"Something Rotten!" - by O'Farrell, Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick - Lyric Stage Company (Boston, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of the musical "SOMETHING ROTTEN!"by John O'Farrell, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, now playing at Lyric Stage Company in Boston, MA. until June 7, 2026. Photo Credit: Nile Hawver)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions."
- ("Nigel Bottom") / William Shakespeare ("Hamlet")
Lyric Stage Company
Presents the Broadway Hit Musical
"SOMETHING ROTTEN!"
Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell
Directed by Ilana Ransom Toeplitz
Music Director Katya Stanislavskaya
Choreographer Christopher Shin
Cast Includes: Ohad Ashkenazi as “Nigel Bottom,” Joy Clark* as “Thomas Nostradamus,” Lauren Dodds as “Portia,” Kristian Espiritu* as “Bea,” Kenny Kelleher as “Brother Jeremiah,” Ryan Mardesich* as “Nick Bottom,” Bryan Miner* as “Lord Clapham/Ensemble,” Indijhan Richard as “Minstrel/Ensemble,” Bobbie Steinbach* as “Shylock,” Jared Troilo* as “William Shakespeare.”
Ensemble: Jonah Barricklo, Temma Beaudreau, Danny Hernandez, Elliana Karris (Dance Captain), Jennifer Preston, Colin Welter.
Additional Creative Team:
Arrangements by Glen Kelly; Orchestrations by Larry Hochman; Scenic Designer - Cameron McEachern**; Costume Designer - Chloe Moore; Lighting Designer - Bretton Reis; Sound Designer - Alex Berg; Props Designer - Lauren Corcuera; Production Stage Manager - Polly Feliciano*; Assistant Stage Manager - Mina-Claire Paz-Le Draoulec*; Assistant Director - Pamela White; Dramaturg - Dr. Bindi Kang.
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)
** Member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 | r AFM Local 9-535
Performances:
May 1, 2026 through June 7, 2026
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
All performances to be held at LYRIC STAGE OF BOSTON, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA. 02116
TICKETS:
Contact the Box Office at # 617-585-5678 or go to lyricstage.com
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
Lyric Stage Company concludes its latest season with something hysterical in the form of the Broadway musical "SOMETHING ROTTEN!" now playing in Boston, MA.
Lyric Stage has assembled near-perfect cast to render one of the funniest musicals of the season, supported by a phenomenal live band.
The production also showcases a clever set design along with a plethora of colorful and inventive costuming ideas.
The outcome is a marvelous, finely tuned staging of the Broadway smash, a wildly entertaining show that brings an onslaught of laughter that spreads like a plague…but in a "good way."
Nominated for 10 Tony Awards, "SOMETHING ROTTEN!" is a musical never fails to bring the funny and thank God (and the Bard) for that!
"SOMETHING ROTTEN!" opened on Broadway in 2015 and played 708 performances.
The story, performed completely tongue-in-cheek (although not quite farcical), takes place during the Renaissance, specifically the 1590s.
As structured, "SOMETHING ROTTEN!" is actually something quite sweet.
The show itself is balanced by a solid plot, wonderful music and consistent character development from creators John O’Farrell, Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick.
Containing a story propelled by those doing the wrong things for the right reasons, as it flows, the sincerity of intent that guides these characters is a major factor in what endears this musical to its audience.
Under the splendid guidance of the show’s director lana Ransom Toeplitz, supported by Lyric Stage's music director Katya Stanislavskaya (who also leads the live band) and choreographer Christopher Shin, all key elements of the briskly-paced show have equal part energy and humor.
The laughs come virtually every few seconds, so don’t worry if you miss a joke because another one will be along momentarily.
(Photo: Ryan Mardesich as "Nick Bottom" with Joy Clark as "Thomas Nostradamus" kickline-ing with members of the CAST of the musical "SOMETHING ROTTEN!"by John O'Farrell, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, now playing at Lyric Stage Company in Boston, MA. until June 7, 2026. Photo Credit: Nile Hawver)
The characters we meet during "SOMETHING ROTTEN!" are all extremely likeable, even the ones who aren’t intended to be so “nice.”
Brothers and struggling co-writing team Nick and Nigel Bottom (Ryan Mardesich and Ohad Ashkenazi, respectively), find themselves continuously and hopelessly out-written and out-performed by egomaniacal wunderkind William Shakespeare (Jared Troilo) whose creative roll has propelled him to superstar status in the eyes of his fans.
Mardesich and Ashkenazi have undeniable chemistry, critical in portraying the co-dependent siblings.
Nick, especially, loathes the obnoxiously popular Bard and illustrates it brilliantly in the side-splitting number, “God, I Hate Shakespeare.”
The supporting Lyric Stage Company ensemble portraying the “Troupe” for Nick and Nigel are especially well suited to the material, providing many laughs.
(Photo: Ohad Ashkenazi as "Nigel Bottom" watches Kristian Espiritu as Nick's wife "Bea Bottom" in a moment from the musical "SOMETHING ROTTEN!"by John O'Farrell, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, now playing at Lyric Stage Company in Boston, MA. until June 7, 2026. Photo Credit: Nile Hawver)
In addition to their incredibly funny scenes together and apart, each of the brothers has been given their moment(s) to shine, musically.
With Ashkenazi it comes in the songs "Nigel's Theme" and the second act’s "To Thine Own Self Be True."
Mardesich taps into his comedic side during songs like “God I Hate Shakespeare,” but then later literally taps opposite Troilo as the duo throws on tap shoes to engage in a witty “dance off battle” during the Act One Finale "Bottom's Gonna Be On Top."
Troilo simply owns the character of the princely yet boorish and egocentric Shakespeare with many side-splitting asides to the audience.
Troilo's dazzling execution of musical numbers “Will Power” and "Hard to Be the Bard" is supported by a vibrant and versatile ensemble.
Shin's choreography is tremendously well-executed in all of the above numbers.
Financially desperate for a sure-fire hit play big enough to compete with Shakespeare’s popularity, Nick seeks out a soothsayer and stumbles upon Nostradamus himself.
That is, "Thomas Nostradamus" (Joy Clark), descended nephew of the famous original soothsayer.
Clark faithfully renders the role of Nostradamus, who presents “premonitions” more like grasping at very frail straws rather than solid brass rings.
(Photo: Jared Troilo as the shy, unassuming and introverted "William Shakespeare" in a moment from the musical "SOMETHING ROTTEN!"by John O'Farrell, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, now playing at Lyric Stage Company in Boston, MA. until June 7, 2026. Photo Credit: Nile Hawver)
Nostradamus gets a lot of fragmented information from the future, and this leads to some amusing results later in the show.
However, one big concept Nostradamus gets 100 percent correct:
He advises Nick that of a future full of Broadway caliber musicals, which is where the Lyric show really takes off and never looks back, with a show-stopping number aptly titled, “A Musical.”
Many shows are spoofed, referenced, revered, lampooned, and sampled from Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, to “Les Miserables,” “Music Man,” “Annie,” “Chorus Line” and more.
This approach is later repeated in the "SOMETHING ROTTEN!" Act Two number, “Make an Omelette.”
Nick also asks about Shakespeare’s next work, intending to write it before Shakespeare, but unknown to Nick, one major element Nostradamus does NOT get right is the title of Shakespeare’s greatest work.
So, placing all his faith in Nostradamus, Nick decides to "write" his musical, “Omelette” - knowing full well that he is actually "lifting" (stealing) Shakespeare’s destined story of "Hamlet."
To accomplish the above, an illicit deal Nick is forced into making is with an unallowed Jewish financial backer, a moneylender coincidentally named "Shylock" and expertly played to the comedic hilt by Bobbie Steinback.
Another standout performance comes from Kenneth Kelleher as Portia's pious father "Brother Jeremiah," who just may be protesting too much as to the certain "exploits" of others.
It is Nigel who provides the perfect moral compass for everyone in the musical, which pits himself at odds against Nick's unethical decision-making and immoral direction taken in the story.
(Photo: Joy Clark as "Thomas Nostradamus" with members of the CAST of the musical "SOMETHING ROTTEN!"by John O'Farrell, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, now playing at Lyric Stage Company in Boston, MA. until June 7, 2026. Photo Credit: Nile Hawver)
Kristian Espiritu gives a spirited performance as Nick’s supportive wife, Bea, with many hilarious highlights throughout the show, but also righteously belts out the song, “Right Hand Man.”
As written, it could be argued that the “Bea” character is seriously underutilized - because Bea actually provides a message of female empowerment (during the Renaissance) while striking a perfect balance comedically between Nick and Nigel's mutual and separate aspirations throughout the story.
Similarly, Nigel meets and falls for pretty Puritan, Portia (Lauren Dodds), who becomes ardently absorbed by the potential poet, encouraging Nigel to evolve as a writer.
As Portia, Dodds excels at the perkiness of the nerdy Portia character, lifting up the lilting song, “I Love the Way” opposite Ashkenazi, who has a stunning vibrato to his voice.
During Act Two, the duo leads another engaging ensemble number, “We See the Light," which, structurally, comes fairly close to doing for the second act what the aforementioned “A Musical” does for the first, but with far more emphasis on humor than musicality.
The Lyric Stage ensemble shares equally in their assigned tasks to bring both the joy and the funny to this enchanting show.
(Photo: Ohad Ashkenazi as "Nigel Bottom" with Lauren Dodds as "Portia" surrounded by members of the CAST of the musical "SOMETHING ROTTEN!"by John O'Farrell, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, now playing at Lyric Stage Company in Boston, MA. until June 7, 2026. Photo Credit: Nile Hawver)
The costumes, sets and other technical aspects of the show are equally impressive and each set redress required is executed smoothly.
Thanks to the combined effort of the entire Lyric Stage cast and creative team involved, "SOMETHING ROTTEN!" is a great way to conclude another marvelous season.
"SOMETHING ROTTEN!" continues at the Lyric Stage until June 7th and is something silly, something musically charming and something everyone absolutely MUST see before (to paraphrase “Winter’s Tale” by the Bard) “it is gone forever.” (“Exit, pursued by a bear”).
So do not miss!
Shows announced for the 2026-2027 season at Lyric Stage Company will include:
- Arthur Miller’s "ALL MY SONS" beginning September 18th, 2026 and running until October 18th, 2026;
- "PETER PAN GOES WRONG" by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, running from November 13th, 2026 through December 31st, 2026;
- Kicking off 2027 will be Agatha Christie’s "THE MIRROR CRACK'D" adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff and directed by Ilyse Robbins, beginning February 5th, 2027 and running until February 28th, 2027;
- "KING JAMES" by Rajiv Joseph will begin March 19th, 2027 and continue until April 11th, 2027;
- And a “Big Beloved Musical” to be named later will conclude the Lyric Stage season, running from April 30th, 2027 until June 20th, 2027.
For more information and tickets, contact the Lyric Stage Company Box Office at # 617-585-5678 or go to lyricstage.com.
BUY TICKETS
Approximately two hours, 30 minutes with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
To thine own self be true. And all that jazz.
Sometimes you gotta break a few eggs to make a musical.
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and then there’s Nick and Nigel Bottom.
Two brothers stuck in the shadow of a certain Renaissance rock star (Shakespeare), set forth to knock him off his perch by writing the world’s very first musical.
A misinformed soothsayer plants the seeds for this brilliant idea as the task of how to upstage a literary genius without really trying hilariously unfolds.
This history-twisting mash-up of sixteenth-century Shakespeare and twenty-first-century Broadway is a love letter to musical theater complete with outrageous characters, dazzling showstoppers, and all the winks and flourishes that make us feel that “with a musical we might have half a chance.”
ABOUT THE LYRIC STAGE OF BOSTON
Founded in 1974 and in residence at 140 Clarendon Street since 1991, THE LYRIC STAGE OF BOSTON is Boston’s oldest resident theatre company. Our mission is to produce and present live theatre in Greater Boston with an intimate approach that promotes inclusivity and connection. THE LYRIC STAGE leads an effort to integrate live theater and theater education into the lives of all residents of greater Boston.
140 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA. 02116
# 617-585-5678
