If all the world’s a stage, the Scotts Valley High School (SVHS) theater department welcomes you to see what’s happening on theirs.
SVHS’ spring musical, “Something Rotten!,” is in the works and opens Friday, April 14. Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find success in the theatrical world as they compete with the wild popularity of their contemporary William Shakespeare.
This musical comedy was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical; there’s no tragedy to be found in this fun, two-act romp. From the creation of “Omelette: The Musical” to modern-day musical references (“The Lion King,” “The Phantom of the Opera”), there’s plenty to enjoy in this upbeat production.
Directed by SVHS’ own Kendra Kannegaard, the cast and crew are excited to make much ado about “Something Rotten!,” especially when working with a limited budget.
“It’s important to take inspiration from the original show, or any time you do a musical, being able to look at the sets and costumes and then being able to scale it down to a high school production. I just think being able to make our sets and costumes look as professional as possible within a budget is important and I hope we are perceived that way,” said Kannegaard, who has gained a rabid following from her theater students.
Senior Ian McHatton, who plays double-duty as the student choreographer and character Nick Bottom, admits “it takes an incredible amount of hard work and dedication from the cast and crew, and I can proudly say that this community has delivered. Each and every person involved in this show has put in their fair share of hours to make this production possible and I am so excited to perform.”
Ciel Schnell, student director and a SVHS sophomore, is equally effusive about the musical.
“Everyone shines in their own individual ways,” Schnell said. “Everyone can bring their characters to life and that’s what makes the production so special—it’s not just one person that shines.”
Selecting a good spring musical is a tough call for any high school theater group, but Kannegaard has had her eye on “Something Rotten!” since 2017.
“It’s a show I have been wanting to do forever, but I was just waiting for the right group of students and this group is perfect. Our musical director (Lea Reed) is very passionate about the show and has wanted to do this show for a while because it’s funny, charming and has incredible music and dance ability,” Kannegaard said. “This is a huge undertaking vocally and dance-wise, but I knew we had the dancers in this department to be able to do it. This show would be a challenge under any circumstances, but student choreographer Ian McHatton made it all possible. It also provided the ability for him to highlight his own dance talents, as well as that of the students.”
Schnell agrees. “I thought it was a very cool show and I liked the concept. The show itself is unique compared to ones we have done in the past and provides an opportunity for the department to branch out into new horizons,” said Schnell.
While Shakespearean productions can have a variety of messages, sophomore Cate Hinkle (stage manager) says the “Something Rotten!” takeaway is clear.
“The motto here is the importance of creative freedom,” Hinkle said. “The story follows two brothers attempting to make it big in the theatrical world: one wants to create from his heart where the other wants fame and fortune. They both want each other to be successful, but they think they can obtain it in different ways.”
Junior Kavin Pugazhenthi, who plays brother Nigel Bottom, said, “The main theme is being true to yourself and your artistic integrity. ‘To thine own self be true’ (a quote from the musical).”
Kannegaard is impressed with the technical precision of the production’s crew.
“There are more lighting cues than we’ve ever had. It is also very costume heavy, with every person having at least one costume change. I think that this has the most dance breaks and dance numbers as well—some of them are almost 10 minutes long,” she said. “We have four tap numbers, and we’ve attempted to showcase all of our dancers, which is something our choreographer has done very well. Our set is also very ambitious and different from ones we have done in the past.”
Hinkle agrees with Kannegaard’s assessment: “This is the most technically complicated show we’ve done thus far, and it also has the most dance and costumes.”
Overall, the cast and crew have some warm impressions of the production.
“I would like people to know how proud I am of everyone. I always am, but this show especially has presented numerous challenges we have never faced before; through that, the total dedication and commitment these students have to the department and each other has really come through. It is an honor for me to be able to work with these talented students, and being able to see them care about the show as much as I do is very rewarding,” Kannegaard said.
Managing a musical is a first for Hinkle, and she’s found the experience to be difficult yet rewarding.
“I have been able to get closer with people and it has helped me work on managing myself because there is a lot to juggle,” she said. “The show has also helped me build my confidence, which has been helpful. It has given me a lot of memories, which I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
Pugazhenthi, who has another year of theater ahead of him, said, “This department has brought me immense joy and community in the past years and putting on this production is simply an expression of how much we enjoy spending time and creating art together.”
If music be the food of love, play on! Visit showtix4u.com/event-details/73360 to purchase tickets ($15 for general admission, and $13 for students). “Something Rotten!” runs April 14-29 at the SVHS Student Union.
