‘Something Rotten!’: Masquers brings the comical farce to the Capitol Civic Centre stage May 9-11

MANITOWOC — Welcome to the Renaissance, baby!

The Masquers invite you to an evening of laughter and toe-tapping tunes as they present the outrageous musical farce “Something Rotten!”

Set in ye old days of yore, Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play, but are shrouded in the shadow of the Renaissance Rock star known as “The Bard.”

Bolstered by a local soothsayer, the brothers endeavor to produce the world’s first musical. The moral? To thine own self be true … and all that jazz.

Performances are May 9-11 at the Capitol Civic Centre , 913 S. Eighth St., Manitowoc. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

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Lisa Heili jumped at the chance to direct after seeing the show on Broadway — twice.

“Something Rotten!” ran for two years on Broadway. In that short time, it ran 708 performances and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

When the opportunity arose to bring this humorous ode to theater and Shakespeare to life, The Masquers was all too eager to take on the challenge.

At the helm of the director’s chair is Lisa Heili. This talented thespian is no stranger to theater, and she has more than a few shows under her director’s belt.

Six years ago, Heili had the pleasure of seeing the hilarious romp on Broadway — twice. There was no doubt in her mind she wanted to bring this “love letter to musical and classical theater” to Manitowoc one day.

So, when The Masquers announced they were producing the show, Heili jumped at the chance to make her dream come true.

When asked about the production’s universal appeal, she replied: “The humor. For sheer enjoyment value. It’s the humor.”

Although funny, 'Something Rotten!' is more than just humor.

“Something Rotten!” is more than just a barrel of laughs. Beneath the jokes and gags is a deeper story with which everyone can connect.

Even if you don’t “get” Shakespeare or call yourself a theater nerd, everyone can relate to the show’s core theme: “To Thine Own Self Be True.”

And this theme is a thread interwoven throughout the Bottom Brother’s tale and all the colorful characters who bring it to life.

“A lot of the characters make important journeys throughout the show,” said Zachary Glaeser, who plays Nigel Bottom. “When you see all those journeys, there will be one that will resonate with your life journey.”

The show is for 'literally, everybody' and aims to 'lighten the mood.'

Jack Hyde, a member of The Troupe, had a different idea of why audiences should see the show.

“There’s lots of ironic comedy … and if you’re going through a bad time right now, this would be a great show to lighten the mood,” Hyde said.

And who should see this show? The resounding answer from the cast and crew was “EVERYBODY!”

Set Designer Warren Schmidt was only too eager to agree with this sentiment.

“Everybody. Literally, everybody,” Schmidt said about who should see the show. “Some of the humor is more mature, but it’s still classy.”

If Em Schaller (Bard Boy) could leave the audience with one wish, it’s this: “I hope the audience’s cheeks hurt so much from smiling, and I hope they have a good time laughing along with us.

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If you go ...

The Masquers invite you to join them for some revelry, soothsaying and crowd-pleasing showstoppers as they present “Something Rotten!,” the tale of two brothers striving to make their dreams come true.

Here's what to know if you go:

• What: The Masquers, Inc., production of "Something Rotten!" Book by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick. Music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick.
• When: 7:30 p.m. May 9-11
• Where: Capitol Civic Centre, 913 S. Eighth St., Manitowoc
• Tickets and more information: Tickets are available at the Capitol Civic Centre box office, online at cccshows.org , or by calling 920-683-2184. Tickets are $30 for adults and $19 for students 18 years and younger. For more information, go to themasquers.org .

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: ‘Something Rotten!’: Masquers brings the comical farce to the Capitol Civic Centre stage May 9-11