Started this Monday, behind the doors of the black box and theater, the production of Drowsy Chaperone has just begun. The show debut on stage on November 2nd, 4th and 5th. It will be a brand new experience for the audience as well as the production team, lead by William Myatt.
The Drowsy Chaperone is a “musical within a comedy” that was first shown on stage in 1998. It is a parody of the American musical comedy of the 1920s. The show is about a middle-aged theatre fan playing his favourite musical from 1928 and commenting about the music, story and actors. Since then the musical has been appeared on Broadway and other theaters around the world.
Unlike previous shows that have been produced at PV, Drowsy Chaperone is dramatically different and incorporates many new elements, mainly more dancing than normal. Myatt said “in a musical, you can’t just sing. You have to act and perform a character while you sing.” This specific nature of musical requires not simply great actors and actress, but great actors and actresses who are also exceptional singers and dancers. Being good at only one of those three elements is simply not enough. As a result, some candidates who might usually be casted for a normal drama show didn’t make this show because he/she lacks in any of those three requirements.
Though the due date for the production team is months away, the preparation for the musical has already started. The auditions were completed last week and the team has started with the vocals beginning this Monday. Later this week and during the next few weeks, the team will begin working on the choreography, which is the dancing component of the show. The set will arrive in mid-October and all elements will come together at the beginning of November.
Myatt is very excited for this show, he has very high expectations with the musical. Just like every other production, his belief is that “every show brings something to the audience and the audience brings something to the show”. This new type of musical will be very interactive and the audience will play a significant role on the stage as well.
