The New Hampton School Department of Performing Arts is readying the stage for The Drowsy Chaperone, its third production of the academic year. The talented cast and crew will present a public performance of the show on Saturday, May 11, at 7:00 pm in McEvoy Theater. The performance held for the school community will take place on Friday, May 10.
About the Show
The Drowsy Chaperone is a two-act musical comedy by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. Acclaimed as a loving send-up of the Jazz Age musical, it features one show-stopping song and dance number after another, and the musical achieved five Tony Awards during its run on Broadway.
The Plot
The audience is greeted by the narrator, Man in Chair, sitting on a darkened stage. He is a fan of vintage musicals and a bit depressed, but quickly decides to cheer things up by playing a record of the original cast recording of a fictional Broadway musical entitled The Drowsy Chaperone. No sooner has the needle touched the record that we, together with the narrator, are transported to a 1928 Broadway theatre and into The Drowsy Chaperone, a play-within-a-play, crammed full of every cliché, gag, and gimmick from the golden age of musicals.
As one of the largest casts to date at New Hampton School, the cast and crew are eager to share their excitement for this production. Cast member Ryan LeBrun states that it is “filled with hilarious moments that make absolutely no sense at all. It’s a must watch!” And Juliette Pegula draws it all together sharing, “You will experience laughter, excitement, joy and putting all of your everyday worries at ease for 90 minutes.” The Drowsy Chaperone is sure to be a fun-filled time for theatre enthusiasts of all ages.
The show is free and open to the public with donation proceeds to benefit the NHS Theatre Department. The cast and crew look forward to seeing you at the show!
The Cast and Crew
Sixteen of the 27 cast members are day students at New Hampton School from the surrounding towns, while others hail from around the world. Meredith C. Brown is the Director, supported by a skilled technical crew including Jim Spiegel (Design), Gloria Breck (Music Director), Mary Randall Vaiden (Costumes), and Meagan Francis (Choreography).
Original Broadway production of The Drowsy Chaperone produced by Kevin McCollum, Roy Miller, Bob Boyett, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag, and Jill Furman. The Drowsy Chaperone is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com
