A booming voice introduces the production from a clear, brand-new sound system. Colored lights sweep the stage, bright and dramatic. Rotating sets reveal a cast bursting into song — so begins “Something Rotten.”
Every year, the White Station High School (WSHS) theater department puts on a spring musical. This year’s production, “Something Rotten,” imagines a pair of brothers — Nick and Nigel Bottom — as rivals of Shakespeare, attempting to make a hit play in an era when the Bard commandeered the public’s attention and even, occasionally, Nigel’s own lines. Their solution? To consult an unreliable fortune teller and forestall Shakespeare’s next hit by writing it themselves, resulting in the creation of the first musical — “Omelette.” The show is ridiculous and funny throughout, while exploring deeper themes of family, relationships and what it truly means to succeed.
The skill of the lead actors was supported by an enthusiastic and talented ensemble, and despite a few technological issues, the show was fun to watch and only improved as it progressed. However, what really made it stand out from previous spring musicals was the quality of the new technology recently installed in WSHS’s auditorium.
Last year’s “Mamma Mia!” was plagued by intermittent microphone shutoffs that — despite a talented cast — made the show difficult to follow. However, the brand-new sound system that was installed at the beginning of this school year made a huge difference. With only one major microphone issue, the characters, music and words of the musical were loud and clear, making “Something Rotten” enjoyable and relaxing to watch. The lighting was also a highlight, and the new ability to change the color of the stage emphasized the emotional journey of the show for actors and audience alike.
“Actually having different colors to express different things … [the show] feels good to watch,” Aubrey Burress (11) said, who played Bea Bottom, Nick’s fiercely independent and fiercely supportive wife. “[For the actors], having fun and feeling good while you’re performing, I think that’s the main thing [that the new lighting does].”
“Something Rotten” had a set largely consisting of three rotating platforms, which could be rotated to show the walls of buildings for an outdoor scene or their interiors for an indoor one. The clever switches allowed for a variety of locations to be represented efficiently and noticeably. Director Camryn Pitts was responsible for planning these new sets, and Burress and other members of the cast and crew helped build them.
“It took a lot of courage and trust in Pitts to build those,” Burress said. “When I was building those frames, just looking at the frame, I was like, ‘How is this gonna come together?’ It actually ended up being pretty good … very sturdy.”
The other big change this year was the incoming freshman. Burress noted that they brought new talent and energy, and the ensemble, which included many freshmen, was particularly impressive in “Something Rotten.” Their dancing, singing and acting as a whole were in-tune and energetic, making many of the larger musical numbers a definite highlight.
Overall, “Something Rotten” used the theater department’s new tech to pull off an engaging and hilarious production. Sound issues were barely noticeable, the set immersed the audience in the world of the musical and the lights were blinding — in a good way.