The Drama Club performed Something Rotten! this April. This is a musical comedy set in the 1590s. Written by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. The story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find success in the theatrical world as they compete with the popularity of William Shakespeare. Something Rotten! opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on April 22, 2015, where it played for 708 performances. The production was nominated for ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In 2017 the show launched a US national tour, which ran for two years.
As a result of the spring snow storm, the show scheduled for April 4 was canceled. Despite the additional snow day on April 5, the production was still able to occur. This left the drama club with two productions compared to their scheduled three. However this did not cause the energy or enthusiasm of the cast to deplete. This was one of the most complex and involved shows in the drama club history, including a two story set, 20 dance numbers, and a two hour show.
Senior, Jackie Fulmer, who played Portia describes her experience with the production, “I love working with this supportive and amazing cast. I am so proud of all of us over these past 4 years and am going to miss performing with my best friends!” This is the last high school production of the year, and closes out the five drama club seniors’ York High School theater careers. Aspen Davis, senior, who played the role of Nigel Bottom, articles his experience, “Something Rotten! has, by far, been the most amazing production I’ve had the blessing of being a part of. The role of Nigel Bottom was really made for me; this is the first role I’ve ever played where I felt like I could really just be myself and still nail the character down!” Something Rotten! was a success for the actors performing as well as the audience members!