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Appalachian Musical Theatre Club Presents Their Fully Student-Run Production of “Something Rotten!”

BOONE, NC – The Appalachian Musical Theatre Club, also known as AMTC, includes over 200 registered students in its membership and puts on a fully student-run musical every academic year. With a brief hiatus due to the pandemic, they are back strong. Following three sold out performances of Heathers: The Musical in March 2021, they are now producing the newly-released musical Something Rotten! in a brand-new venue as well.

AMTC’s production of Something Rotten will feature two showings, one on December 10 at 7 p.m., and the other on December 11 at 2 p.m., at the newly-renovated Appalachian Theatre on King Street in Boone. Tickets are $10 for students and $17 for adults. Tickets can be purchased online at the Appalachian Theatre’s website, www.apptheatre.org, by visiting their box office during operating hours (Tuesday- Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), or by calling at (828) 865-3000.

Something Rotten!, written by Wayne Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, follows the story of the Bottom Brothers, Nick and Nigel, as they try to discover the next big thing in theatre and dethrone William Shakespeare as the king of Renaissance England theatre. When their attempts continue to fail and it looks like all hope is lost, Nick turns to the future-seeking powers of a soothsayer, who tells them that the next big thing in theatre will be… musicals!

So simply put, it’s a musical about a musical. Something Rotten! debuted on Broadway in April 2015 and ran for 708 performances. It was nominated for ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

The Appalachian Musical Theatre Club has been a student organization on campus since 2012 and during that time has produced many musicals and other student-led performances. The musicals they have produced in their ten years as a club have been Mamma Mia!, Legally Blonde, The Drowsy Chaperone, RENT, and Heathers. In previous years, AMTC’s productions have been restricted to a campus ballroom or other less-than-ideal performance space. This year, however, Something Rotten! will be produced in the 627 seat Appalachian Theatre of the High Country.

Will Taylor, who has been president of the club for two years and an executive officer for one before his presidency, says that this is a huge step forward for the club. “This club has an immense amount of talent,” says Taylor. “It’s so heart-warming to see a venue that will do the best job of showcasing that.” Taylor also said that the club’s biggest trouble each year when producing the show is finding a venue, so they hope to establish a wonderful and recurring relationship with the Appalachian Theatre.

One of the unique aspects of the club’s productions is that they are all fully student-run. Hopeful production team members apply in either the summer or winter break before the production semester and are chosen by the executive board. Once they are chosen, they begin working on the production immediately. Students are given a budget by the executive officers and design costumes, sets, lights, etc.

Colin Pendergrast, a sophomore communications major and Chinese minor from Charlotte, NC is the director of this production. Pendergrast said directing the show “has been a joyful process.” Rehearsals have been underway for over two months now and he says that the cast “[impresses] me daily with their humor of course, but also with their talent and execution.” The production features a student cast of 29 and a crew of 17.

The Appalachian Musical Theatre Club solely relies on ticket sales and donations to fund their productions, so consider coming out and supporting their production of Something Rotten! December 10 at 7 p.m. and December 11 at 2 p.m. at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country.