This Friday, March 20, Woodside High School students bring the jazz-age satire “The Drowsy Chaperone” to life with a little help from Garth Kravits, an original Broadway cast member who offered guidance during a full run-through of the production.
The musical, which references and satirizes 1920s style productions, features large group dance numbers, vocal harmonies and character-driven performances. Students involved in the production have spent months rehearsing scenes, learning choreography and coordinating technical elements such as lighting, sound, costumes and set design in preparation for opening night. Rehearsals typically last around three hours each day, starting with reading the script and building up to full songs and scenes.
“It’s a very heartfelt show and happy, and all about escapism, which is a really important thing in the world, especially now,” senior Jasmine Peck, who plays the Drowsy Chaperone, said.
Kravits, an American musician, actor, composer and singer, is mostly known for his Broadway debut in the musical The Drowsy Chaperone. His visit gave the students an opportunity to see how a professional actor approaches the same material they have been rehearsing.
“We had one of the original Broadway cast members come in yesterday to watch our full run, so that was really interesting,” junior Chloe Savage, who plays Janet Van de Graaf, said.
Other cast members also got tips from Kravits, who attended a rehearsal a couple of weeks before opening night.
“I was performing my song, and [Kravits] gave me acting advice, and that was really, really cool,” Peck said. “It really helped my performance.”
Rehearsals also focused on teamwork. Senior Nicholas Serrano, who plays Robert Martin, described the focus on teamwork and performance preparation throughout the process.
“[We’ve had] a lot of fun and being really collaborative with one another has been a really big part of the rehearsals,” Serrano said. “That’s just one of the best moments you can have in theater.”
He added that the musical is structured to allow audiences to enjoy the performance fully.
“When [the audience goes to] watch the musical, they should definitely know that this is a story where they can sit back, relax, have fun and really just enjoy what’s in front of them,” Serrano said. “[They can] kind of put aside what’s been going on in their life and just enjoy the show and take it with them in the end.”
