Whitworth University’s theatre department will present performances of The Drowsy Chaperone as its fall production for 2014.
The university, located in Spokane, WA, has an enrollment of 3,000 students across 60 undergraduate and graduate academic programs. The theatre department was especially eager to choose a musical comedy, in order to draw crowds to celebrate Whitworth’s academic history.
“We wanted something that felt really celebratory for the 125-year anniversary celebrations,” said Brooke Kiener, theatre professor and director of The Drowsy Chaperone.
The Drowsy Chaperone was written by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and features music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. Since 1998, the musical has won Tony Awards and been featured on and off Broadway.
Characterized as a “musical-within-a-musical,” the story parodies 1920s musicals and flashes back and forth between the present day and a fictional 1928 production, also entitled The Drowsy Chaperone.
“If you love a laugh-a-minute comedy, a hummable tune, and a good kick-line, this is the show for you,” Kiener explained of the show’s appeal.
And the show will be full of comedic characters, energetic dance numbers and surprises that will make the audience gasp, said Kiener, who teased, “We’ll be landing an airplane on the stage for the finale.”
Because Whitworth is a private Presbyterian college, the department aims to provide family-friendly entertainment with an emphasis in Christian theatre.
The soundtrack to the musical will be available for purchase after the show. Because a significant portion (possibly up to one-third) of music CDs may be counterfeit, the soundtrack will provide a legitimate way for fans to enjoy the musical again and again.
The performances will take place Oct. 10, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 11 at 8 p.m.; and Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. in the campus’s Cowles Auditorium. Admission is $10, or $8 for students and senior citizens (age 62 or older). Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at www.whitworth.edu/theatretickets; more information is available at (509) 777-3707.