What could be more enticing than a production that encompasses witty musical numbers, a Roaring ‘20s style, and the humorous, lonely and a bit of a know-it-all narrator? StageKraft’s spring musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” includes all of this and more in order to create a truly one-of-a-kind spectacle.

The show will run Thursday and Friday (April 7-8) at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 9, at 2 p.m. at First Flight High School. Tickets cost $6 for students and senior citizens and $8 for adults.

“The Drowsy Chaperone” features a show-within-a-show plot, the first of which surrounds actress Janet Van De Graaff wanting to quit her prominent career to marry the suave Robert Martin. Janet’s manager, Mr. Feldzieg, has ulterior motives to stop the wedding so he can continue his career, and is further threatened by gangsters posing as pastry chefs. As the plot develops, more vivacious characters are thrown into the mix, causing more laughs and havoc. All the while, a reclusive theatre fan known as Man in Chair is shown periodically giving insight into his favorite show, adding in another hilarious layer.

Played by junior Jacob Poli, Man in Chair creates a different and unique aspect to the show by breaking the fourth wall and addressing the crowd. The unorthodox character creates strong bonds with the audience through voicing his creative viewpoint.

“The Man in Chair creates this sort of realism for the show. He gives the audience someone to resonate with and keeps them emotionally attached to the show,” Poli said.

The show is brimming with other passionate characters, such as the Drowsy Chaperone herself, played by senior Carla Hardy. As a bridesmaid to Janet, the Drowsy Chaperone helps create more mischief and intriguing moments with other characters

“The Drowsy Chaperone first and foremost serves for comedic purposes. She’s very insightful. Her words of wisdom and words of advice– especially to Janet and her council – serve to advance the plot, and a lot of the key moments come from what she says,”

Hardy said. “While a lot of the things she says are really funny, she does have underplayed emotional moments, especially at the end with Man in Chair and her relationship with him, and what she stands for to the show.”

While some students have a lot of acting experience, others are making the bold switch from working behind the scenes to shining onstage. This applies to junior Evan Fish, who has worked backstage with several StageKraft shows and is now making his acting debut as a pastry chef doubled as a gangster.

“Last year I did tech, so I have lots of experience working with actors, but I had never been an actor on stage,” Fish said. “Even though the show hasn’t happened (and we’re) just rehearsing it and being on the stage, it’s scary but it’s also fun.”

With the help of student recommendations, directors Monica Penn and Lauren Deal selected “The Drowsy Chaperone” for this year’s musical. With all of the right components, this show had a guaranteed recipe for success.

“We knew that we had the right number of people because it was a smaller cast,” Penn said. “We lost a lot of seniors last year when they graduated, so we wanted to do something with a smaller cast. This is funny. It’s a parody and we’re really excited to put it on because not a lot of people know about it.”

Auditions for the show started in December, so on opening night, that would mean the cast will have spent five months perfecting its performances. For junior Brady Creef, working with the cast for that long has made the whole experience even better.

“Working in the musical is a lot like working with a family: Everyone is super connected and so friendly,” Creef said.

Sophomore Beverly Murry can be reached at [email protected].

CAST

• Man in Chair: Jacob Poli
• Mrs. Tottendale: Sara Cook
• Underling: Israel Lopez
• Robert Martin: Christian Eberhard
• George: Sam Weybright
• Feldzieg: Ethan Gilbreath
• Kitty: Katy Spore
• Gangster/Pastry Chef 1: Miles Kasten
• Gangster/Pastry Chef 2: Kiersten Lewis
• Gangster/Pastry Chef 3: Evan Fish
• Gangster/Pastry Chef 4: Nicole Castano
• Aldolpho: Christian Davis
• Janet van de Graaff: Sam Surprenant
• The Drowsy Chaperone: Carla Hardy
• Trix the Aviatrix: Chloe Williams
• Superintendent (Female): Nina Holly

ENSEMBLE

• Fancy Dress maids & butlers: Nathan Butcher, Chloe Futrell, Michelle Hall, Nina Holly, Joey McNamara, Luke Potter, Liz Sinks, Victoria Tyson
• Reporter #1: Caitlin Nicholson
• Reporter #2: Brooke Kelly
• Reporter #3: Summer Tonnesen
• Reporter #4: Suzanne Harrison
• Toledo Surprise chefs: Michelle Hall, Brooke Kelly, Joey McNamara, Luke Potter, Chloe Williams
• Bride’s Lament monkeys: Brady Creef, Suzanne Harrison, Caitlin Nicholson, Emma Seay
• Wedding guests: Nathan Butcher, Brady Creef, Luke Potter, Joey McNamara, Robyn Godley, Michelle Hall, Summer Tonnesen

TECH CREW

• Directors: Lauren Deal, Monica Penn
• Stage Manager: Andrea Segura Ramirez
• Backstage Right Manager: Kelly Weisbecker
• Backstage Left Manager: Sarah Skinner
• Curtain/Running Crew: Blayde Keller
• Running Crew: Jodi Awtrey, Nicki Evans, Lauren O’Dell
• Soundboard Operator: Avery Daniels, Sam Wills
• Microphone Tech: Heidi Sabatini
• Lightboard Operator: Mac McClary (asst. Christian White)
• Spotlight Operators: Caroline Pharr, OJ Sawtell
• Props: Jayde Bruff, Casey Buchanan, Oscar Hernandez
• Costumes: Carietta Classen, Zane Fish, Juli Paris, Caroline Pharr, Mary Pat Thompson
• Hair and Makeup: Anna De La Cruz, Amber Laskowski, Beverly Murry, Ronnie Sunkler