MHS to perform ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’
It is unusual for a musical to have a lead character who doesn’t sing and doesn’t have a name.
But such is the case for “The Drowsy Chaperone,” the Mundelein High School Theatre spring musical. The show runs May 2-5 in the M.H.S. Auditorium, with the Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances at 7 p.m. and the Sunday show at 2 p.m.
Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.
“The Drowsy Chaperone”, a musical within a comedy, debuted on Broadway in 2006 and was an instant hit, winning seven Drama Desk Awards and five Tony Awards. To chase his blues away, a modern-day musical theater addict known simply as “Man in Chair,” drops the needle on his favorite LP, the 1928 musical comedy “The Drowsy Chaperone.”
When the record begins to play, the musical bursts to life onstage, telling the tale of a pampered Broadway starlet who wants to give up show business to get married, her producer who sets out to sabotage the wedding, her chaperon, the debonair groom, her Latin lover and a pair of bumbling gangsters.
“The show is pure fun,” said Jonathan Meier, the show’s director. “It is a brilliant concept for a show. You get a modern sensibility with the Man in Chair talking to the audience, then all of a sudden a silly, madcap 1920s musical breaks out in his living room.”
The cast is made up of 43 students and another 50 students working on crew and in the pit orchestra.
“We have had a ball putting this show together,” Meier said. “There is a ton of dancing, slapstick comedy and high energy songs, all held together by the wry commentary of the Man in Chair.”
Senior Kelsey Hoffmeyer takes on the role of the pampered Broadway star, Janet Vander Graff, and senior Alexander Montero plays Man in Chair.
“My character is onstage for the entire show. Sometimes I am just watching, at other times I am up interacting with the characters from the musical. Most of the time I am talking to the audience.”
Because of the unusual construct of the show, Montero has roughly 50 percent of the lines.
The production team consists of David Mork (set designer), Sara Gunther (set and light designer), Adam Gohr (pit director), Cory Thompson (vocal director), Eryn Brown (choreographer), Adam Cabrera (stage manager), Rylee Freeman, Nicole Hernandez and Evan Saunders (assistant directors).
There are several ways to purchase tickets. Phone reservations are being accepted at (847) 949-2200, ext. 1407. Tickets can also be reserved through the M.H.S. website, d120.org.
The box office will be open for advanced ticket sales on April 30 through May 3, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The box office is just inside the school’s main entrance near the main office. Tickets will also go on sale 45 minutes prior to curtain for each performance at the M.H.S. Auditorium.