Mundelein Theatre will present “Something Rotten!” for audiences on Thursday, April 24 through Saturday, April 26 at Mundelein High School.
A musical 400 years in the making, Something Rotten! is the side-splitting Broadway smash that first hit the stage ten years ago and has only recently been made available for high school productions.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. on April 24 and 25, and 2 p.m. on April 26. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $8 for students. Tickets can be purchased online at www.mundeleintheatre.org. Online sales stop two hours prior to each performance. Tickets can also be purchased at the door 45 minutes before each performance (cash or check only).
Set in 1595, Something Rotten! follows the Bottom brothers, Nick (Alex Benassi) and Nigel (Finn Trackman), two struggling playwrights trying to make a name for themselves in the shadow of William Shakespeare (Hayden Gates) — the Renaissance rock star of the stage.
In a wild attempt to outshine the Bard, they set out to write the world’s very first musical. With over-the-top song and dance, outrageous characters, and a touch of Shakespearean sass, Something Rotten! is a love letter to musicals and a riotous romp through theatrical history.
“This show is pure, unadulterated fun,” said Director Jonathan Meier. “But it also has a big heart, with a great message of staying true to yourself.”
The show is chock-full of both Shakespearean and musical theatre references.
“Rehearsing this show has been quite a journey,” said Benassi. “Not only have we learned to tap dance, but we also had to figure out all the musical theatre and Shakespeare references. It was a lot of fun.”
This show marks the last at Mundelein Theatre for Meier, as he is retiring after 21 years at MHS.
Others playing principal characters in the show are Kelly McQuillan (Bea), Lia Kagan (Portia), Vesta Albano (Nostradamus), Achilles Kim (Brother Jeramiah), Brendan Niernberg (Shylock), Sylv Pacis (Lord Clapham), Ellory Duval (Minstrel), Nahomy Benitez (Peter Quince), Stella Buisson (Tom Snout), Aedan Hogan (Robin), and Jasmine Tigley (Snug). The remainder of the cast consists of Ronnie Anguiano, Aubry Bierer, Julie Brenner, Suzie Brown, Conner Bui, Diana Cuevas, Adren Delos Santos, Harley DiMarcantonio, Parker Dumalski, Araceli Faudoa, Arlo Fingerhut, Madelyn Fingerhut, Daniel Fishel, Michelle Frane, Andy Gallup, Ella Gallup, Arianna Garcia, Sofia Gomez, Xavion Haynes, Isabella Hofer, Mia Joshi, Riley Kuhn, Kayla Lomillo, Kai McHugh, Sara McHugh, Miranda Michler, Graham Ney, Shadow Reid, Mason Rupczynski, Kady Schubert, Sophia Tatevosian, and Layla Trahan. Production stage managers are Mari Hoover and Makenna Wald.
Featured from left to right: Lia Kagan (Portia), Finn Trackman (Nigel), Alex Benassi (Nick), Kelly McQuillan (Bea)