Hilarious Comedy Musical 'Something Rotten' Licensed Premiere at Chungmu Art Center

Opening on August 7... Leading Role 'Nick Bottom' Played by Kang Pil-seok, Lee Ji-hoon, Seo Eun-kwang

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The hilarious comedy musical 'Something Rotten' will have its licensed premiere at the Chungmu Art Center Grand Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul, starting August 7.

'Something Rotten' is a work depicting the struggles of the Bottom brothers who set out to create the world's first musical in the romantic Renaissance era, competing against the era's greatest playwright, Shakespeare. It is a clever and unique comedy that parodies lines, scenes, and some numbers from performances such as 'Les Mis?rables,' 'Rent,' 'A Chorus Line,' 'Wicked,' and 'Avenue Q,' while playfully borrowing excerpts and words from Shakespeare's works to evoke laughter.

The play was created based on the absurd curiosity of "When was the moment the world's first musical was born?" and "Wouldn't it be interesting if London in Shakespeare's time resembled Broadway's golden age in the 1930s?" It originated from the imaginative minds of British comedy writers John O'Farrell and brothers Kerry Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick.

Younger brother Kerry Kirkpatrick wrote scripts for Walt Disney's animated 'The Smurfs' series, as well as 'Daddy Day Care,' 'Chicken Run,' and 'Charlotte's Web.' British comedy writer John O'Farrell co-wrote the script with Kerry Kirkpatrick. Older brother Wayne Kirkpatrick, a lyricist and composer, is a songwriter and guitarist/keyboardist who has worked with Babyface and Eric Clapton.

'Something Rotten' premiered on Broadway in New York in 2015. Choosing Korea as the first destination for its original world tour, it held a performance at Chungmu Art Center last June, and now, after about a year, a licensed premiere featuring domestic creators and actors has been realized. Producer Shin Jae-hong introduced 'Something Rotten' to Korea last year with the licensed performance in mind.

The domestic licensed performance involves renowned local creators including director Lee Ji-na, music director Kim Sung-soo, choreographer Seo Byung-gu, and translator Hwang Seok-hee.

The protagonist 'Nick Bottom,' a passionate playwright who is the breadwinner of his family and dreams of success and fame, will be played by Kang Pil-seok, Lee Ji-hoon, and Seo Eun-kwang (BTOB). Nick Bottom is a character who keeps an eye on Shakespeare, the era's greatest bard and star writer, and seeks a masterpiece to rival him.

Nick Bottom's wife 'Viola' will be portrayed by Lisa and Jemin. She is a progressive character who refuses the limited roles for women and strives to support her family to the best of her ability, even going so far as to disguise herself as a man and take a covert job despite her husband's opposition.

Nick Bottom's younger brother and passionate playwright 'Nigel Bottom' will be played by Lim Kyu-hyung, Noh Yoon, and Yeo Won (PENTAGON). Nigel is a meticulous and sensitive romantic who falls in love at first sight with Portia. Unlike his brother Nick, he likes Shakespeare and has excellent writing skills but lacks confidence and is somewhat awkward.

Portia, the daughter of the Puritan Jeremiah, will be played by Choi Soo-jin and Lee Bom-so-ri. Born into a conservative religious family, she loves poetry and the arts and is confident in her love.

The Renaissance era's top star writer 'Shakespeare' will be portrayed by Park Gun-hyung and Seo Kyung-soo. Shakespeare enjoys popularity comparable to a rock star and the attention and love of people but begins to feel increasing pressure about writing.

The role of 'Nostradamus,' the nephew of the greatest prophet Nostradamus, will be shared by Kim Beom-rae and Michael Lee. Although a prophet, he is neither as talented nor as skilled as his uncle in foretelling the future. He humorously makes mistakes during the prophecy process when Nick Bottom visits him for advice.

Additionally, Lee Han-mil will play Jeremiah, Kim Tae-han will portray Shylock and Sir Clapham, and Yuk Hyun-wook will appear as the minstrel.

The first ticket opening for 'Something Rotten' is scheduled for the 24th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.