By Diya Ramachandran ‘26, Arts and Entertainment Staff Writer

“Something Rotten!” logo (image courtesy of The Forestburgh Playhouse)

Every year, Newark Academy’s Theater Department puts up mysterious clues on the monitors to help students guess the upcoming winter musical. This year, the clues were a milkshake, cucumber, rooster, and an image showing a man going from the bottom to the top of a staircase. At the end of the week, Newark Academy’s long-awaited winter musical reveal declared the musical to be “Something Rotten!” The musical begins with two brothers, Nigel and Nick Bottom, who desperately want to become famous playwrights. But they have a slight problem: William Shakespeare is already the biggest playwright of the Renaissance. Nick’s wife, Bea, offers to help them out, but the kind gesture simply makes Nick feel even more like a failure. During this time, Nigel falls in love with Portia, the poetry-loving daughter of Brother Jeremiah, a Puritan man who associates singing and music with evil. Nick, on the other hand, decides to take Shakespeare’s next play idea, Omelette, and use it to spread his name in the theater industry, since Shakespeare’s play ideas are always big hits. However, Brother Jeremiah and Shakespeare are not at all pleased when they find out about Nick’s plan.

Despite the musical’s lightheartedness, “Something Rotten” explores the theme of embracing one’s true identity despite any obstacles on the road. The main characters go through drastic changes regarding their identity and originality because Nick tries to use somebody else’s ideas to boost his reputation instead of staying true to himself. Similarly, Nigel learns to embrace his love for poetry and write a script that truly comes from himself, rather than taking inspiration from one of Shakespeare’s many great works. Overall, every main character develops and matures in a way that makes them fully understand the phrase: “to thine own self be true.” 

Newark Academy’s winter musical director, Ms. Megan Ferentinos, says that she is looking to “include as much of the school as [she] possibly can.” She wants to make sure that all students can audition for and possibly receive whichever role they see fit for themselves, whether that means just dancing or delivering monologues as a lead. Also, since the musical has a very large set with many different components, the faculty leading the show are looking for as many people as possible to join the crew. This goal echoes the main message of the musical, which is to embrace one’s individuality, by encouraging all Newark Academy students to be a part of the production in a way that they feel is true to themselves and their passions. 

For the 250th anniversary of Newark Academy, Ms. Ferentinos says that she wants to make one of the biggest productions of Newark Academy by keeping the show open to both the Middle School and the Upper School. She also wants to maintain a humorous and lighthearted environment following last year’s more serious winter musical, “Chicago.” Ms. Ferentinos encourages all interested students to participate in the musical, on stage or off stage, so that they can help create a wonderful show. Even those who may not be a part of the show should come support their peers and watch this fun and hilarious musical during the first week of March.