Something Rotten
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick & John O'Farrell, Music & Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick
Directed by Rory Pelsue
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick & John O'Farrell, Music & Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick
Directed by Rory Pelsue
About The Play
Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rockstar known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theater 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.
This musical was not only a joy to work on thanks to it's hilarious plot, but also that it gave me a chance to reconnect with musical theatre and do a more traditional performance, which at this point I had not done in a good while (I was doing lots of rock musicals, and plays). However, this production was severally impacted by COVID with several breakouts in the cast and crew. This meant that we had to do all of tech, dress rehearsals, and previews with the cast in mask. I did not hear the show without masks until opening night. However, I was grateful to the Northwestern theatre department with bearing with me and rolling with the punches given the world we were in at the time. Otherwise, this done with a classic orchestra that was offstage and area mic'ed (except for the drums and electric guitars), which allowed me to capture a broad musical gesture that is reminiscent of classical musicals, while still allowing us to have a bit of punch when needed. This was also presented in a thrust arrangement so I had the mix the show in mono, but with clever routing and speaker placement I was able to guarantee that every seat got great coverage and heard it all super clear. This was a delight to work on and it was a thrill to hear audience's reactions to it.
This musical was not only a joy to work on thanks to it's hilarious plot, but also that it gave me a chance to reconnect with musical theatre and do a more traditional performance, which at this point I had not done in a good while (I was doing lots of rock musicals, and plays). However, this production was severally impacted by COVID with several breakouts in the cast and crew. This meant that we had to do all of tech, dress rehearsals, and previews with the cast in mask. I did not hear the show without masks until opening night. However, I was grateful to the Northwestern theatre department with bearing with me and rolling with the punches given the world we were in at the time. Otherwise, this done with a classic orchestra that was offstage and area mic'ed (except for the drums and electric guitars), which allowed me to capture a broad musical gesture that is reminiscent of classical musicals, while still allowing us to have a bit of punch when needed. This was also presented in a thrust arrangement so I had the mix the show in mono, but with clever routing and speaker placement I was able to guarantee that every seat got great coverage and heard it all super clear. This was a delight to work on and it was a thrill to hear audience's reactions to it.
Audio clips of the live mix are not included due to Actor's Equity restrictions, and copyright laws. Live recordings also do not accurately represent the theatre space. Please check with producing organizations if interested in quality of the mix, which I proudly stand behind.