Get yourself and your teens to the Stratford Festival, STAT. You have exactly one month more to see the extraordinary musical, Something Rotten. The musical was so successful over the summer that it was extended, so this is your sign to get yourself tickets and get to Stratford.
But the kids are back at school! There is so much to do! I know, I know, busy fall season, so many things ahead, yada, yada. School forms to fill, school activities, I get it! I decided mid-summer to implement a few different strategies for getting through this busy time, and one thing was planning for exceptionally fun things and putting them smack dab on my calendar. And everyone knows, once it’s on the calendar, it is practically set in stone. If you put this trip and this musical on your calendar, not only will it be an amazing thing to looking forward to, but it will be one of the most memorable plays you will ever see. Promise.
At the tail end of summer, a group of mom friends and I took our theater teens to Stratford to see Something Rotten. We had booked it way in advance as a last activity for the summer break. Stratford trips used to the be the norm for most senior high school grades here in Montreal. Unfortunately, since the pandemic, some trips have never come back. I’m hoping to help change that in the next year with the help of other parents and teachers. With that said, if you are in the vicinity of Stratford and your child’s school doesn’t have a Stratford trip on the list of class trips, I urge you to just go for it and take that road trip together. You will be so glad you did.
Who doesn’t need more laughter in their lives right now? This play will give that to you. Take your teen to see this “absolutely everything” musical that will have them cracking up.
So what is Something Rotten?
If your teen is reluctant with the idea of sitting still for a play about Shakespeare, show them this clip. This is the most fun, most outrageous, most showstopping parody that has ever been made about Shakespeare.
I can’t say enough amazing things about this play. Here is the synopsis:
The Bottom brothers, two struggling playwrights in Renaissance London, need a hit. That’s easier said than done when your chief competition is local rock star William Shakespeare. The Bottom brothers’ plan: write the world’s first musical! This rollicking song-and-dance extravaganza, nominated for ten Tony Awards during its smash Broadway run, sends up the Bard and Broadway and everything in between.
As I mentioned in my first Stratford post, our road trip gang was part of the cast that had performed Something Rotten at their high school. As a mama to one of the leads, I came to watch them perform every night. I was in awe of the costumes, the set designs, the singing, the choreography, the music and the acting that their high school team put together for this musical.
Then to see it the musical with a Stratford Theater cast in the Avalon Theater with them in the audience…it was magical. I kept looking over at the kids to see their reactions to the big numbers and the big vocal sets. Their mouths dropped multiple times!
One mama was friends with a member of the cast, and I had connected with the team at Stratford to potentially meet the cast after the performance. We managed to meet almost everyone. Sadly, Mark Uhre (Nick Bottom) had left quickly so we missed him. But here is some of the incredible cast, moments after their performance.
Bonnie Jordan, Henry Firmston (Nigel Bottom), Jeff Lillico (Shakespeare),Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane (Portia)
They were so gracious and welcoming to our group. Almost everyone had the chance to meet the performer of the character they played in the high school performance. It was really special. The cast was on their way to another practice rehearsal for an upcoming play so we had very little time with them, but regardless they were so wonderful.
It was such a pleasure to tell them face to face how absolutely incredible they were.
Why Teens Will Love Something Rotten
Two of my sons are not into plays and theater. However, both really enjoyed the humour of Something Rotten. There is so much comedy in this one production, and the fact that it pokes fun of Shakespeare makes it hilarious for teens. Right around this time in their schooling, they are being introduced to Shakespeare and his plays. They will likely have to read them, recite them, write essays on them…and if they don’t enjoy 15th century literature, it will be some of the most boring and aggravating time during high school.
This musical is hilarious and brings humour into the education of the literature.
Something Rotten also has many famous musical references that adds to the comedy and fun of the show. For example, you wouldn’t expect to see tap dancing in anything to do with Shakespeare, and yet, there is a massive dance number with glorious tap dancing. If you are a Broadway musical fan, you will catch every joke they make about them and it is witty and wonderful. There is a reason Something Rotten was nominated for ten Tony awards and won one. It is fantastic.
I hope this encourages you to take a drive, enjoy the fall foliage all the way to Stratford to see Something Rotten with your teen.