Director Donna Feore talks Something Rotten! with Scott Wentworth | Stratford Festival 2024

Join director and choreographer Donna Feore as she catches up with long-time friend and past castmate Scott Wentworth to discuss Something Rotten! Listen as Feore shares the parallels between Shakespeare and musicals. Whether the actor is singing a song or delivering a soliloquy, the result is the same: “communicating a story” to the audience.
Is this the production that could unite Shakespeare and musical lovers? You bet your Bottom! Feore discusses how this hilarious musical truly has something for everyone. There are even dancing eggs!
Something Rotten!
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'farrell
Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
Conceived By Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Directed by Donna Feore
Choreographed by Donna Feore
Music Director - Laura Burton
Set and Costume Designer - Michael Gianfrancesco
Lighting Designer - Bonnie Beecher
Sound Designer - Haley Parcher
Fight Director and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
00:00 “Let’s go all in…”
00:59 Intros
01:37 Donna & Scott's origin stories
03:39 Memory Lane: Donna's first season
05:09 How Scott ended up working at the Stratford Festival
05:30 How close Musicals are to a Shakespeare play
07:33 Re-imagining "Something Rotten" for the Festival Theatre stage
08:56 The trials and triumphs of using the thrust stage
10:49 Collaborating with fellow directors to figure out how to best use the festival stage
11:45 What are Previews for?
12:38 What is Donna's process in the preview period?
13:30 All the moving parts of a musical
15:28 The beauty of student/senior mixes for a preview audience
16:17 "...it felt like the first few previews of Rocky Horror..."
17:10 A moving student matinee retell
18:00 "...the response has been overwhelming..."
18:25 Plot Summary
20:44 Quick plot synopsis
21:08 This play is a love letter to Shakespeare & musicals
22:02 Plot summary continued
23:14 The theme of the play
24:04 “…This show is for you…”
25:12 Donna goes all in on this one
25:36 "...we reference 48 musicals..."
26:35 Harry Styles - Shakespeare comparison
26:44 Jeff Lilico is amazing
26:47 Cast shoutouts
27:00 Mark Uhre, the fearless leader
27:29 The rollercoaster element of this play
27:55 One of Donna's strengths...
29:29 Why Donna builds community in her productions
30:12 How Donna cultivates story
30:43 What Donna loves…
31:43 The story & pace
34:37 The commercial theatre world vs. rep. theatre
38:04 The beauty of a title that you haven't seen
38:42 Patron saw half of the previews - a special show
39:31 Why we need a good theatrical comedy
40:27 The dangers of the fast pace backstage
41:12 149 quick changes & 190 changes…what does that mean?
42:36 Closing remarks

[@corra7]

Thank you so so much for bringing this show to the Stratford stage! Great casting and directing! Have seen it more than 3x. Congratulations! A must see this season!

[@rosemarydelong6572]

Two Iconic 🎭🎭 talents...and look now what you have accomplished...Thank You for your commitment 🇨🇦❤️🐝🐝

[@stephaniewilliams2255]

I looooooove this soooooo much! ❤❤❤ It's so very lovely to see Scott, in particular. He's such a joy and an immense talent, and I love him so much! 😍😍😍

[@leeannjensen4960]

It is a brilliant and exhilarating show! I saw it 2x in NYC and once in Buffalo and this is every bit as good if not better! I want to go back for the way it makes me feel -joyful!

[@Bertramtalespinner]

I just wish there’d been a joke like “what’s next after a musical about omelettes, one about donuts?!”