Sorry, Shakespeare: Livingston Theater Company's 'Something Rotten!' is gold

The Livingston Theater Company (LTC) gave students a performance to feast on before Thanksgiving break with its fall semester play, "Something Rotten!" With its reputation as a beloved show on Broadway, the troupe had lofty expectations to live up to, but LTC gave its own delightful rendition of this comedic tale.

Set in the 1590s, this hilarious show centers around orphan brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, who dream of becoming famous playwrights. Unfortunately, the competition is sky-high, as they compete against the famous William Shakespeare. Hijinks ensue as the pair attempt to attain fame by writing the greatest play of all time.

Sam Tunkel, a Mason Gross School of the Arts sophomore, wonderfully portrayed ambitious playwright Nick Bottom. While this character makes many frustrating mistakes in his mission to achieve fame, Tunkel's charming performance kept audiences rooting for this flawed character.

Arron Little, a Camden College of Arts and Sciences senior, gave an excellent performance as Nigel Bottom, Nick's shy, but incredibly talented, younger brother. His portrayal of this thoughtful and introverted character perfectly balanced Tunkel's louder and more reckless counterpart. His sweet romance with the starry-eyed Portia (School of Arts and Sciences junior Shannon Huhn) touched the hearts of audiences.

Nina DeSimone, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year, gave an impressive performance as the antagonistic version of playwright William Shakespeare. Portraying her character with priceless panache, she perfectly captured the vibe of a narcissistic idol. Her powerful performances in catchy musical numbers "Will Power" and "Hard to Be the Bard" made this charismatic villain one the audience loved to hate.

From the beginning of the show, it was clear what kind of journey the audience was in for. One of the beginning numbers, "God, I Hate Shakespeare", laid down the gripes many modern audiences have with Shakespeare in an entertaining performance. It set the stage for the remainder of the play, which featured plenty of self-referential quips poking fun at the more perplexing features of stage performances.

The best example is a song aptly titled "A Musical." The number featured Nick and soothsayer Nostradamus (played by School of Arts and Sciences junior Jack Cosentino), and mocked the verbose and overdramatic nature of musicals, all while existing as a song featured in one. These meta jokes culminated in the brothers' disastrous show within a show, "Omelette: The Musical", and the titular song, "Something Rotten! / Make an Omelette!", which was laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Part of the joy of watching the show came in understanding its various references. Lovers of musicals recognized the homages to various famous stage performances, from "The Lion King" to the beloved "Annie." Audiences well-versed in Shakespeare also noted the many references to his plays — for example, the name Nick Bottom was taken from a character in the classic, "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

The show couldn't have been as hysterical and resonant as it was without the supporting cast. Audiences laughed at the charming Bea Bottom (School of Arts and Sciences senior Michele Cohen), Nick's skillful wife. Her impressive vocals in both "Right Hand Man" and its reprise made her performance quite memorable.

There was also Nostradamus and his amusing, almost accurate predictions. School of Arts and Sciences junior Matthew Perez rounded out the cast by handing the crowd tons of laughs in his role as the paranoid, performance-hating zealot, Brother Jeremiah.

But, the show could also not go on without the excellent work of director Sydney Dailey, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore, along with the rest of the production staff. 

For those planning on attending the LTC's next performance, it will open its version of the play "A Chorus Line" in the Spring 2025 semester.