Going Beyond the Script
Something Rotten Backdrops and Scenery Perspectives
Join TheatreWorld in journeying through the outrageous, crowd-pleasing farce Something Rotten! The musical was created by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick and screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell. The original Broadway production received several Best Musical nominations and was hailed by Time Out New York as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years”.
In Something Rotten, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard”. When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing, and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.
TheatreWorld’s collection of Something Rotten backdrops certainly don’t stink! From the streets of old London Town to splashy backdrops fit for the Great White Way, we’ve got every scene covered. Let’s journey through the plot of the show and the backdrops that fit each moment.
Act One
If William Shakespeare is at the top of a list of famous playwrights, Nick and Nigel Bottom are definitely, well, bottom. The brothers are rehearsing their latest play when their patron arrives. He announces that the Bard (Nick’s archnemesis!) has written a play with the same idea. Nick and Nigel’s hopes of writing a hit show are dashed.
Back at home, Nick’s wife, Bea, suggests that she could help out by getting a job. The suggestion only makes Nick feel more like a failure. He wishes he could have some of Shakespeare’s success and bemoans that he doesn’t know what the future holds. Inspired by this thought, he takes their precious savings and heads off to Soothsayer Alley. Here, Nick encounters Nostradamus (or rather, his nephew, “Thomas”). Nostradamus predicts the next big thing in theatre: a musical!
The Bottom brothers get to work. They premiere the first song in their new musical, a catchy little number about “The Black Death”. Appalled, their patron quits. Brother Jeremiah, a Puritan who hates all theatre, warns them not to add evil music to their already sinful plays. However, Jeremiah’s beautiful daughter, Portia, loves poetry and plays and she and Nigel bond over this common interest. The couple attends a private recitation by William Shakespeare. At the show’s after-party, though, it becomes clear that Shakespeare only invited them so he could steal Nigel’s notebook. Nick bursts in just in time. He prevents the theft, but Shakespeare publicly humiliates him.
Nick returns to Nostradamus to ask what Shakespeare’s greatest play will be. Nostradamus can see it clearly! Shakespeare’s greatest work will be called Omelette. Excited, Nick prepares to write his own version of the show, proclaiming this “Bottom’s Gonna Be on Top”!
Welcome to the Renaissance!
TheatreWorld has many wonderful drops to portray Renaissance England! For London streets, consider Medieval Street, Medieval Village, or Old World Town Square – B. While Medieval Street has been the most popular choice for Something Rotten to date, any of these drops will instantly transport you back to the days of the Bard. Old World Cottage Interior, with its old-fashioned wooden beams and plaster walls, is perfect for Nick and Bea’s home. Finally, choose winding Old World Alley or secluded European Street with Arch for Nick’s trip to Soothsayer Alley.
Act Two
The second act opens with Shakespeare complaining that it’s “Hard to Be the Bard”. His spy informs him that Nick Bottom has hired a soothsayer to steal Shakespeare’s greatest idea. The Bard, disguised, infiltrates Nick and Nigel’s troupe. They have been rehearsing their first number, but Nigel can’t help but feel as though something isn’t right. He shares his feelings with Portia, who tells him to write from the heart. Brother Jeremiah catches Nigel and Portia together and banishes his daughter to Scotland. Distraught, Nigel writes all night and creates a masterpiece. Nick is angry that it has nothing to do with eggs, but Nigel insists that the only thing that matters is “To Thine Own Self” be true. He refuses to write Omelette and walks out. Bea reminds Nigel that for all of his faults, Nick would always be his “Right Hand Man”. Nigel agrees to return.
At the top of Nick’s make-or break show, the cast warns there’s “Something Rotten”! Nick sings the title number, “Make an Omelette”. (Complete with dancing eggs and cameos from every musical that Nostradamus has foreseen.) Suddenly, the newest recruit to the troupe pulls off his disguise and reveals himself as none other than William Shakespeare! He tells everyone how Nick stole his idea. Nick is publicly disgraced. Nigel feels betrayed.
In court, Nick and his collaborators face execution until Bea shows up disguised as their elderly male lawyer. Nick realizes that he should have listened to Nigel and the brothers reconcile. Bea calls Shakespeare as a witness and he persuades the star-struck judge not to execute them. Instead, the judge banishes them to the New World. Portia defies her father and runs away with them. In America, they perform their new show (the very first of hundreds of American musicals!) with a finale written from the heart, just like Nigel always wanted.
Jazz Hands!
Something Rotten is a fun and over-the-top musical that definitely calls for some old-school musical theatre flair! For big production numbers, We’re in the Money and Be Our Guest Celebration Curtain are reminiscent of the Golden Age of musical theater and the Broadway reviews of the ’20s. For a more Shakspearian homage, there’s no better choice than Globe Theater Interior. (This is also a great choice if you’re looking for a single drop to use for the entire show.)
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There’s nothing rotten about TheatreWorld’s Something Rotten collection! Call or submit a Wishlist to place an order today. We look forward to helping you plan your own smash hit musical!
