By Nick Escalada ’23
Did you know that the musical was invented in 1595? Not really, but Bellarmine Theatre Arts’ Winter production of Something Rotten seems to think so. Musicals are meant to be stage plays everyone can enjoy, but most of them still possess their fair share of peculiarities that the average theatregoer couldn’t hope to understand. If there are one too many things about singing shows or Shakespeare that draw your ire, you will love Something Rotten’s satirical takes on musical tropes and Renaissance-era literature. To give a better illustration of the show’s in-and-outs (without spoiling anything), Bell Online has gotten ahold of two of Something Rotten’s actors to tell us about their experience. The following is an interview with actors Alex Beckner (Bell 2023) and Isabella Caruz (Notre Dame 2023):
Q: What is your prior experience with Bellarmine theatre?
Isabella: I stared Bellarmine theatre my freshman year when I decided to audition for the Drowsy Chaperone. Unfortunately, that got shut down due to COVID, but now that we’re back in person, I’ve done Let the Right One In here, and I’m so excited to be doing Something Rotten right now.
Q: What made you want to come perform with us?
Isabella: Just reflecting on my freshman year, I really loved the community and how inclusive everyone was. And after taking a break from COVID, I was just really excited to come back, and yeah, I’m having a lot of fun.
Q: A lot of people aren’t as familiar with this production as other ones. What’s your personal synopsis of Something Rotten?
Isabella: I would basically call it two guys who don’t really know what they’re doing, but they’re trying to make the first musical ever and go through a lot of obstacles. And they sing and dance while creating a musical (and talk about omelets a lot).
Q: What are some things people might like about the musical?
Isabella: I think we have a lot of unpredictable numbers. There’s definitely some shock factors throughout the show, so it really keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.
Q: I know that you play several roles in the show; what’s your favorite one?
Alex: My favorite one was probably Robin because I really like the type of humor that comes with it. I think that I can pull it off really well.
Isabella: I think that, coming into the show, I wasn’t really expecting a lot of the characters I was casted in. But now, rehearsing the show and going through the numbers, I think my favorite role has probably got to be the omelet, you know? We’re tap-dancing omelets, what else can I say?
Q: The show also plays out mostly in song, so what’s your favorite musical number?
Alex: I really like “A Musical” because of how many other musicals it references. I really enjoy the way that it can spin off of these musicals and turn it into something new.
Isabella: I think my favorite number has got to be “Black Death.” It’s definitely not what you’d expect when you hear the title; it’s definitely a fast-paced and really comedic piece.
Q: Thank you for your time. When is Something Rotten opening?
Isabella: Something Rotten opens…
Alex: March 4th!
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There you have it folks. If any of the news shared here piqued your interest, make sure our cast sees you at Sobrato Theatre this March. You can find more information about the musical on our website at bcp.org/student-life/theatre-arts/winter. Come check us out!
Nick Escalada, Journalist
