SOMETHING ROTTEN!

Book by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick
Music and Lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick

Welcome to the Renaissance and the outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical comedy, Something Rotten!, hailed by Time Out New York as "the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years". Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as "The Bard." When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Thank you to everyone who auditioned for SOMETHING ROTTEN! We were incredibly impressed with all the talent and hard work on display. Please check out the cast information below. We hope that you will continue to be involved in the many theatre opportunities we have in the 2026/2027 season.  

SOMETHING ROTTEN CAST LIST

CASTING POLICY
All Dubuque Senior students are eligible to be cast in Dubuque Senior Drama productions. Casting decisions are determined through collaboration between members of the creative team for the production. The creative team includes the director, music director, choreographer, and conductor. The directors cast students with the talents and qualities appropriate for a given role regardless of that student’s year in school. In the casting process, the creative team considers potential cast members on standards of acting, singing, and dancing, as well as work ethic, morale, and availability to attend rehearsals. Casting decisions will not be made based on external factors (for example, past work with older siblings, how many crew hours a student has put in, or family donations to the program). The goal in the casting process is for the creative team to choose the most qualified individuals for each role (leading, supporting, and/or ensemble), consistent with the vocal, acting, and physical requirements of the role, as well as the concept of the role and/or production envisioned by the creative team. If a student has a question about his or her casting, the student should contact the creative team. 

If you wish to accept your role(s), you do not need to submit anything. If you wish to decline your role(s), please read the following:

• Please wait to email the directors until Wednesday, June 3. This will allow some processing time as you determine your interest in the role(s), production,  and/or other fall activities - along with talking with important people in your lives (family, coaches, bosses, etc.)
• If you wish to meet with the creative team before deciding on your participation, please email the directors after Wednesday, June 3 to set up a time
• We ask that all participation decisions be finalized by the end of June so that we can prepare for the production (rehearsals, staging, production elements, etc.) 

To see the full production team and leadership positions for the 2026/2027 Dubuque Senior Theatre Season, please click here:
           Dubuque Senior Theatre Leadership Team

CREATIVE TEAM

• Mr. Dean (Director) - [email protected]
• Megan Schumacher (Choreographer) - [email protected]
• Mr. Chesher (Music Director) - [email protected]
• Mr. Garde (Pit Conductor) - [email protected]

PRODUCTION RESOURCES:​

• Something Rotten Script
• Accompaniment Tracks
  • Download the "RehearScore" mobile app: RehearScore Link
  • Username: somethingrotten
  • Password: 88563968
• Rehearsal Schedule (released during the summer)
• Crew Call Schedule (released during the summer)
• Run Crew Sign-Up (released during the summer)
• Front-of-House Sign-Up (released this fall)

REHEARSAL INFORMATION

• A full rehearsal schedule will be released over the summer
• Rehearsals officially begin on Monday, August 24. Not all actors will be called for every rehearsal
• The typical rehearsal schedule will be Mondays/Wednesday/Fridays from 2:30 – 5:00 PM and Tuesdays/Thursdays from 6:00 – 9:00 PM
• All actors will be required to assist with 10 hours of crew over the course of the production, helping with costumes, props, set, lights, paint, publicity, sound, or more. Our productions would not be possible without the work of many students, onstage and off.
• Technical Rehearsals begin on Monday, October 26 and continue until Thursday, November 5.  ABSOLUTELY NO ABSENCES WILL BE ALLOWED DURING THESE TECHNICAL REHEARSALS. These rehearsals are essential to the success of the production