With February upon us, that means another annual event is almost here: VPM Drama’s winter musical! This year, VPM is putting on a production of Something Rotten, a musical about musicals, romance, comedy, and eggs. To get to know who we’ll be seeing on stage in less than a week, I sat down with the cast of this winter’s musical and asked about Something Rotten, the cast’s favorite parts of it, and the process of putting together a production like this.

Describe Something Rotten in three words.

Ben Thom (Nick): Writers, rockstars, romance

Jamie Iskandar (Nigel): Renaissance, poetry… trial?

Lars McKillop (Shakespeare): Sexy, stupid, convoluted

Olivia Trombley (Bea): Cooky, historical, hilarious

Avery Haworth (Portia): Chaos, joyous, harmony

Daniel Mueller (Nostradomus): Outrageous, elaborate, and… warm.

Jamie: Can I change “trial” to warm?

Everyone: No.

Devon Wells (Brother Jeremiah): Comedy, musical, eggs

Keera Sytsma (Minstrel): It’s a musical.

Blue Bartlett (Shylock): Jealousy, breakfast, cats

Trevor Hinkelman (Lord Clapham): Zesty egg fest.

What’s your favorite song from the musical and why?

Ben: My favorite song– I have 2. I have my favorite song that I sing and my favorite song in the show. My favorite song that I get to sing is To Thine Own Self Reprise, because it is a very sweet song from Nick to his brother, but also the best song in the show is A Musical, it’s bombastic, energetic, funny, and the tap dancing done by our lovely dance core is amazing.

Jamie: I like the opening of the second act, where Keera gets to sing Welcome to the Renaissance, and when she says “every other writer is not”… we did that yesterday.

Lars: He only remembers the songs we did yesterday.

Everyone: (Laughs)

Lars: First, I’m just gonna give an honorable mention to Right Hand Man Reprise, because that song makes me cry whenever I listen to it, but my favorite song is probably Bottoms Gonna Be On Top or Willpower. I love Bottoms Gonna Be On Top for the musical composition, but Willpower is so much fun. I feel so lucky to, in Eliav’s words, dance around like an idiot when I’m up there in that number. I get to be sexy, I get to showboat, but I’m the worst, and I’m the best at the same time, and everyone loves me. It’s also funny to watch people break one by one when I up the stupidity in my dance moves, because it’s all improv.

Olivia: I’d say my favorite is I Love The Way. Jamie and Avery are both great singers and they really bring life to the characters so well in that song.

Avery: I’m a little bias, but I’d have to choose I Love The Way, because the song conveys a really sweet story of two lonely people who find someone who truly understands them in the most awkward and inappropriate way that leaves the viewer with feelings of sweetness and joy, and it actively lowers my blood pressure (laughs).

Daniel: My favorite song is To Thine Own Self. whenever it pops up, because I just cannot get that dang melody out of my head. It’s so lovely and haunting, and I can’t get enough of it.

Devon: I also have two favorites. One is We See The Light, which is one of my solos/big ensemble songs where I really get to step into myself, and I really just get to have fun on stage, which I really enjoy. My second favorite is Hard to Be The Bard. It’s absolutely one of the most hilarious songs ever. It’s essentially just a mental breakdown on stage and I absolutely love it.

Keera: I really like Welcome to the Renaissance, one, because it’s my song, and two, because everyone’s in it, and it’s just really great to see it be created. I also really Bottoms Gonna Be On Top for the same reason, it’s just a really fun ensemble number.

Blue: I really like A Musical, because not only is the dancing amazing, and the people in the number amazing, but there’s so many references to other musicals that make theater nerds go “I know that!” (laughs).

Trevor: Also A Musical– it’s just big and bombastic and there’s a lot of dancers on stage and everyone just seems so happy.

On that note of musical references, Something Rotten is a musical about characters making a musical. As actors and musical fans, what part of making this musical in particular has been special for you?

Ben: As with every show, it’s always really fun to see the show come together from doing the read throughs to slowly blocking everything to adding more props and set designs and just seeing the show slowly evolve, it’s just really special.

Jamie: I was a little skeptical when they first announced this musical, just because I kind of knew it but didn’t really understand it. But I’ve really grown on it, I think it’s a really sweet story and it’s really funny.

Lars: Being an actor is awesome, but as Head of Media and Marketing for DDAF too, I’ve felt even more joy being able to make 43 different bios for all the cast and crew for the show. I know that sounds like a lot, but it’s genuinely been my favorite part of the process. I feel like I’ve gotten to know so many people in this production that I wouldn’t have known so intimately otherwise. It’s especially nice getting to know the freshmen in the production because it assures me that our company is in good hands going forwards. I love it, I love it, I love it!

Olivia: I’ve gotten to experiment a lot playing Bea, more than I would in other roles, so it’s been really cool to explore her range and the differences in her character as the story goes on, but it’s also been really cool to watch all of the dance numbers– they’re so cool, they’re so intense, and it’s been so cool to watch them come together.

Avery: Something Rotten has been my favorite musical since I saw it for the first time in 8th grade. As a huge fan of musicals, I can’t help but give a nod to the writers of the show and its music for how beautifully everything is put together. The jokes are to die for, and the music could never get old– I’ve been listening to it for 4 years, after all– especially the lines and songs for my character. Portia is just a dream role for me to bring her to life. She’s nerdy, she’s giggly, she’s a little out of pocket at times– I really just feel like this role was made for me, and I feel like that could be said for all my costars. To have the chance to perform alongside these incredible people and close friends in a show like this is an experience I grow more and more grateful for every day and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Daniel: I’ve done a lot of shows. This is my 8th show on stage at Memorial and I’ve done a good few outside school. This is the first show where I feel like I’m starting to figure out how to use my voice as a performer. I feel like I’ve come such a long way. I could not have done this just a few months ago, and I’m so grateful for everyone who has been there for me along the way.

Devon: For me, this is my first time stepping into a named role. I’ve done some community theater but never something where I’ve had a long set of lines or a solo song. This has really just been me figuring out how to portray my character in the best way possible, how to show that I know what I’m doing, and how to show that the directors made the best choice choosing me. I feel like I’ve stepped into my role slowly and I’m really figuring out my artistry as a performer.

Keera: I feel like doing shows is always the most fun when you see it all together, at the end, when you can just be proud of everyone for putting in the work and the time and the effort, and doing it well. My favorite part of this musical so far has been getting to see that finish line already at such an early stage.

Blue: What I love about the theater is just the sense of community we have here. I love everyone at the shows, and I love everyone backstage. I get to see people that I don’t get to see throughout the day, that I’ve talked to more and gotten to know better, and it’s just like, oh my gosh, yeah, we’re doing this together, we’re making a show! We’re going on stage and moving and singing and it looks like something professional, and it looks like something good! I love all of the people in these shows, because they’re just the most amazing people. They’re determined, creative, interesting– I just love our community.

Trevor: My favorite part of the whole musical is probably from the technical departments, I think the set designs are very unique, and the atmosphere of the show is a very interesting blend of the renaissance and musical theater, all from the costumes and the intricate set designs, and I think it’s all very neat.

Seniors, how has this experience making this musical been different from previous experiences?

Ben: Okay, so, imagine you’re me, right? Freshman year, we’re doing Mamma Mia. You’re a little scared, you don’t want to be on stage, so you do crew. Biggest mistake ever. Probably should’ve been in the musical. Sophomore year, you join the ensemble for All Night Strut, which– one of my favorite four musicals I’ve ever done here at VPM (laughs). Being in the ensemble for that show just showed me how much doing musicals at this school is just so much fun. Last year, I didn’t get to be in the ensemble, so I didn’t get to be in as much stuff, but I got to show my chops as an actor, acting, with my own name and solo. This year, I finally moved on to doing plays. If I hadn’t done the play in the fall, I don’t think I would have been nearly as good as I am now, or maybe even cast in the musical at all, because that play helped me a lot. But, just ending senior year doing a lead in one of my dream roles is just an amazing experience, and just doing theater for four years– it’s weird to think that it’s almost done. I’ve got a month. It’s a little sad, but I’m going out on a high note.

Jamie: I’ve done the musical all four years. Each year has been a little different. Freshman year was Mamma Mia, which was fun, because there were a lot of people I knew from previous productions in it… it was really fun, which kind of convinced me to keep doing musicals. Sophomore year was a different musical. Nothing I’ve ever done before, and it took a little getting used to… the social aspect kind of carried me through that (laughs). Junior year, we were back to actual musicals, and that was fun because I hadn’t done that for a while, so just getting back into that was fun, and I liked the musical we were doing. And now we get to Senior year, and it’s kind of weird that I’m now the oldest one, when in my heart, I still kind of feel like a freshman in the musical. I remember when I was a freshman and I saw the seniors then and they were so old and adult and cool, and I don’t think I’m any of those things now. Maybe old. (laughs). But I still really love doing it, and I’m gonna keep doing it until there’s no more doing it to be done.

Lars: Being a senior this year hurts my soul. Playing Shakespeare has been a dream since freshman year of high school, when I didn’t do theater, and in my senior year, I’ve actually done it. I didn’t start doing theater with VPM Drama until last year. Rumors was my start. Before that, I wasn’t in any clubs or anything like that. But I immediately felt more at home with these people in this company than I have felt anywhere else in my life. I got to know my best friends in this program. I met Daniel and Marguerite in that first production of Rumors, and they’re some of the closest people in my life right now. I’ve learned to be more confident in myself, and I’ve earned a leadership position that fulfills me to no end. It’s going to be so sad to leave this troupe behind, but I’m so excited to watch my freshman, sophomore, and junior friends take over and do great things, because I know that they will.

Olivia: I’ve only been in drama for two years now, idiotically, but I’ve watched the musical since freshman year. I remember watching Elijah Edwards on stage in Mamma Mia and being just so starstruck and thinking “I have to do that”, but I shied away from the stage, because I was just like, “I could never”. But doing it now, it’s been beyond cool to see how everyone brings all of their talent to the table. You get a new cast every year, with new people coming in and old people going out. It’s been so cool working with new people and new leads, as well as seeing the work the crew puts in every year. 

Devon: I’ve also been doing the musical at VPM since my freshman year. I’ve always been in the ensemble, and it’s always been like, “Okay, this is fun,” but I’ve always wished that I had the skills and the talents I needed to progress. Last year, I started doing theater through CTM and VACT and I found that I was able to progress my talents more, I was able to get named characters, I was able to show more of what I had as an actor and as a performer. This year, I knew I would need to bring my A-game to my auditions. I came in ready, knowing my music, knowing my monologues, and knowing how to deliver my acting no matter what role I was auditioning for. I just feel like I’ve grown as a performer and I feel like I’ve really been able to develop my skills, and for me, this show is me showing all that I’ve been able to accomplish over the past 4 years. 

Keera: Growing up doing musical theater and having a sibling that did musical theater was a really special experience. I got to see someone I looked up to do something that she liked, and when I figured out that I liked it too, I had someone to rely on to help me figure out how to excel at my best in it. I hope that as a senior, I can be someone to underclassmen like how my sister was for me. I just think musical theater is such a fun experience to do, you get to explore being a new person, and that’s pretty special. 

What’s one thing about Something Rotten you want everyone to know before they see it?

Ben: Everyone should come see Something Rotten because it’s awesome, and it’ll be really fun. Everyone’s doing a great job, and is beautiful, and has beautiful voices, and you should see it to support the arts, because the arts are cool! Woo!

Jamie: I want everyone to know that it’s a fun musical, I’m really enjoying doing it, and you should see it, just because. 

Lars: This show is for us. We’re obviously performing for an audience, but this show is for the performers. It’s chock full of theatrical references, littered with inside jokes, and produced by a family of theater nerds that spend hours and hours a week sharing our joy and excitement to make this production.

Olivia: Keep an eye out for the musical references, there’s a lot of them and they’re very iconic, so you should definitely look out for them when you see the show!

Avery: Bring all your friends, an open mind and let us dazzle you. Plus, there’s dancing breakfast food.

Daniel: You don’t need to get the references to have a good time. You can just sit there and enjoy all the spectacle and the jokes and the story and the heartfelt emotion, and it’ll be a great time no matter how drenched in theater you are.

Devon: This show is unlike anything any of us have done here at VPM before. It’s kooky, it’s weird– we’ve done comedies before, but this show is another level of funny. This cast really has become a family, we’ve really put in the work, and you should see the musical because I think that’s gonna pay off on stage. 

Keera: You should come see it. We worked really hard on it.

Blue: We put time and effort and tears and time into this musical, and we did it for YOU! Come see us.

Trevor: I’m not in the second third so you can leave for that part.