Last Day for ‘Something Rotten!’ at Benedum; WYEP’s Alternative Souper Bowl (Sun., 2/5/17)

By the pricking of their thumbs, “Something Rotten!” this way comes. photo: Joan Marcus.

1) Unlike movies, Broadway musicals rarely have sequels and hardly ever have prequels. But the recent Broadway hit Something Rotten! might be the ultimate prequel: it’s a musical about the imaginary composition of the first musical. The setting is London in 1595. Brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are eager to upstage the current hot playwright, a guy named Shakespeare. Consulting a soothsayer, the brothers are amazed to learn that popular plays of the future will feature actors periodically bursting into song and dance. The soothsayer also predicts that Shakespeare’s next big hit will be about Hamlet, the Danish prince—except the info gets scrambled, so the Bottoms think it’s an omelet with Danish, and they beat the Bard to the punch with a blockbuster called Omelette: the Musical. Yes, Something Rotten! is that silly. Many references to modern musicals are slipped in, and good ol’ Shakespeare gets to strut and fret upon the stage in numbers like “Will Power.” 1 and 6:30 p.m. Ends today. The touring company of Something Rotten! intends to put an exclamation point on our aesthetic sensibilities at Benedum Center, 237 7^th St., Cultural District. (MV)

2) Before you settle in with more food than you can imagine, consider helping out our less fortunate neighbors by attending WYEP’s Alternative Souper Bowl during the afternoon before the big game. Local artists are performing and the station is broadcasting the event live. This year’s lineup includes Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers, Brooke Annibale, and The Buckle Downs. Donations of nonperishable food will be collected for HEARTH, who help provide shelter and support for local families. Noon – 3 p.m. Carnegie Library Main Reading Room. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

Share on Social Media