Manhattanville Performing Arts Students Gearing Up for Sold Out Shows

Spring musical “Something Rotten” running February 23 through 26

PURCHASE, NY, February 23 – The Manhattanville College Musical Theatre program will present its spring 2023 musical, “Something Rotten!” to a sold-out house of nearly 500 this weekend. The production will run Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, February 26 in the Little Theatre at Manhattanville College, 2900 Purchase Street, Purchase, NY.

The rehearsal process allowed the cast and crew to study performance skills and comedic timing, as well as musical theatre history, Shakespeare, and Renaissance history. According to Director Beth Burrier, this production calls on “everything the cast has learned in every class... it’s the perfect synthesis of classroom and performance.”

The cast shares this sentiment. “A lot of people really love this show and came into the show being really prepared and excited for it,” said junior Molly Sturgeon, a Musical Theatre major with minors in Spanish and Dance. She portrays Portia, a Puritan preacher’s daughter with a love of poetry and Shakespeare. “This show is so important since it’s a celebration of musical theatre lore, and just a fun show to do to learn about the history of musical theatre while also kind of making fun of it.”

Set in Renaissance England, “Something Rotten!” follows two brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, as they work together to write the next great play and rival their rock-star contemporary, William Shakespeare. After meeting a soothsayer who foretells that the biggest thing in the future of theatre is musicals, the two set out to write the world’s first musical. In its original run at the St. James Theatre on Broadway, the show was nominated for ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Senior Álvaro Medina agrees that everyone “since the beginning was just so in tune with the show. We just flowed like a machine. We have an incredible cast, creative team, musicians, and we all brought a little piece of our hearts to the process.” He is a double major in Musical Theatre and Creative Writing and plays Nick Bottom, one of the two brothers aspiring to become famous playwrights while living in the shadow of Shakespeare.

This musical comedy is well-known for its jokes and “Easter Egg” references to dozens of famous musicals, including “The Phantom of the Opera” and “A Chorus Line,” but it also provides relevant commentary on modern and historical issues, like religious persecution.

While this show has been a source of professional and educational growth for students, Medina believes that this production especially “highlights the community here and brings out a different kind of joy. It’s a story about family, loyalty, friendship, support, and finding your passion. The story does a tremendous job of showing Nick where his support system is, which is something I think we all strive for, while also encapsulating the magic of theatre.”

Burrier said the cast has “entered into the spirit of the comedy, one hundred percent. There will never be another “Something Rotten!” like this one because of our students. I hope the audience has a rollicking good time.”

Something Rotten! runs February 23 to February 26 in the Little Theatre at Manhattanville. This production is directed by Beth Burrier, with costumes by Sabrinna Fabi, lighting design by Joel Sherry, music direction by Chase Anderson, and choreography by Jaime Frola. Students were also able to get a taste of working on the creative team of a musical production. Senior Megan Hawk is the production’s stage manager and junior Sophey Potter designed the two story, practical set. For more information about the show, please contact BoxOffice@mville.edu. To learn more about the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Musical Theatre program at Manhattanville College, visit https://www.mville.edu/programs/musical-theatre.php.

 

About Manhattanville College

Manhattanville College is a small, private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education, and social justice. For two years in a row, the U.S. News and World Report has ranked Manhattanville the number one private, non-profit institution in New York among Top Performers of Social Mobility in Regional Universities North. Located 30 miles from New York City on a 100-acre suburban campus in the heart of Westchester County, Manhattanville enables easy access to entertainment offerings, educational resources, and business opportunities for its primarily residential and diverse student body. The college serves more than 1,500 undergraduate students and nearly 1,000 graduate students from more than 44 countries and 33 states. Founded in 1841, the college offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate areas of study in the arts and sciences, education, business, and creative writing, as well as continuing and executive education programs. Graduate students can choose from over 70 graduate and certificate programs. Extracurricular offerings include more than 45 clubs and 20 NCAA Division III teams.

Manhattanville has also been recognized by “U.S. News and World Report” for Ethic Diversity. The college has earned a designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education which has allowed it to recruit more Latinx students. For the sixth consecutive year, Manhattanville has been named to the Colleges of Distinction list which recognizes colleges that excel in student engagement, great teaching, vibrant communities, and successful outcomes. This year, the college is also among those that have earned the Equity and Inclusion badge from Colleges of Distinction, while continuing to be recognized for excellence with Business, Education, and Career Development badges. The school is also one of the few to offer an undergraduate certificate in design thinking, giving students a leg up with employers looking for critical thinking skills.

To learn more, visit www.mville.edu.

Contact: Cara Cea, cara.cea@mville.edu, 914-323-1278 or 914-906-9680.

Facebook @Manhattanville
Twitter @Mville_College
Instagram @Manhattanville_college

LinkedIn @Manhattanville College

TikTok @Manhattanville_college