Auditions for “Something Rotten!” took place August 22 and 23, 2023. Director Michael Abbott '85 (right) and Stage Manager Drew Johannes '23 share notes during Night 2.
Each audition started with Choreography Director Kat Hickey, who led walking patterns and stretches to warm up the body ahead of fast-paced choregraphed dances giving auditioners a small taste of what it will feel like to participate in the 15 different full ensemble dances featured in “Something Rotten!”
Choreography Director Kat Hickey
Katherine Novak and Alex Kindig ’26
Director Michael Abbott ’85 and Vocal Director Colleen Pingel asked each actor to sing a show tune-style song of their choice.
Auditioners, including Thomas Bowling (pictured), showed off their vocal talents with songs like “Be Our Guests” from “Beauty and the Beast,” “You’ll Be Back” from “Hamilton,” and “When Words Fail” from “Shrek the Musical.”
Led by Director Michael Abbott ’85, the table read took place on August 27, 2023. All actors got together for the very first time to read their lines and sing along (if they could) to Broadway recordings of each song, while Stage Manager Drew Johannes reviewed stage directions
Hayden Kammer ’24 (left) and Max Hsu (language intern at Wabash)
Lisa Miellet (language intern at Wabash) and Alex Schmidt ’27
Costume Designer Andrea Bear and Scenic and Technical Director David Vogel shared their visions of the overall look and staging concept of “Something Rotten!”
Table read night gave actors a general awareness of the plot and tone, that way when rehearsals officially started, they had some idea of how each scene and their own characters fits into the show.
Many actors described choreography rehearsals, which took place from August 28 through October 26, as being both exhilarating and grueling. Crawfordsville High School students Zoe Abbott (left) and Paige Johnson share a moment during rehersal.
Tom Oppman ’25 as Shakespeare
Mixed emotions about choreography rehearsals were felt by Hickey too, who admits to initially being both excited and nervous about directing the tap dance numbers in the musical. She says, “I was very upfront with the fact that I have not tapped since I was a child, but Michael had faith that I could somehow pull it off. I managed to teach myself the basic tap steps in nine weeks in order to put together some semblance of choreography that was both challenging and doable for the performers.”
“I channeled different musicians and characters like Robert Plant from Led Zepplin, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, and Mike Myers as Austin Powers to influence my stage presence playing the role of Shakespeare. My favorite moment was performing my first song, ‘Will Power,’ where I got to channel a lot of that exaggerated, sexy rock star energy this character is infused with,” said Oppman.
Stage Manager Drew Johannes ’23 gives actors feedback after a night of rehearsals. “This was the first time I was on the other side of a production, and I was definitely envious of the actors the entire time. But I was even more happy to be able to learn everything that I have as stage manager. I’m thankful Abbott trusted me to help put on a show this big with so many moving pieces,” Johannes said.
Julia Phipps (academic administrative coordinator to the Fine Arts Center) as Bea
“I loved Nigel’s earnestness, but my favorite part about him was his character development. He starts out with zero confidence in himself despite his talent, but as time goes on, he grows a spine and pours himself into writing what would become a masterpiece, though of course Shakespeare gets the credit,” said Luke Fincher ’24 who played Nigel Bottom.
Alex Schmidt ’27 as Nostradamus (left) and Logan Weilbaker ’25 as Nick Bottom. “We had an incredibly tight-knit company. It’s really important that a rehearsal is a place where you want to be because it is such grueling work five days a week, three hours a night. If you’re not having fun, then it’s going to be really tough to make it through that. The fact that everybody was so on board and so loving with one another made it all possible,” said Weilbaker.
Director Michael Abbott ’85 gives feedback.
“One of my favorite moments during the rehearsal process was when the cast finally felt like they were dancing after ‘Musical.’ I can’t remember exactly when it happened—maybe during the Cheryl rehearsal or slightly before that—but after drilling for weeks this choreography, they danced it, and it was simply electric,” said Hickey.
Like the choreography (which took place from August 28 through October 26), vocal rehearsals presented challenges as some actors were initially unsure of their vocal range or didn’t have experience reading sheet music.
Before diving into songs as a group or individually in practice rooms with Rehearsal Accompanist Cheryl Everett, the cast participated in breathing and vocal warm-ups and exercises.
Elizabeth Hutson (Crawfordsville native) as Portia
Members of the female (Lisa Miellet and Katherine Novak) and male (Nathan Felix ’24 and Alex Kindig ’26) ensembles participate in a vocal rehearsal.
“I loved working with Michael, Kat, and Cheryl. It was the best collaborative experience I have ever had. I remember sitting in the audience opening night with an immense sense of pride, gratitude, and awe of how beautiful the cast sounded,” said Pingel.
Vocal Director Colleen Pingel (far left) was patient and encouraged lead and ensemble performers to push themselves week after week.
Alex Kindig ’26 and Tom Oppman ’25
As actors rehearsed, crew members stayed busy for three months during the day building the “Something Rotten!” stage.
After joining the Wabash staff in August as an associated professor of theater, “Something Rotten!” was David Vogel’s first big project leading student workers as the scenic design and technical director.
The set construction crew included Ryan Frazier ’26, Benjamin High ’24, Jacob Irick ’25, Mike Kopecky ’27, Jesus Monrroy Mazcorro ’24, William Morris ’25, Tanner Quackenbush ’26, Edsel Reyna ’26 and Wade Wisler ’17.
When it all came together, the small yet efficient structural pieces constructed by Vogel and crew allowed for quick and seamless switches from scene to scene.
When it all came together, the small yet efficient structural pieces constructed by Vogel and crew allowed for quick and seamless switches from scene to scene.
Jesus Monrroy Mazcorro ’24 (left) and Jacob Irick ’25
Costume Designer Andrea Bear, stitchers Allison Jones and Anthony Sirk, and student costumers were tasked with creating a laundry-list of outfits that featured a heavy Shakespearean look while also staying light enough for the actors to comfortably dance, sing, and navigate numerous quick changes throughout the show.
Some materials used in previous Wabash productions were pulled from the shop’s storage to create the new costumes, some items were bought new or created just for “Something Rotten!,” and others came from a costume sale at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign).
“There was definitely a lot going on,” said Bear.
Stitcher Allison Jones
“There were so many ridiculous elements to the script—Elizabethan characters, dancing eggs, grim reapers—that let me play and have fun with how the characters should be costumed,” said Bear. “It’s always great to get an audience’s reaction to your work. I was just happy that it all came together in the end. This was a huge undertaking, with a lot of moving parts, and at the end of it was a beautiful production.”
Oscar Jacome Huesca ’25
“Serving as head of wardrobe was so much fun—especially as someone who has experience acting. I really enjoyed being there to support the actors, keeping them calm if they couldn’t get a zipper up or find the head hole. There were many times where I had to be like, ‘We’ll get it. It’s OK, just breathe. We still have six seconds, that’s like a minute in theater time!’ I thought a lot about the ways that I liked to be helped when quick changing,” said Wardrobe Supervisor K’tren Wilson ’24.
Costumers included Allison Jones, Anthony Sirk, K’tren Wilson ’24, Precious Ainabor ’26, Oscar Jacome Huesca ’25, Kade Irwin ’25, Rylan Perkins ’17, Gwyn Redding and Evie Redding.
Precious Ainabor ’26
The first run-through took place October 5, 2023, a little less than a month before opening night.
Exactly how it sounds, the first run-through was the first time the cast ran through the entire musical without interruption.
Exactly how it sounds, the first run-through was the first time the cast ran through the entire musical without interruption.
Luke Fincher ’24 as Nigel Bottom and Elizabeth Hutson as Portia
At the end of the first run-through, the stage manager and directors shared notes with actors on what scenes and lines need tweaked and strengthened.
Tech rehearsal took place October 28, 203.
This is the first time light and sound levels are tested and prepared for opening of the show.
Actors are asked to stand in certain areas on stage to ensure they are properly lit, not standing in dark spots, and delivering lines in a way that ensures any background noises don’t overpower their voices.
Paige Johnson, a member of the ensemble, shared her memories of the night: “Tech rehearsals are long days full of standing around on stage, skipping through scenes, singing songs multiple times, dancing, and lots and lots of stopping and saying ‘Can we do that again?’”
Choreography Director Kathleen Hickey gives feedback during the tech rehearsal. “When Michael contacted me last spring, I never questioned whether or not I would say yes to joining the collaborative team for ‘Something Rotten!’ Michael is a dream collaborator and director. There is a trust that we established nearly a decade ago with the production of ‘Guys and Dolls,’ and I was not going to throw away another chance at that type of collaboration.”
Logan Weilbaker ’25 as Nick Bottom and Alex Schmidt ’27 as Nostradamus
Shift rehearsal took place October 29, 2023. Also known as a “cue-to-cue,” shift is the first rehearsal where actors participate in full costume changes with costumers and wardrobe.
Taking place three days ahead of opening night, the crew also spent the night adding final touches to the construction of the set and art featured on stage.
Wardrobe members included Precious Ainabor ’26, Kade Irwin ’25, Joshua Massaquoi ’26, Maria Jose Oviedo Pruano (language intern at Wabash), and K’tren Wilson ’24.
“One of my favorite moments was seeing the transition of the wardrobe crew,” said Costume Designer Andrea Bear. “We had five students and one language TA working backstage on wardrobe, so they were responsible for setting all costume pieces for the quick changes, and there were a lot of quick changes. But going from the first day where it was complete chaos and everyone was terrified, to the night before opening and they had everything running smoothly without any notes is just a fun transition to witness.”
Scenic Charge Artist Benjamin High ’24
Sitzprobe took place October 29, 2023. Elizabeth Hutson, who played Portia, perfectly sums up the vibe of sitzprobe. She says, “It’s the first time when all the pieces of the puzzle come together: the cast, the costumes, the lights, the set, the sound, and the orchestra. It’s exhausting, and it’s THE BEST!”
The orchestra included Conductor Scott Pazera; Violin Alex Thomas; Bass Thomas Brinkley; Drums Greg Carey and Dane Market ’26; Guitar Quintin Danzi and Scott Pazera; Keyboard Cheryl Everett, Tom Lowe and Benjamin Casica-Patton ’25; Reed Patrick Burnette, John Holt and Jim Swift; Trumpet Bruce Knepper and Steve Parke; and Trombone Brian Pattison.
“I feel like I had the best seat in the house every night because I could see everything from where I was sitting to the point where on the third night, Cheryl (Everett) had to poke me to stop watching said, ‘Hey, we’re supposed to go on!’” said Conductor Scott Pazera.
Director Michael Abbott ’85 reflected on all that went into the musical ahead of its opening night on November 1, 2023. From having the opportunity to collaborate with brilliant directors and crew members to directing a talented pool of actors—one of which was his daughter, Zoe—Abbott had a lot to be proud of with the making of “Something Rotten!”
“I just want my team to know that I love them,” Abbott said. “Theater tends to make families, and that’s exactly what happened here.”
Julia Phipps (academic administrative coordinator to the Fine Arts Center) as Bea and Luke Fincher ’24 as Nigel Bottom
Jim Cherry (associate professor of theater) as Brother Jeremiah
“Michael directs with a lot trust in his cast and artistic team. He lays down the bare bones, the general shape of a show, and then allows freedom for play and experimentation. He isn’t strict with his own vision of the show; he gives actors room to breathe, and it’s a joy to work with him,” said Elizabeth Hutson.
“It was truly an amazing experience, from collaborating with the other directors to rehearsing with the cast and working with the stage crew. I will treasure those memories,” said Vocal Director Colleen Pingel.
“I channeled different musicians and characters like Robert Plant from Led Zepplin, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, and Mike Myers as Austin Powers to influence my stage presence playing the role of Shakespeare. My favorite moment was performing my first song, ‘Will Power,’ where I got to channel a lot of that exaggerated, sexy rock star energy this character is infused with,” said Tom Oppman ’25 as Shakespeare.
Max Hsu (language intern at Wabash) as Shylock and Logan Weilbaker ’25 as Nick Bottom
“I hadn’t done a musical since high school, which is something I really missed. I knew that we had a lot of very talented people interested in doing a musical for a while now, and that this would be the kind of thing everyone involved went all in for,” said Luke Fincher ’24.
“Figuring out Nick’s motivations was challenging. He’s a guy who loves his wife, loves his brother, and wants what all of us want, just a simple life and cottage in the country. I’ve never been married, I don’t have any siblings, but I do know what it’s like to care about someone and to feel the pressure of having to deliver. Michael encouraged me to dive into those experiences with this character. I usually hate playing the leading role in general, but I felt very honored that he trusted in me to pull it off,” said Logan Weilbaker ’25.
CRAFTING ONE OF THE BIGGEST theater productions in the College’s history started with a phone call that Director, Professor of Theater, and Music Department Chair Michael Abbott ’85 called a “make-or-break moment.”
After the department decided to include a musical in the 2023–24 season—the first to hit the Ball Theater stage in nearly a decade—Abbott knew he needed just the right person to help him pull it off.
“In February 2023, Choreographer Kathleen ‘Kat’ Hickey was the first person I contacted,” Abbott recalls. “I knew I had to get her first. It’s a huge dance show and she’s the pivotal firecracker that could make it all happen. She gets us, she knows Wabash. If she said no, we wouldn’t have a show.”
Thankfully, Hickey agreed to join Abbott in bringing “Something Rotten!” to campus. The dance lecturer from Purdue University also choreographed Wabash’s last musical in 2014, the Tony Award–winning “Guys and Dolls.”
Written by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, “Something Rotten!” is set in the 1590s and follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom as they desperately attempt to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of the Renaissance rock star known as The Bard. When a local soothsayer foretells the future of theater involving singing, dancing, and acting at the same time, the duo sets out to write the world’s very first musical.
Leading up to the show’s run in November, Abbott spent nine months securing support and funding, hosting auditions and callbacks, arranging an ever-changing rehearsal schedule, and uniting a large cast, orchestra, and stage crew.
“It was a journey, easily one of the hardest things I’ve done,” Abbott says. “But I felt tremendous gratitude knowing every night when I came to rehearsal that this company—Kat, Colleen Pingel (vocal director), the cast and crew—was willing to give me everything they had, week after week.
“I’m very grateful to Wabash too,” he concludes. “Putting on a musical like this is expensive and hard, and everyone from the top down just kept saying, ‘Yes, we want to support this.’ It’s thanks to them that we were able to put on such a fantastic show, one that audiences will not soon forget.”
Cast
Design and Production
Orchestra
by Paige Johnson
Auditions make me nervous, and “Something Rotten!” was no exception.
After dancing 13 years at a local studio, last July I made the difficult decision to step away. Studying four disciplines, demonstrating for younger classes, and dancing in the company meant spending 10–15 hours a week outside of school in the studio. That left little time for anything else. Knowing I was starting high school, I wanted the opportunity to try things I had never done before.
I wasn’t quite sure what would fill my time until my friend Zoe Abbott, daughter of Theater Professor Michael Abbott, mentioned Wabash was planning a musical for the fall and encouraged me to audition with her.
Walking into Ball Theater for the first time was nerve-racking. I knew there were people older and more experienced than me trying out for a chance to be part of the musical. But it immediately felt different than most other auditions I’d experienced. Everyone—the directors, the stage manager, and the fellow actors—built each other up. They smiled, joked around, cheered, and applauded after each audition, making me feel more at ease.
Five days later, I had accepted a role in the ensemble, had gotten measured for costumes, and was walking into the theater for our table read. This was where we read through the script and got the chance to see the ideas for the costumes and sets. Getting to hear everyone act out their parts made me realize just how amazingly talented the group was and how perfectly the directors cast the show.
I knew just by being around these other actors that I would become better. I was even more excited for rehearsals to start.
Singing rehearsals were my favorite. Our vocal director, Colleen Pingel, was great at working us through challenging harmonies. She taught us techniques to keep our voices healthy, to massage our vocal cords, and to read music better. In nine weeks, I grew vocally stronger, was able to pick up music faster, and could hit high notes easier. With only three sopranos in the show, I had to be confident. Colleen’s encouragement helped. She took the cast from a group that had never sung together to an ensemble that sounded professional in a short amount of time.
Choreography rehearsals were tiring, but I loved dancing on the Ball Theater stage and in the Experimental Theater. We learned the biggest musical number, “It’s a Musical,” in the Experimental while the stage crew was busy building the orchestra pit in Ball. While we were learning the kick line, Choreography Director Kat Hickey made us restart over and over again until it was right. She was tough on us during the rehearsals, but she let us laugh—a lot.
It felt like a safe space for me. Kat had stepped into the role of a dance teacher and mentor that I desperately needed after leaving the studio. She gave me corrections and helped me with anything I needed and had faith in me as a leader—she even asked me to help the college guys with tap.
I was the youngest person in the cast and they looked to me for help with their dancing. At some point during one of the many kick line restarts, I made faces at everyone to lighten the mood as we got in place for the big finish. It stuck and was something I ended up doing every night. Even though we only had rehearsal two hours a night, we got a lot done and still had fun.
On closing night, Kat cried during her preshow speech, because she said we had made her proud. “Something Rotten!” would not have been as good as it was without Kat’s help.
At our last run-through before adding tech and the orchestra, instead of cramming, stressing, and getting anxious about the week to come, Professor Abbott asked us to honor our rehearsal accompanist, Cheryl Everett, in whatever way we could: replace names with “Cheryl,” put it at the end of songs, drop it in our lines, just to make her laugh. She had been there through every single rehearsal even when she didn’t need to be. No matter how many times she saw a scene or played a song, we knew we could always count on seeing Cheryl’s smiling face. Seeing how happy the show made Cheryl reminded me of how much fun the audience would have, too, and helped get me through the extra-long nights the last week.
Opening nights are always a mix of excitement, dread, and nerves. As it got closer and closer to our first curtain, I got more and more anxious. Before the show opened, the lights lit the stage, setting the scene. The orchestra played and Thomas Bowling started “Welcome to the Renaissance.” I took a deep breath and got in position.
Once I started singing, I was so preoccupied with making sure I was doing everything correctly and with a smile on my face that I no longer had time to be nervous. The theater was full of people who erupted into applause after our opening number. After that, my nerves went away completely. Being able to finally perform for a crowd and shine onstage with my castmates was exciting, and we fed off each other’s energy all night.
We sold out the next three shows. I was not ready for it to end.
Zoe and I were a little obsessed with talking about the “last times” on closing night. The last time wearing our townsperson dresses, last time as dancing eggs, last time taking BeReals with Katherine Novak backstage.
I knew it was the last time I was going to see most of the cast and crew, which broke my heart the most. I did not want to let go of these amazing people. We came together as a diverse group of individuals from Crawfordsville to Taiwan, from a freshman in high school to a father of three with only one thing in common: “Something Rotten!” And they quickly became family.
But all good things must come to an end. When the curtain closed Nov. 4, we all left Ball Theater as the cast of “Something Rotten!” for the last time.
Paige Johnson is a freshman at Crawfordsville High School. She is a member of Dynamic Expressions Show Choir and was recently in “Footloose.” “Something Rotten!” was her Ball Theater debut.