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Fairfax High School is preparing a musical comedy packed with tap dancing, Renaissance costumes and an absurd plan to outdo William Shakespeare.

More than 80 cast and crew members and a live orchestra will bring “Something Rotten!” to the stage. The production is also Fairfax High’s Cappies entry for the season.

Director Chris Whitney described it as a feel-good show whose actors have kept him laughing during rehearsals. Students selected the musical partly because of its choreography potential, and student choreographers Nate Smith, Libby Hansen and Naomi Bautista have taught the cast several tap numbers.

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, April 30-May 1; 1 p.m. Saturday, May 2; 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 7-8; and 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, May 9. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students and will be available at the door and through the theater program’s website.

Set in London during the 1590s, the story follows struggling playwrights Nick and Nigel Bottom. The brothers must compete with Shakespeare, who seems to release another play every time they produce one of their own.

Their frustration leads them to Nostradamus, a supposed seer who predicts that audiences of the future will abandon plays for musicals. Nick then asks him to identify Shakespeare’s eventual masterpiece. Nostradamus mistakes “Hamlet” for “Omelet,” prompting the brothers to write an entire musical about eggs.

Whitney said the comedy carries a message about remaining true to oneself and creating original work. He called the production a love letter to both Shakespeare’s plays and modern musicals, combining witty dialogue with large dance numbers.

Senior Olive Webster plays Bea, Nick’s confident and quick-witted wife. Although women have little power in the world she inhabits, Bea is determined to earn money. She disguises herself as a man and attempts several jobs traditionally reserved for men, though she struggles to keep them.

Webster said Bea supports a household that includes Nick and Nigel, neither of whom is earning much as a playwright. She enjoys the character’s willingness to laugh at herself and her determination to help her family.

Her favorite number is “God, I Hate Shakespeare,” performed by Smith as Nick. The upbeat song openly captures Nick’s resentment toward his far more successful rival.

Webster noted that some of the humor is more mature than audiences may expect from a high-school production and recommended the show for children 10 and older. She said its colorful costumes, bright lighting and traditional large-scale musical numbers should add to its appeal.

Sophomore Lucas Schnotala portrays Nigel, an awkward but passionate writer who doubts his artistic abilities. Nigel is friendly, earnest and overly trusting, qualities that sometimes leave him vulnerable to being exploited.

Schnotala said the role requires him to balance clumsy comedy with sincere artistic ambition. Nigel’s confidence rises and falls throughout the story as he learns to accept himself and trust his talent.

His favorite song is “To Thine Own Self Be True,” which he performs. Schnotala said the number’s melody and message capture the production’s central themes of loyalty to oneself and one’s art.

Sophomore Olivia Ho plays Portia, Nigel’s bright and affectionate love interest. Raised in a religious household, Portia was forbidden from reading or enjoying poetry. Her shared love of verse with Nigel becomes an important part of their relationship.

Ho described Portia as bubbly, encouraging and occasionally shy. Her favorite number is “I Love the Way,” a fast-paced duet with Nigel featuring hand-holding, spins and jumps on and off a bench.

The production’s scenery includes moving elements and settings such as Bea’s house, a park beneath London Bridge and village exteriors. Women will wear long, colorful dresses, while men will appear in shirts and pantaloons. Lighting colors will shift to reflect the mood of each scene.

Senior Mauro Manganello plays a character simply called Minstrel, who opens both acts with a song-and-dance sequence. Fashionable and flamboyant, Minstrel wears high heels and Betty Boop-style curls and communicates entirely through song.

Manganello, who is also a dancer and gymnast, was given room to create some of Minstrel’s choreography. He said the character’s larger-than-life entrance offers audiences an immediate preview of the comedy ahead.

One of his favorite numbers is “Make an Omelet,” performed by the brothers and an acting troupe. While presenting an actual omelet recipe, the song slips in references to modern musicals that would not have existed during the Renaissance.

Manganello also leads the production’s hair and makeup work. Most characters will have traditional Renaissance-inspired appearances, while Nostradamus will look different. Wealthier women will wear large curls with a Marie Antoinette-like influence, while poorer women will have simpler updos or ponytails.

Shakespeare, meanwhile, will receive a modern rock-star treatment featuring black eyeliner and a grunge-inspired look.

The musical’s climactic comedy draws on characters and references from numerous Broadway productions, including “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Cats,” “The Music Man,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Mary Poppins.” Amid the theatrical references, elaborate dancing and egg-based confusion, the cast expects the brothers’ ridiculous quest for success to keep audiences laughing.