The Panthers Players will present to the greater Wallkill community the comedic musical “Something Rotten” from Thursday, April 18 to Sunday, April 21 at Wallkill Senior High School. The April 18th show will be offered to senior citizens before the opening weekend.

The production follows the tale of two brothers in the 1590s who struggle to come up with and write a hit play, all while competing against the very popular William Shakespeare. It is a story of the creation of the first musical that blends traditional Shakespearean language and themes with the more modern Broadway musical and theater takes.

The creators of “Something Rotten” are Wayne Kirkpatrick, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell. The show enjoyed a run on Broadway from April 2015 to January 2017.

Wallkill Panthers Players Directors Liz Bailey and Mark Cambalik return once again to lead the cast and crew to another fun-filled performance. “Something Rotten” will be the 22nd show for Bailey at Wallkill.

“These kids are great. Anything that we ask of them, they try so hard and they get along so well,” said Bailey. “I have faith in them. They’re ready, you know, we’re just guaranteeing that they’re ready. This is entertaining. And when they [the Wallkill community] sit down here, they’re gonna see that it’s entertainment.”

“It’s a different flavor for us. We’ve done, kind of a lot of the traditional stuff. It’s a comedy show, in the flavor of Monty Python, in some respects,” said Cambalik. “Because they’re [the cast and crew] getting closer to show, their energy level is increasing, they’re starting to get excited, they’re starting to pull it together.”

Several of the cast members had no prior knowledge of the production or had even tap danced before tapping is featured in the show. As the show draws closer to opening weekend, several cast members feel more comfortable with their characters and look forward to portraying them.

“I realized that this kind of a show, I think was very fitting for me because I like making jokes and making people laugh and stuff,” said Nick Petralia. “I do believe that the whole role of the character is to be a huge comedic relief character. I think that works really well for me because I was just able to mold into the character very, very well.”

“I’ve never put on tap shoes or danced ever but it’s gotten so much more comfortable now because of all the work we’ve done on it,” said Lily Kilpatrick. “I did not get the role I necessarily went out for but I’m getting so much more comfortable with my character now.”

“I had no clue what ‘Something Rotten’ was before I heard about it here, but it’s definitely really funny. I enjoy the character of Nick a lot, I feel as though I can relate to this character in some ways,” said Ryder Kilpatrick. “I feel like every day all of us are just getting more and more into our characters. We’re just growing them more and more every day.”

Several of the cast members also spoke about their directors Bailey and Mark Cambalik. Some have only just started their theater journeys together with them while for others, this would be their last spring show together.

“Meeting Miss Bailey in my freshman year was a very surreal experience. She’s such a big character. She is a lovely person to be around. She’s a great director in all areas, but I think where she really does shine is in comedic moments,” said Eric Scheerer.

“She’s such a guiding light to me all the years I’ve been here. It’s just so nice having that extra face when you come off stage that you know is there to support you and loves you unconditionally,” said Lauren Cambalik.

“I really do commend her because I know without her there wouldn’t have been any theater productions in Wallkill,” said Bryanna Wallace. “I also do want to shout out Mark because he is constantly making all these sets and they’re super cool.”

As the cast and crew make their way to opening weekend, they are eager to put on a great show filled with laughs and enjoyment all around for both fans of musicals and theater and for the first-time viewers.

“I guess it’s kind of like, almost a parody of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It’s funny, it tells the story, quote, unquote, the story of how musicals came to be,” said Olivia Clarke.

“It’s very witty. If you aren’t on your toes the entire time you’re watching this, you’re not going to understand but if you do understand it’s really funny,” said Janelle Jusino. “Definitely if you know what’s going on, you’re going to be laughing.”

The senior citizens show will begin at 3 p.m. at the high school. Opening night, Friday, April 19 will have their show begin at 7:30 p.m. The following day, Saturday, April 20 will have two shows at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The final show will be Sunday, April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets for “Something Rotten” can be purchased at the door or online prior to the show via the following link available: www.onthestage.tickets/show/wallkill-senior-high-school-panther-players-drama-club/65c15bb793c8810e3b2a4b88/.