“It’s … a … musical, a musical / And nothing’s as amazing as a musical,” echoed through Bing Theatre as audiences poured in for the School of Dramatic Arts’ spring mainstage musical, “Something Rotten!”

The show, with a book by alum Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell as well as music and lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick, welcomes the audience to the Renaissance in a tale of the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, and their attempt to outwit William Shakespeare by creating the next big hit — and just how far Nick will go to do it.

This show is a world of fun and laughs with a touch of heart, and it even got Christian Borle the 2015 Tony and Drama Desk award for his performance in the original Broadway cast. With a USC alum at the writing and musical helm, it seems the perfect choice for SDA.

“Something Rotten!” is directed by Scott Faris with musical direction by David O and choreography by Dana Solimando and Hannah Jean Simmons. The show is written to keep audiences laughing from the moment the Minstrel (Oliver Copaken Yellin) opens the show until a true, authentic musical theater glitzy finale rounds things out.

In the tale of the two Bottom brothers, Sam Myerson is an utterly standout performance as the poetic genius Nigel. His ability to embody the awkward yet brilliant character is next level, giving true insight into Nigel’s strides toward greatness and love. Myerson’s physical embodiment of Nigel is perfectly crafted and well worth seeing. He constructs a rich, full character that connects with audiences.

Alongside Myerson, other performances feel truly remarkable, such as that of Ákos Jónás as the future-seeing Nostradamus — not the Nostradamus, but his nephew. The crazed, mysterious character can really be felt through Jónás’ eyes, which are a future-telling crystal ball of their own. Regardless of how far back audience members are in the large venue, Jónás’ use of his eyes extends far beyond the fourth wall and into the future.

The show is largely male-dominated in its principal characters, but the women leads, Maya Adayzé Lee as Bea Bottom and Hattie Ugoretz as Portia, do well in the moments they are given to shine. Jeremy Park, as the rockstar Shakespeare, owns the stage when he takes it.

While performance carries the show, there is also much to be desired. Unfortunately, the SDA talent does not shine through in all the show’s roles. At times, the predictable acting, stiff-dancing and unenthusiastic singing lowers the audience’s retention and interest in the show’s truly outstanding plot. 

Many of the Kirkpatrick brothers’ and O’Farrell’s jokes don’t get the laughs they deserve, purely because they aren’t performing well. In moments of silence and calm, it is still hard to latch onto them when what theatregoers see on the stage is an actor, not a character.

Regardless of performance, all the actors are perfectly dressed in Kealey Busch’s outstanding costume design. Busch’s work on these unique Renaissance outfits is spectacular and especially shines through on Jónás’ Nostradamus, with a feathery, caped outfit that can not help but garner awe. 

The music itself is a world of fun, being a show that audiences leave the theater excited to stream for themselves, and there are great voices that perform the songs. Alongside the singers, the band of 12 adds their own fun and excitement to the show. However, those two factors tend to clash, making it difficult to properly hear songs, and therefore makes it easier to lose the story.

In the technical realm, the show’s scenic design by Aarti Patel is quite traditional for musical theater. That is exactly what suits this show, and any overly symbolic or high-concept would have felt out of place. Patel has created a world that is perfect for the Renaissance while still acknowledging the silly nature of the show. When the set has its moments to just live, it does just that.

At some points, those moments are taken away by a large drop-down screen and projection. Projection is a wonderful embrace of new technology within the millennia-old art of theater when used well, but in “Something Rotten!,” it often feels overly tacky. 

When that partition comes down for projection, it is solely on the actors to hold the stage. The large ensemble moments in the latter part of the song “A Musical” are done wonderfully because the ensemble fills the stage with their presence. But for the most part, the projection design does not bring the same excitement and joy as in those rare moments.

The show, if nothing else, is silly fun and a special opportunity to embrace the joy of musical theater. While given a brilliant base script, SDA got quite close to pushing the show over the finish line, had it not been for the few elements holding the production back. Overall, the show is a good time, but every once in a while there is … “Something Rotten!”

“Something Rotten!” runs at the Bing Theatre through April 12.

Disclaimer: Sam Myerson is an art & design staffer, and Jeremy Park is a staff photographer for the Daily Trojan. Neither of them are involved in the coverage of “Something Rotten!”