The White Theatre to debut Broadway smash hit ‘Something Rotten’

The Lewis and Shirley White Theatre of The Jewish Community Center (The J) is excited to announce it will debut the Broadway smash hit musical “Something Rotten.” This brand-new production, performed on The White Theatre stage, will be available to audiences on-demand Feb. 13 through March 7 for the opening of its reimagined 2020-2021 theater season.

Tickets are on sale now, starting as low as $18.

“We’re tremendously excited to be the first theater in the Kansas City metro area to premiere this wonderfully entertaining show after its successful national tour,” said Keith Wiedenkeller, director of Arts + Culture at The J.

“And because there are no live public performances of the show, not only are we ensuring our patrons’ safety, we also are able to bring the magic of a live theater production into people’s homes — if only virtually — during a time when we could all use a little laughter.”

Created by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick, and successful screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, “Something Rotten!” opened on Broadway in 2015 to rave reviews by audiences and critics alike. This crowd-pleasing musical garnered 10 Tony nominations and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.

“Something Rotten” takes audiences back to the Renaissance. The year is 1590 when two brothers set out to write the world’s first musical in this hilarious mash-up of 16th century Shakespeare and 21st century Broadway. “Something Rotten” is an outrageous, musical farce with big song and dance numbers and over-the-top characters in this history-twisting adventure.

Veteran White Theatre director Tim Bair has been tapped to direct “Something Rotten!” Bair, who is also producing artistic director for Theatre in the Park (TIP), is a familiar face at The White Theatre having directed several musical hits including “Anything Goes,” “Cabaret” and The White Theatre-TIP co-productions of “Mary Poppins” and “Shrek.”

The cast includes Raheem Fiedler-Bey as Minstrel/Lord Clapham/Master of Justice, Tom Nelson as Nick Bottom, Weston Thomas as Nigel Bottom, Fisher Stewart as Shakespeare, Matt Fowler as Nostradamus, Krista Eyler as Bea, Emily Vargo as Portia and Ron Meyer as Jeremiah. The male ensemble includes Maddox Bane, Conner Bush, Jacob Jackson, Hewleek McKoy, Ryan Russell and Jackson Tomlin. The female ensemble includes Cally Beckman, Karen Blackmon, Ashton Botts, Brittnee Hill, Jenell Johnson and Abigail Knepper.

The White Theatre at The J is a performing arts leader in presenting some of the finest theatrical and musical productions, featuring an array of talented local performers from the Kansas City metro region. This 500-seat, state-of-the-art facility is located at the Jewish Community Campus, 5801 West 115th Street in Overland Park.

To purchase tickets for “Something Rotten,” visit TheJKC.org/Rotten. For more information about upcoming virtual events at The White Theatre, visit TheWhiteTheatre.org.