by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
A crazy assortment of kooks, eccentrics, con artists and misfits will fill the stage during Sartell High School’s upcoming production of a comedic musical called The Drowsy Chaperone.
Showtimes will be at 7 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, April 28-30, with the addition of a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday, April 23. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for students and free for seniors and children under 5.
The Drowsy Chaperone is a story within a story. It begins with a character named simply “Man in Chair,” who is bored and lonely, and puts on a recording of a 1920s play. As he listens, stage characters enter his apartment, as if by magic, and start performing their roles, even though he interrupts them with comments on how the show should go.
The setting for the musical is the wedding day of Robert Martin, an oil tycoon; and Broadway musical star Janet Van De Graaf, who has decided to give up her musical career for married life. Her producer has other ideas, however. He is determined to undermine the wedding at the ritzy estate of old dowager Mrs. Tottendale.
The motley guests include a ditzy flapper girl named Kitty, who hopes to take Janet’s role in her smash Broadway musical; a Latin lover (so-called) named Adolpho, who is hired to seduce Janet and ruin marriage plans; Janet’s alcoholic female chaperone, who is supposed to keep her away from Robert until the wedding; and Trix, an aviator.
As characters madly conspire at cross purposes, all kinds of psychological collisions occur because of mistaken identities and a hornet’s nest of misunderstandings and things going just plain wrong.
The show’s manic action is propelled forward by 15 energetic song-and-dance numbers.
The Drowsy Chaperone debuted on Broadway in 2006, winning a slew of Tony awards. Its music and lyrics are by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, with book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. The show has been performed in many countries.
The cast of 33 high school students is directed by Kelli Killmer, with dress rehearsals set to begin Friday, April 22.
Killmer said she first heard about the play from her sister. When Kelli got around to reading the play and listening to the music, she laughed out loud, thoroughly enjoying the musical.
“It has characters larger than life in featured roles – 13 of them – so that more kids have a chance to play bigger roles,” she said. “The show is a lot of fun.”
Killmer, a stay-at-home mom, offered to help with Sartell play productions about six years ago, helping director Tom Kuhn as music director and choreographer. Kuhn retired this past year from his stage work, so Killmer was asked to step in for him and she happily did. Her multiple talents have been perfectly suited to play productions.
“I love working with high-school students,” she said. “I love to watch them grow and find their places in the world.”
Killmer is a 1999 graduate of Sartell High School. She and her husband, Charles, an Internet security officer, have two children – Owen, 7; and Eloise, 5.
The cast and crew of The Drowsy Chaperone are the following:
The lead actors are: Man in Chair: Spencer Gillian; Mrs. Tottendale: Katie Kulus; Underling: Jack Hackenmueller; Robert: Colin Nord; George: Tyler Kadlec; Feldzieg: Reece Decker; Kitty: Kayley Isaacson; Gangster 1: Hannah Kosloski; Gangster 2: Jaren Martin; Aldolpho: Aidan Speckhard; Janet: Eden Garman; Drowsy Chaperone: Laura Carlson; Trix: Emma Gunderson
The ensemble actors are: Thor Anderson, Peyton Braun, Riley Dalby, Caity Elwell, Josh Engelkes, Alex Gilbert, Caroline Gruebele, Ellie Karasch, Mackenzie Krueger, Beca Kucala, Brooklyn Madden, Megan Mechelke, Alexis Miller, Gillian Orth, Renee Schroeder, Isiah Svoboda, Maia Trombley, John Unger, Nicole Yang and Lidiah Zipp.
The stage manager is Blayne Gardner.
The stage crew are Arub Akram, Marwah Asif, Hannah Bous, Kaleb Fisher, Alyssa Franzmeier, Kaitlyn Grundhoefer, Jamaria Holliday, Scott Lambrecht-Westerhoff, Anna Lehto, Samantha Killmer, Jonathon Mills, Sam Somdalen, Noah Trombley and Ali Wicklund.
Emma Gunderson practices a musical number for the upcoming Sartell High School production of The Drowsy Chaperone.
Colin Nord practices a musical number for the upcoming Sartell High School production of The Drowsy Chaperone.
Kayley Isaacson practices a musical number for the upcoming Sartell High School production of The Drowsy Chaperone.
Katie Kulus practices a musical number for the upcoming Sartell High School production of The Drowsy Chaperone.
