‘Rotten’ Returns: Shakin’ up the Bard and Other Theater Things

Something Rotten! imagine the birth of the musical as brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom’s bid to foil William Shakespeare’s reign as the Renaissance rockstar playwright. The idea arrives via a local soothsayer determined to assuage Nick Bottom’s agony of defeat, foretelling thus that the future of theater will simultaneously stitch together acting, singing, and dancing. As with all good theater, the drama is both personal and professional. The self-reckoning – embodied in the notion of being true to thine own self – arrives just in time. 

It was only three years ago that the show created by John O’Farrell and Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick – which premiered on Broadway in 2015 and landed 10 Tony Award nominations – had runs in town with Lights Up! teen theater company and SBCC’s Theatre Group just months apart. But it’s definitely not too soon for the fast-paced and imaginative musical comedy to return to a local stage. The production boasts a huge cast, stunning dance production numbers, and hundreds of costumes – all the while liberally excerpting moments from decades of Broadway hits. Catch PCPA’s Something Rotten! at the Solvang Festival Theater August 1-23. Visit www.pcpa.org.

Stage Shortcuts 

The prestigious Ojai Playwright’s 28th Annual Summer Conference offers writers a two-week workshop in which to develop their new plays, culminating in a public performance of their still-developing works at OPC’s New Works Festival, slated for July 31-August 3. Playwrights Lisa D’Amour, Deepak Kumar, Regan Moro, JuCoby Johnson, and Marvin González De León are the OPC cohort whose plays will be performed this year– and who will participate in a discussion panel at Ojai’s Thatcher School. Visit www.ojaiplays.org.

Forever ‘Young’

Spot-on casting, a clever stage set, crisp direction by Rick Mokler, and, of course, Mel Brooks’ over-the-top script and song lyrics taken from his own earlier film, came together to make SBCC Theatre Group’s production of Young Frankenstein a soaring delight. I’d say much more about the charms of the various principal actors and ensemble players – they who demonstrated more than ample dialog, dancing and singing skills. But the show closed last weekend. Suffice it to say, don’t miss SBCC’s summer musical productions, nor, for that matter, anything former program director Mokler helms.