Toledo Rep presents One thing Rotten

SomethingRotten – Jarrod Alexander (center, standing) is William Shakespeare in the production of Something Rotten des Toledo Rep! Other rehearsals (from Alexander clockwise) Matthew Leuck, Kevin O’Korn, Elizabeth Latta, Mikey DelVecchio, Jack Rust, Jeffery Beam, Neil Powell and Allen Owen.

A perfect welcome back

Director Deb Calabrese is ready to stage a “bucket list” musical here in Toledo that fits our time perfectly. The play, the first full production for the Toledo Repertory Theater since the pandemic, could be an evening that will make you forget the past 15 months?

The rep production of Something Rotten! September 10-26 at the 10th Street Theater could be just the ticket. Set in 1595, the musical comedy follows Nick and Nigel Bottom’s theatrical troupe to rival a hugely popular contemporary – William Shakespeare. The show opened on Broadway in 2015 and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Desperate to write a hit play but stuck in the shadow of the “Bard”, the Bottom brothers learn from a fortune teller that the future of theater includes singing, dancing and acting at the same time. So they set out to write the world’s first musical, complete with big song and dance numbers.

A treat for Toledo
Calabrese and her husband saw something red! five years ago on Broadway. “It was such a wonderful performance, I swore to myself that I would do this show someday,” she said.

Steven Kiss, who plays Nigel Bottom in Rep production, reacted similarly when he saw the touring production in Detroit. “As soon as they did the opening number ‘Welcome to the Renaissance’ I thought, ‘This is something I have to do,'” he said.

Although Jeffery Beam (who plays Nick Bottom) didn’t see the play, he’s a self-proclaimed “Shakespeare nerd” who is a fan of Shakespeare’s oeuvre.

Careful but excited
Director Calabrese looks forward to working with the cast. “We had to be careful getting out of COVID-19 and rehearse day after day,” she said. “The cast is excited to do this. It’s a popular musical and we’re excited to bring it here. “

As a tap dance teacher since the 1970s, Calabresee personally blocks and teaches the tap numbers for the production. “Tap is at the core of theater, and my goal is to share my knowledge and love for it with others,” she said. “Even actors who have never typed will record it.”

Perfection in the rep
For Kiss, working with Calabrese is fate: “She directed my last show before the pandemic and it’s perfect that she is directing my first show after the pandemic,” he said, adding, “This gig is almost like a grand opening – for me. “and the rep.” Kiss has appeared in theatrical productions in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan since childhood, mostly at the Croswell Opera House in Adrian. Something fishy! will be his first appearance in the Toledo Repertory. “I’m looking forward to playing Nigel, who is light-hearted and has a lot of the funny lines in the musical.”

It’s ironic that Jeffery Beam sings the song “God, I Hate Shakespeare”. “It’s a parody, but at the same time a tribute to Shakespeare,” he said. “It should be fun for people who love musicals because there are so many references to musicals throughout the show.” Beam has lived in Toledo since he was 12 when he appeared in The King & I at the Westgate Dinner Theater.

Calabrese expected everyone to have fun at Something Rotten! “We need a little boost after the last year and a half,” she said. “Laugh and have a nice evening!”

$ 14.74-24.75
8 p.m., 10.-11. September, 17-18, 23-25
2.30 p.m., September 19 and 26
16 Zehnte Str., 419-243-9277
Buy tickets at toledorep.org