bottom's gonna be on top!

I just love all the double-entendre running all through "Something Rotten!"

That's the modern musical selected for this summer's Encore production at the Savannah Children's Theatre... and modern it is, even though it does deal with Shakespeare!!!

Yes, I said it: a musical about The Bard and his big problem with a couple of competitive Bottoms!

Hahahaha!!!

I took these shots during their post-show bows to the audience.

See the young man in the vest, on the far right?

That's Josiah Williams and he played the revered playwright 'Shakespeare' with a bit of sass and almost no humility - perfect!

He was the first one I approached afterward and he practically ran up to me to clasp my hands in his!

I was telling him how much I'd loved his 'Orpheus'...

and he said, "yes, in "Hadestown" and you sat up front!"...

and I said what a great voice he has!!!

What a magical moment that was for us both!

And see the young woman doing a curtsey in center stage?

She was 'Euripides' in that earlier musical!!!

Here, Nikki DeCubellis played 'Bea', wife of 'Nick' of the Bottom brothers.

I told her that I loved the way she played this character as a strong woman, but also a fun person - and she gave me a hug for that!

And see the older fellow who's the third from the left? 

He's Sonny Schneider, and he knew naught of this play, but came out to audition anyway for the role of 'Shylock', the Bottom's Jewish money man.

He was thrilled to talk with me about that!

And that young woman having a blast dancing on the far left, with the bucket on her head?

That's none other than Jada Banks, who mush have had ten roles here!

I exaggerate, as she only had four, but she certainly could have played a lot more if they'd needed her to do so.

I managed to catch her hanging with her family after the show and I made sure to tell them that I've been watching her ever since she was the 'Nurse' in "Romeo And Juliet".

That was in 2024!

Later that year, she directed the play I liked so much that I saw it twice, then, early in 2025, she was the lead in "Sister Act", among other things.

Her family was thrilled that I'd been such a fan for so long!

 

Then, in this second photo, I've got the two Bottoms!

Front and center is 'Nick', played by Desmond Chaney, and to his right and behind is 'Nigel', played by Alex Gray-Hill.

I can't recall seeing the latter actor in anything else, so perhaps he is new to Savannah and attending college here.

However, I've been watching Desmond for sometime and was so glad to see him in a leading role!!!

Sure, he had a lot of lines in 'Evita', but he wasn't the lead.

This time, he got to show us that he's more than a pretty face - and that was such a great thing to see!

I managed to pat him on the shoulder after the show and tell him that I'd loved him in this role... but then he was gone.

I do hope he'll get more meaty roles in the future!

Heck, I hope all of them do!

After all, these are the Encore actors, so they've graduated from high school and are off into the world now.

See you on Broadway some day!!!

But I'm glad to have seen you here, with the SavChTh, first.

(smile!)