As the 96th Season of the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre kicks off, we are excited to present the hilariously outrageous musical farce, Something Rotten! directed by Christopher J. Murphy, featuring a cast of 27 local performers, 9 of them making their Civic Theatre debut!
Meet the Director of Something Rotten!
CHRISTOPHER J. MURPHY is the Associate Director of Fort Wayne Youtheatre, where he directs, teaches, and oversees the theatre’s diverse educational and outreach programs. Before that, Murphy served as Director of Theatre at Blackhawk Middle School, was a Master Teacher with F.A.M.E, and taught acting and musical theatre at PBS host Mark Kistler’s fine arts camps throughout the U.S. As an award-winning actor and director, Murphy’s work is regularly seen on stages throughout northeast Indiana, like First Presbyterian Theatre, Arena Dinner Theatre, and more. In addition, he has worked extensively in the orchestral world, producing, writing, directing and often hosting shows for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic’s Masterworks, Family and Pops series. His adaptations and original narrative scripts for orchestral works, including The Legend of Johnny Tincap, co-written with his friend Adrian Mann, have been produced from Norfolk, Virginia to San Diego, California, and points in between. Civic audiences may remember his most recent role as Senex in ...Forum and as the Director of Matilda, produced in collaboration with Youtheatre. Murphy is a proud resident of downtown Fort Wayne, where he lives with the finest terrier known to man, Herbie Murphy.
Here's a sneak peek into what Christopher has to say about his production -
"I saw my first Broadway musical when I was 11. Okay, it was a truck-and-bus tour of My Fair Lady (still my favorite musical) at the Embassy…but still, I had never seen anything like it. Given our country’s relatively young age in the civilized world, there aren’t many artforms we can lay claim to, but we invented musical theatre. Like the country itself, it combines disparate ingredients into one big complicated but often glorious melting pot. For me, it was love at first sight.
Many historians trace the origins of musical theatre to 1896 when a French ballet troupe whose New York theatre had burned down joined forces with a melodrama called The Black Crook that had a theatre. The resulting show, a disjointed amalgam of scenes, songs, and dances, surely bore little resemblance to what you’ll see on the Civic stage today. It wasn’t until 1943’s Oklahoma! that all elements came together to tell a unified, cohesive story. Through good times and bum times, Broadway musicals have continued to evolve through “The Golden Age” (with shows like South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, and Hello, Dolly!), concept musicals (Cabaret, Follies), the British invasion (Phantom, Les Miz), jukebox musicals (Mamma Mia!, Beautiful) and more.
Something Rotten! envisions a very different, very entertaining (and very British) beginning for this American craft in a story that marries it to England’s own greatest artform, Shakespearean theatre. The show has so many of the things I’ve dedicated my professional life to as a director and educator. At heart, though, it’s a celebration of all things musical theatre; and if you can’t tell from these notes, there are few things I love more than sharing the artistry and history of my chosen profession. I know 11-year-old Murphy would be thrilled I got to spend my summer bringing this delightful show to life with an amazing team of friends, colleagues, and fellow musical theatre nerds.
The good news is if you’re a musical nerd like us, this show is filled with homages, references, and Easter Eggs you’ll love. The equally good news is if you’re a Shakespeare fanatic, it’s filled with homages, references, and Easter Eggs you’ll love. The BEST news is that if you’re neither of those, there are plenty of hilarious jokes, toe-tapping dances, soaring music, beautiful designs, and joyous performances you’ll love anyway! So willkommen, bienvenue, welcome to another op’nin’ of another show. And now, curtain up, light the lights! We got nothin’ to hit but the heights!"
Check out our Something Rotten! video below!
A few rehearsal shots!
Want to get the scoop on all things Something Rotten! Check out the Study Guide below to brush up on your Shakespearian lingo, see behind the scenes content from the original Broadway production, and brush up on your history knowledge of the Elizabethan era. Click the image below to discover more!
Thank you to our 2023-2024 Season Sponsor!
Join us for the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre Gala Saturday, October 14, 2023 at the Arts United Center. It will be an elegant evening of served hors d’oeuvres and plated dinners by Club Soda with chocolate dessert gifts by DeBrand Fine Chocolates. Our specialty drink, wine, and beer are complimentary as you enjoy dinner on stage followed by a Cabaret featuring Civic Theatre alumni vocalists. Don’t miss the opportunity to bid high and often on our variety of silent and live auction packages including a 50/50 raffle and more!
To purchase tickets, click on the image above!