Stone Soup’s Inaugural Production!

Poster for "Something Rotten!"
The Minstrel welcomes everyone to the Renaissance
The Minstrel welcomes everyone to the Renaissance
Our music director and sound engineer ready for the show
Our music director and sound engineer ready for the show
The pit orchestra hard at work
The pit orchestra hard at work
The cast welcome you to the Renaissance!
The cast welcome you to the Renaissance!
Nick and Nigel debate script updates
Nick and Nigel debate script updates
Shylock reminds Nick the rent is due
Shylock reminds Nick the rent is due
It's the Black Death!
It’s the Black Death!
The Bottom Brothers Troupe at work
The Bottom Brothers Troupe at work
Bea, Nigel, and Nick sit down to dinner
Bea, Nigel, and Nick sit down to dinner
Bea wants to be Nigel's right-hand man
Bea wants to be Nigel’s right-hand man
Nigel realizes just what's in the stew
Nigel realizes just what’s in the stew
Nick hires Nostradamus to see the future
Nick hires Nostradamus to see the future
Shakespeare gives the crowd some Will Power!
Shakespeare gives the crowd some Will Power!
Nostradamus sees the future
Nostradamus sees the future
Nostradamus predicts the future of theatre
Nostradamus predicts the future of theatre
It's a Musical!
It’s a Musical!
It's a Musical!
It’s a Musical!
Brother Jeremiah and Portia preaching to Nigel and the crowd
Brother Jeremiah and Portia preaching to Nigel and the crowd
The Bard's Entourage
The Bard’s Entourage
Nigel and Portia compare notes on their love of poetry
Nigel and Portia compare notes on their love of poetry
Portia, a little drunk, expresses her opinion
Portia, a little drunk, expresses her opinion
Eggs: So Good For Eatin'!
Eggs: So Good For Eatin’!
The Bottom Brothers Troupe, behind the scenes
The Bottom Brothers Troupe, behind the scenes
The Bottom Brothers Troupe looks doubtful about Eggs: The Musical
The Bottom Brothers Troupe looks doubtful about Eggs: The Musical
Bea, disguised, tries to dodge Nick
Bea, disguised, tries to dodge Nick
Make an Omelette!
Make an Omelette!
The judge passes sentence
The judge passes sentence
A happy moment between Bea and Portia at curtain call
A happy moment between Bea and Portia at curtain call
Rehearsal: It's a Musical!
Rehearsal: It’s a Musical!
Rehearsal: It's Eggs!
Rehearsal: It’s Eggs!
Rehearsal: Nostradamus and our stage manager in a pensive moment
Rehearsal: Nostradamus and our stage manager in a pensive moment
Rehearsal: It's the Black Death!
Rehearsal: It’s the Black Death!
Rehearsal: Welcome to the Renaissance!
Rehearsal: Welcome to the Renaissance!
The Minstrel welcomes everyone to the Renaissance
The Minstrel welcomes everyone to the Renaissance
Our music director and sound engineer ready for the show
Our music director and sound engineer ready for the show
The pit orchestra hard at work
The pit orchestra hard at work
The cast welcome you to the Renaissance!
The cast welcome you to the Renaissance!
Nick and Nigel debate script updates
Nick and Nigel debate script updates
Shylock reminds Nick the rent is due
Shylock reminds Nick the rent is due
It's the Black Death!
It’s the Black Death!
The Bottom Brothers Troupe at work
The Bottom Brothers Troupe at work
Bea, Nigel, and Nick sit down to dinner
Bea, Nigel, and Nick sit down to dinner
Bea wants to be Nigel's right-hand man
Bea wants to be Nigel’s right-hand man
Nigel realizes just what's in the stew
Nigel realizes just what’s in the stew
Nick hires Nostradamus to see the future
Nick hires Nostradamus to see the future
Shakespeare gives the crowd some Will Power!
Shakespeare gives the crowd some Will Power!
Nostradamus sees the future
Nostradamus sees the future
Nostradamus predicts the future of theatre
Nostradamus predicts the future of theatre
It's a Musical!
It’s a Musical!
It's a Musical!
It’s a Musical!
Brother Jeremiah and Portia preaching to Nigel and the crowd
Brother Jeremiah and Portia preaching to Nigel and the crowd
The Bard's Entourage
The Bard’s Entourage
Nigel and Portia compare notes on their love of poetry
Nigel and Portia compare notes on their love of poetry
Portia, a little drunk, expresses her opinion
Portia, a little drunk, expresses her opinion
Eggs: So Good For Eatin'!
Eggs: So Good For Eatin’!
The Bottom Brothers Troupe, behind the scenes
The Bottom Brothers Troupe, behind the scenes
The Bottom Brothers Troupe looks doubtful about Eggs: The Musical
The Bottom Brothers Troupe looks doubtful about Eggs: The Musical
Bea, disguised, tries to dodge Nick
Bea, disguised, tries to dodge Nick
Make an Omelette!
Make an Omelette!
The judge passes sentence
The judge passes sentence
A happy moment between Bea and Portia at curtain call
A happy moment between Bea and Portia at curtain call
Rehearsal: It's a Musical!
Rehearsal: It’s a Musical!
Rehearsal: It's Eggs!
Rehearsal: It’s Eggs!
Rehearsal: Nostradamus and our stage manager in a pensive moment
Rehearsal: Nostradamus and our stage manager in a pensive moment
Rehearsal: It's the Black Death!
Rehearsal: It’s the Black Death!
Rehearsal: Welcome to the Renaissance!
Rehearsal: Welcome to the Renaissance!

A very special thanks to our sponsors!

Urban Durham Realty
The Triangle Youth Ballet
The Durham Savoyards, Ltd.
Chapel Hill School of Musical Arts (CHSMA)
With Special Thanks To

Playmakers Repertory Company
NC Museum of Art

October 9 & 10
NC Museum of Art Amphitheatre

October 16, 17, 23 & 24
Historic Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill

Welcome to the Renaissance and the outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce, Something Rotten.  Created by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick, and successful screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, Something Rotten‘s premiere was lauded by audience members and critics alike, receiving several Best Musical nominations and hailed by Time Out New York as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years”.

Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.

Directed by Melissa Craib Dombrowski
Music Direction by Dr. Joanna Sisk Purvis

Cast

ActorRole
Nick BottomDerek Robinson
BeaSusan Shank
Nigel BottomJos Purvis
PortiaKrystin Wingfield / Kerby Baier
ShakespeareD.A. Oldis
NostradamusRyan Madanick
Brother JeremiahKent Lewis
Lord ClaphamJohn Ivy
ShylockClay Davidson
The MinstrelKatie Bolaños
The EnsembleClaire Bell
Sienna Maxwell Crumbliss
Webster Grimes
Houston Horn
Arthur Jolin
Kelley Keats
Kim Kingsley
John Paul Middlesworth
Leo Rainey
Liz Sanford
Mitra Samei
Wednesday Sisk-Purvis

Simplified Summary

Stone Soup presents “Something Rotten!” Set in the 1590s, it’s the story of Nick and Nigel Bottom, who are struggling to put on a hit play in the shadow of Shakespeare. When Nick uses a fortune-teller to foresee the future of theatre, the wild jumble leads the brothers to set out to write the world’s first musical.