rocking the rockstar role of William Shakespeare; he’ll have you swooning all throughout the house.

Nigel Bottom (Mikey Floyd) is the epitome of the sweet but simple younger brother. His adorable naiveté and general innocence is incredibly endearing. Everything from the nervous way Floyd sputters and stutters at his brother, trying to get his point across, to the way he all but falls face first onto the floor when first meeting Portia, is just precious. And his voice is a dulcet songbird, delicate and pure. You get the first taste of it during the build-up to “God, I Hate Shakespeare”, which is really Nick’s number, but that first little hint of amazing serenity is truly lovely. When he sings “Nigel’s Theme” you feel his troubles and they make your heart ache. “To Thine Own Self Be True” becomes this anthem, led by the tender but tough Nigel, who is slowly finding the way to his own heart, even if that means upsetting the fraternal apple cart. His comic timing is quick and cute and serves the role well.

God, he hates Shakespeare! No, he really hates Shakespeare! Nick Bottom, at any rate, can’t speak for Brandon Pfeltz, who is slaying in the leading role of this production. It’s as if the character of Nick were built for Pfeltz, sitting well within his vocal and emotional wheelhouse. There’s a nuance to this character, the wheedling, angling, mind-working flare that Pfeltz not only finds but embraces and wholly uses to influence other moments of the character’s existence. And his vocals are impressive. There are full-sounding belts and blasts all throughout the great big numbers like “God, I Hate Shakespeare!” (where you really get the revulsion and irritation that the character is rage-blasting at the audience) and “Bottom’s Gonna Be On Top”, where there is a hubris that radiates through both body and voice with Pfeltz channeling all that glory into a chimerical success story for himself. There’s just something indescribably genuine about the way he plays the character; you feel the struggles and strife as well as the schemes and the silliness all rolled into one. It’s impressive and wonderous to watch.

So don’t be hatin’ Shakespeare. Seriously, you cannot hate Shakespeare. They’ve really got this wonderful show with so many laughs your sides will hurt by the curtain call; Something Rotten is tripping the life fantastic at Scottfield Theatre Company this spring; it’s an eggscellent production (and excellent too.) You’ll want to muster up all of your ‘Will power’ and make the trek up to Havre de Grace and check out Something Rotten! because it is definitely anything but!

Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission

Something Rotten! plays through May 29, 2022 with Scottfield Theatre Company in the Cultural Center at The Havre de Grace Opera House— 121 N. Union Street in historic downtown Havre de Grace, MD. For tickets call the box office at 667-225-8433 or purchase them online.