Set in the bustling streets of 1590s London, Something Rotten! follows the hilarious misadventures of brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom. The duo runs a struggling theater troupe and finds themselves constantly overshadowed by the “rock star” of the Renaissance, William Shakespeare. While Nigel is a sensitive, gifted poet, Nick is consumed by a bitter rivalry with the Bard and is desperate for a hit that will finally put the Bottom name on the map.
In a moment of desperation, Nick uses the family’s meager savings to consult a local soothsayer, Thomas Nostradamus (the less-famous nephew of the legendary seer). Nick asks what the “next big thing” in theater will be, and Nostradamus provides a blurry vision of the future: musicals. Though Nick is baffled by the idea of characters randomly bursting into song and dance, he decides to embrace the absurdity to beat Shakespeare at his own game.
As Nick begins crafting the world’s first musical, he returns to Nostradamus for one more favor: to predict Shakespeare’s greatest future hit. Nostradamus misinterprets his vision of Hamlet, telling Nick the play will be titled Omelette. Guided by this misinformation, Nick pours his energy into a bizarre production about breakfast, much to the confusion of Nigel, who would rather write a sincere play based on his own ideas.
The plot thickens with a secret romance between Nigel and Portia, the daughter of a strict Puritan, and the interference of Shakespeare himself, who disguises himself to infiltrate the Bottoms’ troupe and steal their ideas. Ultimately, the opening of Omelette: The Musical is a spectacular, tap-dancing disaster. After a legal showdown, the brothers are exiled to America, where they find a fresh start. They realize that while they didn’t beat the Bard, they successfully pioneered a brand-new art form, proving that “to thine own self be true.”
