The spring musical “Something Rotten!” opened April 16 and runs through April 19 on the Ms. Kevin Yale Vernon Stage in Community’s auditorium.

The show follows Nick and Nigel Bottom, two brothers jealous of Shakespeare’s success, as the pair schemes to steal the bard’s greatest play. After consulting a fortune teller named Nostradamus, the brothers learn the future of theater involves singing, dancing and acting all at once—a musical. 

What follows is comedy-packed with references to Broadway history, physical comedy and at least three tap-dancing numbers.

The production marks the 31st—and final show—for director Ms. Elizabeth Topping, who is retiring at the end of the school year. 

Topping, who teaches sixth-grade social studies at Parkside Junior High, said she selected “Something Rotten!” because it felt like a fitting way to close out her run.

“It’s the story of the first musical,” Topping said, “and I thought that was just kind of full circle to make it my last musical.” 

One of the production’s biggest numbers is a whirlwind tribute to musical theater, as characters appear in costumes representing a long lineup of iconic shows. In Community’s version, that sequence also serves as a tribute to director Topping, incorporating references to all 31 productions she has worked on, from her first role as first assistant director for “The Sound of Music” to her directorial debut with 2000’s “Guys and Dolls.” 

Choir and music director Mr. Ben Luginbuhl said that the showstopping sequence was a deliberate choice.

“It’s her swan song as director,” Luginbuhl said. “It’s the perfect sendoff.” 

Gallery • 8 Photos

Olivia Lively

Senior Davis Esposito performs as Nick Bottom, an aspiring playwright trying to outwrite Shakespeare.

The production is not only a farewell to Topping—it also marks a final bow for several of Community’s most experienced student performers, with four senior veterans of the theater program carrying its lead roles.

Davis Esposito stars as Nick Bottom, an aspiring playwright desperate to escape Shakespeare’s shadow, oppositeCohen Boyd as his brother Nigel—a lovesick poet torn between loyalty to Nick and his own creative ambitions. 

Miguel Patiño-Diaz takes on William Shakespeare himself, the smug literary celebrity whose success drives the brothers’ scheming, while Micah Heller brings comic relief as Nostradamus, a well-meaning—but unreliable soothsayer—whose botched vision of the future accidentally inspires the musical. 

For their final performances, those veterans of Community’s stage added a new skill to their repertoire: tap dancing, a challenge Luginbuhl said is especially impressive because the skill has become increasingly uncommon. 

Audiences, Luginbuhl said, do not need to be Shakespeare scholars to enjoy the production, as the comedy drops modern musical conventions into a Shakespearean setting, and the humor stands on its own.

“Even if you don’t know some of those references,” Luginbuhl said, “it’s very, very funny, and it’s silly, and our actors are just terrific.”

Behind the curtain, the scale matches the ambition. 

Roughly 53 actors share the stage, supported by a crew of about 20 and a 16-piece orchestra

“I would encourage people to come see the show, not only to support their friends or people they know that are in it,” Luginbuhl said, “but also just because it’s really funny.” 

Performances are scheduled for April 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. and April 19 at 2 p.m. 

Tickets cost $11 for reserved seating in the front half of the auditorium and $9 for general seating in the back half.

Advance tickets can be purchased here.