Melissa Russell
At a rehearsal two weeks before opening night, things are coming together.
It’s when all the disparate parts of a high school musical — the scenes, the dancing, the music, the staging, the costumes, the lighting — are assembled. It is typically a time of high anxiety.
But Ezra Flam, Belmont High School theater director, shows not the slightest sign of concern, preferring to call it an exciting time.
“For me, the first time we do it on stage with the lights on, there is a certain magic to it. And there’s such an excitement about having the band there, on stage,” he said.
The spring musical “Something Rotten,” written by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick, is just plain fun. Set in Elizabethan England, it follows two theatrical brothers competing for success with their contemporary, William Shakespeare. Lots of puns and jokes featuring famous plays and popular musicals ensue but don’t worry if you haven’t brushed up on your Shakespeare. There are jokes for everyone to enjoy.
“People who like musical theater and Shakespeare will have a lot of fun picking up the references,” Flam said. “And for people who don’t know much about either, it’s a good story and a fun show, and there’s singing and dancing.”
Choosing The Material
According to Flam, he, along with choreographer Jenny Lifson and music director Kaitlin Donovan, chose the show based on the students’ strengths, what types of shows are available and what hasn’t recently been performed by the department.
“It’s looking at the list of shows to see what is going to pop out this year,” he said. “I wanted to do this one here since I saw it. I love Shakespeare, I like the musical theater references and I like that it’s a little smart and also really silly. And I thought we have a group of kids who would get into that as well.”
Also contributing to the decision is the new high school, which opened last year. The building has a state-of-the-art theater, capable of handling ambitious staging, Flam said. “Something Rotten” requires scenery that flies in and out, “a huge bonus of this building,” and a more comprehensive lighting system means fewer pieces of equipment need to be rented, he said.
“We’re renting a few things, but just to fill in,” he said. “The basic stuff we need to have is here.”
The department, thanks to parental fundraising, has a new set of wireless microphones and is home to a full-size scene shop where students build show sets. They’re borrowing some costumes for the Renaissance-themed show from previous shows, and the actors are making some, he said.
A Large Cast and a Large Crew
The cast numbers about 60 students, with another couple of dozen working backstage and in the band.
“What’s great is, at this school, backstage crew is not seen as something you do if you can’t make it as a performer,” Flam said. “There are kids who choose it because it looks interesting and that grows that group, that culture, and they are all working together on something. It is wonderful to look at.”
Junior Sam Geiger, who was in last year’s production of “Mean Girls” and is a veteran of Watertown’s Children’s Theatre, plays William Shakespeare and, as opening night draws closer, is “super excited.” He’s got a bit of tap dancing, as well as singing and acting to do in the show.
“Probably the most challenging is the singing. It’s a little high,” he said. “We care about it a lot, so there’s a lot of energy going into it. I’m not nervous, but there is that energy to do well.”
Senior Henry Barnes, who plays Nick Bottom, says he likes how silly the show is, while at the same time, celebrating the greatness of Shakespeare. Senior Nihara Thomas plays Bea, Nick’s wife, who disguises herself as a man in order to be able to raise money for her family, a familiar trope to Shakespeare fans.
“The musical numbers are very fun, there’s a lot of dancing. We’ve all had a lot of fun working on it for the past few months,” she said.
Sam encourages everyone in Belmont to come to the show and promises a great time for all.
“It’s a really good show, it has something for everyone. It has dancing, it’s funny, it is a touching story. If you know your Shakespeare trivia, there are a lot of jokes and puns you will get,” he said.
A Relevant Newcomer
The show, first produced in 2015, feels relevant, and while it has some mild innuendo and lewd humor, it does not contain material that modern audiences might find problematic, Flam said.
“I don’t mind pushing boundaries in terms of what is appropriate for high school kids to do. Last year’s ‘Mean Girls’ had some jokes and themes for a more mature audience, and our high schoolers were fine tackling and talking about and understanding them. I prefer that to a musical that normalizes or makes okay casual sexism and racism.”
As for “Something Rotten,” Flam said, “Anyone who is old enough to appreciate a good fart joke will have a good time.”
“Something Rotten” will be performed on March 14, 15, and 16. For ticket prices and other information, visit bhs-pac.org.
