Lights Up! Theatre Company will kick off its season with a megadose of musical theater in its production of “Something Rotten!” at the Marjorie Luke Theatre, Feb. 3-5. Critics have called the show “the funniest musical in over 400 years.” Performances are at 7 p.m., with a 1 p.m. Saturday matinee.
Now in its fourth year, Lights Up! (LU) has managed to thrive during the pandemic for two of its four years — getting good at adapting.
Last season, the company, featuring local teens, shifted its scheduled live performance of “Man of La Mancha” to a safely filmed production with masks cleverly worked into the costume design, then treated audiences to a needed dose of live theater with its heartwarming outdoor production of “The Sound of Music.”
This season, Lights Up! Director Amy Love chose the new musical “Something Rotten!” for LU’s advanced company as a sign of the times. Lights Up! is known for taking on big, challenging shows, and it felt that this year actors — and audiences — needed ashot in the arm of the brightest live musical theater around.
“Something Rotten! is a kind of love letter to Broadway musicals, in a mash up with Shakespearean silliness that is just breathtaking,” Love said. “You really don’t have to love Shakespeare to love this show; in fact, the lead character himself hates Shakespeare.”
“Something Rotten!” tells the tale of two brothers who set out to write the world’s first musical. It offers a fresh tour de force of Broadway-style tap numbers and slap-stick musical comedy.
For tickets, visit www.lightsupsb.com/tickets. Ticket prices are adults $30, students $20. The show is suitable for older children and teens due to baudy and suggestive humor.
For the health and safety of actors and audience members, Lights Up! policies follow the California Department of Public Heath guidelines for large events. Patrons should plan to arrive early to allow staff time to verify entry requirements.