Department of Music News

Get ready to be transported back to the Renaissance by the WKU Departments of Music and Theatre & Dance’s production of Something Rotten! The musical comedy set in the late sixteenth century follows Nick and Nigel Bottom, two playwrights struggling to write a hit that compares to the works of their rival, the famed William Shakespeare. Out of desperation, the older Bottom brother, Nick, consults a soothsayer, which leads to him enlisting his brother and the rest of their theatrical troupe to create the first ever musical.

Junior Dale Magre, who plays Nigel Bottom in the production, describes the show as a comedic take on the Renaissance, a period that is usually viewed through a serious lens.

“It is so much funnier than you think it is,” says Magre. “Every single word out of [each] person’s mouth is completely different than the last.”

While the show is certainly goofy and full of laughs, Dance Captain and Assistant Choreographer, Charlotte Bariteau, explains that Something Rotten! is more than your average comedy.

“Something Rotten! is kind of a hodgepodge of what makes theater, especially, musical theater, really great,” says Bariteau. “You have references from Shakespeare because it obviously is kind of about Shakespeare, but you also have references to musicals, and so it's kind of this love letter to theatre and all the people involved.”

The musical first premiered on Broadway in 2015, where it quickly garnered praise and earned itself one Tony Award and nine Tony Award nominations. While some audience members might be unfamiliar with the show, cast member Chris Morse believes that this production can be enjoyed by both thespians and theatre novices alike.

“I think anybody would love it, even if they're not particularly interested in music or the genre,” Morse says. “I think it just has a little bit for everybody.”

This production is the latest of numerous opportunities that Department of Theatre & Dance students are given to grow during their time on the Hill. Magre states that getting involved within the department has showed him how to behave professionally, as well as apply all the knowledge he has learned from his classes to his craft.

However, he and his castmates all agree that what makes the Department of Theatre & Dance so special is the strong community that it has built; one that is supportive, but still provides challenges for the next generation of performers to grow. Senior Jonathan Sutphin, who plays the legendary William Shakespeare in the production, expresses his gratitude for both the cast and crew of Something Rotten! and the Department of Theatre & Dance as a whole.

“I would definitely not be as strong of a performer or as good of a person as I am now if it wasn't for the people in this department,” says Sutphin. “They are so supportive and are constantly challenging me and trying to improve me, and I'm just forever grateful for what they've done for me.”

Something Rotten! runs April 5-7 in Van Meter Hall, with the Friday and Saturday performances starting at 7:30 pm and the Sunday matinee starting at 2:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased at wku.showare.com or by calling the Fine Arts Box Office at 270-745-3121.