After last year’s musical, the North Atlanta Theatre Department had the task of finding a musical with as much pizzazz and beauty as Mean Girls. This year, North Atlanta pulled out another show-stopping performance of The Drowsy Chaperone: fun satire on the Broadway productions during the 1920’s. The story was told through the Man in the Chair – played by senior MacKenzie Harris – as he would offer commentary on his favorite musical. For the Man in the Cahri, the show was ‘performed’ through the vinyl soundtrack he had on his record player, while the audience got to see the visual representation of that story. While the idea is a little hard to grasp at first, the actors and students on the tech team worked hard to make the performance presentable and entertaining.
From Chicago to Legally Blonde to Mean Girls, the Drowsy Chaperone was a different show than the ones from the past. Not only did it lack the immense display of pink (or black for Chicago) but the characters were farcical in comparison to past shows as well. The story of the Drowsy Chaperone felt like it was rooted in classic musical theatre tropes and techniques, giving the actors a chance to do some genre-acting. However, tech had the difficulty of searching for period pieces. Although it was a great success, many were confused initially about what this musical was about and why it was the choice. “We chose the Drowsy Chaperone because it was a lively, fun story,” said Drama teacher Liane LeMaster, the director of the musical. “Not only that, but it had excellent characters and a fast-paced plot that kept both students and the audience entranced with what was going on.”
The musical was essentially set around the wedding of Robert Martin, played by senior Angel Wiley, and Broadway star Janet Van De Graaff, played by senior Annabelle Haines. Many might remember the name, “Annabelle Haines” because she also played the lead role of Cady Heron in Mean Girls last spring. With both roles having such different qualities, Haines was allowed to push herself and explore other facets of performance. “I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to play both Cady and Janet in the past two shows,” said Haines. “Even though Janet was a little more fun to play because of her comedic role in a comedic show, both allowed me to grow as an actor within my skills and knowledge of theatre.”
The Drowsy Chaperone would not have been possible without the efforts of the student tech team run by Mr. Snyder. The set, the lightning, the sound, the props, and the costumes would not exist if it were not for these incredible students. Even though the role can be stressful with time constraints and a challenging schedule to work around, all of these students truly made an impact on this show. For the seniors involved in tech and the cast, this show meant more as it was their last chance to be involved in the theatre program at NAHS before graduating. “The Drowsy Chaperone was a great senior show, even with the stress of tech week,” said senior Ana Pinho. “This show marked a bittersweet end to my imprint on the arts department and I would not have changed this experience for the world.
On behalf of the entire school, the Drowsy Chaperone was an amazing show to watch come to life. For those wondering about next year, only time will tell. But sources have led to the conclusion that there will be a show, and there will be music in it. Until next spring!
