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Former Chicago actor revels in 'Something Rotten!' Shakespearean spoof

For former Chicago actor and Broadway veteran Blake Hammond, the touring life can be tough. But he says it's worth it - especially when he gets to introduce new shows to those far from the New York theater scene.

“Not everybody can afford to get to New York City to see Broadway shows,” Hammond said. “So I love touring. I love being able to bring Broadway in a sense to the rest of America.”

Next week, Hammond does just that with the irreverent “Something Rotten!” The 2015 Broadway musical comedy makes its Chicago debut at the Oriental Theatre starting Tuesday, July 11.

“What we're finding throughout the country is people come in not knowing what it is, and they leave just having the best time,” Hammond said. “We've heard it all year long where subscribers say to us at the stage door, 'This has been our favorite show in the series.'”

“Something Rotten!” is set in 1590s London and centers around writers Nick and Nigel Bottom (Rob McClure and Josh Grisetti). The brothers struggle to create scripts to compete with hit playwright William Shakespeare (Adam Pascal), who is comically portrayed in the show as a cocky glam rock star.

The Bottoms' future begins to look brighter when they encounter the soothsayer Nostradamus - played by Hammond. He convinces the brothers that they'll have a guaranteed hit by writing the world's first Broadway musical.

Nick Bottom (Rob McClure), left, tries to intimidate superstar actor/playwright William Shakespeare (Adam Pascal) in "Something Rotten!" The national tour of the 2015 Broadway musical comedy makes its Chicago debut at the Oriental Theatre from Tuesday, July 11, through Sunday, July 23. Courtesy of Joan Marcus

“I love this role,” Hammond said. “(Nostradamus) has a confidence in himself that he knows what he's doing, but he's not that good at it. He is correct in the things that he predicts, but they just don't quite go together.”

Hammond is full of praise for “Something Rotten!” authors John O'Farrell and brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick, who each made their Broadway debuts with the show and have tweaked the production for the tour. Not only do the authors spoof Shakespearean conventions and characters, they also reference other hit Broadway musicals ranging from “Annie” to “A Chorus Line.”

“But you don't have to know musicals to enjoy the show, or really Shakespeare for that matter,” Hammond said. “People new to Broadway and veteran theatergoers are both going to love this show.”

Former Chicago actor Blake Hammond starred as Uncle Fester in the 2011 national tour of the revamped Broadway musical "The Addams Family." Hammond is back on tour with "Something Rotten!" in its Chicago debut at the Oriental Theatre from Tuesday, July 11, through Sunday, July 23. Courtesy of Jeremy Daniel

Local theatergoers might remember Hammond from a number of different productions. He acted in resident runs of “Billy Elliot” at the Oriental Theatre and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” starring Donny Osmond at the Chicago Theatre, plus in national tours of “Cinderella” and “The Addams Family.” From 1991 to 1998, the Texas native made Chicago his home and regularly performed at venues such as the Drury Lane Theatre (both in Oakbrook Terrace and Evergreen Park), the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire and at the former Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Summit.

Some of Hammond's fondest suburban theater memories include playing a comical diction coach in “Singin' in the Rain” in a Drury Lane production directed by now Paramount Theatre artistic director Jim Corti. Hammond also enjoyed playing against his usual comic character type by taking on the villainous Beadle Bamford in “Sweeney Todd” at the Marriott Theatre.

Struggling playwright Nick Bottom (Rob McClure), in blue, gets a vision of "A Broadway Musical" by Nostradamus (Blake Hammond), center, in "Something Rotten!" The national tour of the 2015 Broadway musical comedy makes its Chicago debut at the Oriental Theatre. Courtesy of Joan Marcus

Performing around Chicago “really gave me a chance to hone my craft, being onstage all this time and doing many, many different roles - even in the ensemble quite often, covering things or playing small featured parts,” Hammond said. “It was invaluable and I miss (Chicago) a lot of times.”

“Something Rotten!”

Location: Oriental Theatre, 28 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000 or

broadwayinchicago.com

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday (also July 16), 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday (also July 19); from July 11 through July 23

Tickets: $24-$95

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