Start with a “man in a chair,” add two lovebirds on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a misguided Don Juan and gangsters posing as pastry chefs and you have the makings of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” Starkville Community Theatre’s latest production. This winner of five Tony Awards opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Playhouse on Main at 108 E. Main St. in Starkville. It continues April 6-7, 10-12 and April 14 at 7:30 p.m. Matinee performances at 2 p.m. are offered April 8 and 14.
Directed by Paula Mabry and sponsored by Renasant Bank, the show is a send-up of the American musical comedy of the 1920s. Music and lyrics are by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar.
As the play begins, the unnamed man in a chair puts on a recording of a fictitious 1928 musical to lift his sagging spirits. As he listens, the recording comes to life in his apartment and this “comedy within a musical” unfolds.
The show’s purpose is pure entertainment, said Gabe Smith, a member of the cast and SCT’s chief administrative officer.
“It’s designed to be 100 straight minutes of nothing but ridiculous fun, and I think our cast and crew are delivering on that promise,” he said. “People love to laugh, see things they’ve never seen, and they want to be entertained. That we can consistently offer that escape in a small communal space in downtown Starkville is its own minor miracle.”
Cast members include DeeDee Baldwin, John Brocato, Rylee Burchfield, Michele Crescenzo, Sean Dyess, Justine Edwards, M.J. Etua, Genny Fischer, Audrey Gammill, Madeline Golden, Katherine Hardin, Lorraine Hughes, Elyse Hunt, Jessica Jolly, Luke McFatrich, Warren Nybo, Cindy Ruff, Paul Ruff, Gabe Smith, Paul Sullivan and Karen Thead. Accompaniment is by Elizabeth Hawkins, with music direction by Bob Hawkins.
“Starkville Community Theatre has attracted the very best singers, actors and dancers for this musical,” said director Paula Mabry. “We have all enjoyed preparing this comical show. We are now ready for our ‘close-up’ with the audience.”
How to go
Admission to the show is $20, or $15 for students with current ID. Seating is limited. To reserve tickets, contact the SCT box office, 662-323-6855.
Learn more about SCT at sct-online.org or follow it on Facebook.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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