PUPOSKY — There may be no name more famous in theater than William Shakespeare. The musical Something Rotten looks at what it could look like to be a rival of his during his peak creative output.
Mask and Rose Women’s Theater Collective production in Puposky of Something Rotten focuses on two siblings Nick and Nigelina Bottom, who are playwrights competing with Shakespeare. They visit Nostradamus to see the future and he tells them musicals will be the next big thing in theater. The pair then attempt to write a wild musical to entertain crowds and draw them away from Shakespeare’s shows.
Director Cate Belleveau was drawn to the play because recently the Mask and Rose Women’s Theater Collective has done a lot of dramas and issue-orientated plays.
“I just very much felt like post COVID, and with the dynamics of what we're in right now as a country, that people in actuality... what they really crave and desire is coming together in community," Belleveau said.
The show will feature actors not only from the Bemidji area, but Little Falls, Brainerd, St. Paul, and Minneapolis.
Belleveau continued, “It's so incredibly funny and witty, and the music is fantastic, and there's a lot of tap dancing. And it's just a send-up of Shakespeare.”
A common thing theater groups learn is to adapt, even if one of the leads breaks their heel before the show. Eric Callagan, who plays Nick Bottom, unfortunately broke his heel recently and is learning to carry the performance with facial expressions and a cane.
Callagan said, “It's been interesting, but I would say it's an opportunity. There're quite a few times where I get to use my cane that I'm walking around with in interesting ways while I'm on stage.”
Belleveau applauded Callagan’s perseverance.
“It's a credit to Eric that he just never ever gave the impression like, ‘I've got to drop out.’ He's invested all this energy time learning the lyrics, learning the music. ... He's just making it happen and he's doing a fantastic job with his voice and his facial expressions.”
Callagan appreciates his costars rolling with the situation as well. “I'm really thankful that all my costars are able to adapt to it, too... like walking around me for a lot of practices. I had a little knee scooter, so it was a little comical and I'm trying to scoot around and talk to them, too.”
As for favorite songs in the show, Callagan and Belleveau said it doesn’t get much better than “Hard to Be the Bard.” Callagan said, “That song looks really fun from the audience perspective.”
Belleveau added, “Shakespeare is not the way you picture him back in merry old England. He's got pleather pants on and [looks like] a rock star ... and then he's got his dancers back there rocking it.”
Callagan is excited to finally perform the show with a live audience. “[It’s] fun to be in there with all these people that are working so hard on a live production. ...You just can't match it when you're sitting in a room full of people and everyone's laughing.”
Belleveau considers theater to be the queen of the artforms because you bring together fashion design, architectural set design, music, dance and lyrics. She’s also excited for the show to be in front of a live audience.
“We need the audience, and they need us. And it's that exchange that gives us this great joy. It's a great artistic exchange.”
Performances for Something Rotten at 7:30 p.m. July 25-27 and 29 and at 3 p.m. on July 28. Tickets will only be available by buying them in advance at McKenzie Places between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be no tickets sold at the door.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
