A Fall Musical Teaser

As Fall Family Weekend quickly approaches, we quickly begin reaching October 20 and 21, the dates when the Kirby Arts Center (KAC) theater will open its doors for the first and only two nights of its fall musical production, The Drowsy Chaperone. The show will run for about an hour and 30 minutes. It has two acts, with a quick 15-minute intermission in between. On Thursday, October 20, student ushers will welcome the audience into the theater, and the seats will fill with people. On Friday, October 21, the musical will reach its closing night, and we will move into Fall Family Weekend! There are plenty of seats in the KAC, but be sure to come early for the great seats because no tickets are sold before the performance! 

Doors open at 7:00 PM, but the real magic begins when the clock strikes 7:30. The lights go down on the audience, and recorded music begins to play in the speakers. One man, portrayed by Eric Frankel ’23 sits on his armchair alone in his apartment, listening to the overture of a musical from an old record player. The music is quiet at first as he addresses you, the audience, sitting in each and every KAC theatre seat. But it begins building, louder and louder until…

Welcome to Prohibition! The year is 1928. Singer and actress Janet Van De Graaf, played by Naa Kwama Ankrah ’23, famous for her lead role in the Feldzieg Follies’ productions, has decided to leave behind her life as a celebrity to get hitched to Mr. Robert Martin (Eddie Newsom ’23), never to return to the stage again. Although the couple’s friends, the best man, George (Sasha Mykhantso ’23), and the maid of honor, the Drowsy Chaperone (Anoushka Sharma ’23), are happy for them, there are quite a few people who want to stop the wedding, including the producer of Janet’s old theater company, Feldzieg (Roan McDonald ’23), and a couple of gangsters–sorry, bakers (Emily Piggee ’24 and Roderik Dugan ’25). Will Janet and Robert get married? Will Janet leave him behind for her old life on stage?

For answers to those questions, come out to see The Drowsy Chaperone! This musical will be the realization of many students’ efforts over the past few months, beginning when they arrived in August for Periwig’s intensive preseason. Performers and crew members were all hard at work to create this experience, so come out to support your peers. During the intermission, there might even be some show-related treats! The show will be a great way to relax, enjoy the night, and have fun with your friends!