Why Something Rotten! Is the Musical for People Who Hate Musicals

Let’s be honest. When some people hear the word musical, they break out in a cold sweat.

You can practically see the panic:

“Wait, are people just going to randomly burst into song?”
“Is there jazz hands?”
“Will I be forced to feel... emotions?”

If that sounds like you (or your reluctant theatre-going friend), we have egg-cellent news: Something Rotten! is the musical for people who think they don’t like musicals.

Yes, really. Here's why.

It’s Basically a Musical That Mocks Musicals

Something Rotten! is set in Shakespeare’s day, but it gleefully skewers the entire concept of musical theatre.

Think: Renaissance characters suddenly breaking into elaborate song-and-dance numbers while other characters scream “WHY ARE YOU SINGING RIGHT NOW?!”

It pokes fun at every musical cliché in the book—big showstoppers, emotional ballads, tap-dancing prophets—you name it.

If you roll your eyes at spontaneous singing, this show rolls its eyes with you.

It’s Stuffed with Smart, Silly Humor

Written by the team behind The Book of Mormon and Aladdin, Something Rotten! blends Broadway flair with Monty Python-style absurdity.

There are egg puns. Omelette metaphors. Over-the-top Renaissance hip-hop. It’s gloriously ridiculous.

Even if you’ve never seen a musical in your life, you’ll laugh at the wild antics of two brothers trying to one-up that "upstart crow" Shakespeare.

Shakespeare Is the Villain (And He’s Fabulous)

This isn’t your high school English class’s Shakespeare. In Something Rotten!, he’s a swaggering, fame-hungry rock star who literally struts around in leather pants, basking in his own brilliance.

Think: Shakespeare meets Mick Jagger.

And watching a bunch of struggling playwrights try to take him down? Comedy gold.

It’s Weird. It’s Wild. It’s Not What You Expect.

Where else can you find a show that includes:

• A musical about making an omelette

• Tap-dancing Puritans

• A soothsayer who predicts that musicals will someday feature cats and swimming nuns

This isn’t a “serious” musical. This is a musical for people who appreciate chaos, satire, and a healthy dose of self-awareness.

You Don’t Have to Be a Theatre Nerd to Enjoy It

Sure, musical lovers will catch all the Broadway references, but if you miss them, who cares? There’s still plenty to laugh at.
You don't need to know Sondheim from Sufjan Stevens. The humor is broad, the characters are ridiculous, and the songs are catchy even if you're not a fan of singing in public (or watching other people do it).

Ready to Give Musicals a Shot?

If you’ve ever said, “Musicals just aren’t for me,” come let Something Rotten! change your mind.

Or at the very least, come watch Shakespeare get taken down a peg by a bunch of underdogs and a man who thinks “musicals” are a vision from the future.

Trust us, this one’s not just for the theatre kids.

It’s for the theatre skeptics, the comedy lovers, and anyone who enjoys a little Renaissance ridiculousness with their night out.

Tickets are on sale now. Come see what all the rotten fuss is about.