The Hingham High School Drama program has a long history of bringing to life masterful and captivating musical productions each fall – and after their brilliant production of Hades Town last year, they certainly had big shoes to fill. Thursday, as the cast took their bows to end an astounding opening night, it was clear that they had outdone themselves once again with a grand performance of The Drowsy Chaperone.
This comedic musical, based on the original story of Bob Martin and Don McKellar had the audience completely blown away. Without giving too much away, the main premise of the story is about an agoraphobic, musical loving man, the “Man in Chair”, who puts on a record of one of his favorite shows. Suddenly, The Drowsy Chaperone cast and production from 1928 takes form in his small apartment. The plot of this show within a show is about showgirl Janet Van De Graaff and her fiancee Robert Martin’s rocky and uncertain wedding day, with a bunch of other growing affections between fellow characters.
Framing the entire show are “Man in Chair’s” frustrated, witty interruptions as he comments on the musical unfolding in his home. Junior Greame Baker took on this role and delivered a standout performance, remaining onstage for every scene and handling an enormous number of lines with skill and commitment. His confidence and timing made the character both convincing and completely transportive.
“The Drowsy Chaperone” herself was played by senior Annie Daly, who brought the drunken, unreliable chaperone to life with so much heart. Her numbers, especially “Stumble Along”, showcased Annie’s immense vocal talent and confidence on stage.
Senior Alexa Harris took on the role of Janet, the bride to be, and brought to the stage incredible energy. She performed various costume changes and acrobatic stunts, even going as far as singing while upside down in a backbend, during Janet’s big number “Show Off.” Alexa’s ability to juggle all of these aspects made for an astonishing performance and proved her prowess as a multifaceted performer.
Playing Janet’s fiancee, Robert, was Junior Micheal Blackwood. Robert is a charismatic and chaotic character– traits which Micheal masterfully performed. The most impressive parts of Micheal’s performance were his challenging tap number and his act of being blind folded and rollerskating for a sizable portion of the show. The lively character Micheal brought to the stage had the audience at full attention whenever he stepped on center stage.
Several supporting pairs added another distinct layer to the humor of the show. Juniors Griffin Bliddner, as Feldzeig the talent manager, and Izzie Donnelly, as Kitty the ditsy want to be star, played off each other with impeccable timing. Juniors Charlotte Leclair and John Hamilton dug into the quirks of their duo as Mrs. Tottendal, the old forgetful woman and Underling, her devoted servant. Senior Anna Post and Junior Fiona Galvin appeared as the Gangster, providing rhythmic and energetic numbers including the memorable ‘Toledo Surprise.”
Additional featured performances included senior Hannah Givney as George, sophomore Amelia Byrne as Aldolpho, and sophomore Reese Warshaw as Trix the Aviatrix. It would be easy to go on and on about the immense talent these actors brought to the stage but to keep it short and to the point, the show simply would not have been the same without them. Senior Allie Banks also made a Cameo, appearing briefly as the Superintendent, providing tons of laughs in just one scene.
The cast also includes a talented ensemble including, freshman Chloe Hamilton, sophomores Madeleine Sweeney, Reese Warshaw, Joe Bennion, Kimya Howell and Emma Lee, as well as junior Breanna Weiss and senior Audrey Jones. The chorus is made up of Dom Andrews, Octavia Atkins, Isabelle Beitler, Corinne Durso, Callie Granoff, Ben Hansmire, Corman Hogan, Casey Moriarty, and Kelsey Wightman. Together, the ensemble and chorus supported the production with cohesive choreography and strong group vocals, helping to shape the larger 1920s atmosphere of the show.
However the great success of the show can not only be accredited to pure talent. Hingham Public School’s drama teacher and director of The Drowsy Chaperone Mrs. Fish explained, “There’s a good, generic rule of thumb that you need an hour for each minute of a show.” This means that for the 120 minute production of Drowsy at least 120 hours of rehearsal were required over the span of just over a month.
Behind the scenes, members of the Crew put in so much effort to make this show possible. The set design crew, led by Tag Tomlinson and Audrey Jones, built the “Man in the Chair’s” apartment with so many clever details including a working tap sink, hidden bookshelf and refrigerator doors leading off stage, and even a Murphy bed that moved characters in and out of scenes. The costume team, led by seniors Luke Burke and Isabella Monti, brought the 1920’s to life with flapper glitz, glamorous details, and sharp looking suits, while the make-up crew, led by Clare Blatchley, ensured every performer looked stage ready. The lighting and sound crews, both led by Alec Whitmore, worked tirelessly behind the scenes, giving the cast the atmosphere, visibility, and audio support that made their performance shine throughout the entire auditorium.
Freshman Miranda Alfonso, a member of the sound crew explains why the student crew is such a great option for students at the High School, noting that “..all of my friends wanted to be in the play and I knew I that I would not be too into acting so I decided to join the crew and that was one of the best decisions I have ever made!”
The Hingham Drama program is lucky to have a live pit orchestra, featuring HPS students from grades 8-12 accompanied by HHS band teacher Mr. Cincotta and hired professionals. Students in the orchestra included eighth grader Lexa Sabattis, juniors Casey Salerno and Aliyah Blidner, and seniors Tori Dell and Anthony Ricci. These talented student musicians played an impressive part in the show, spending hours upon hours of their own free time to practice an entire show’s worth of music. The difference between having a live pit and a back track is insane, and Hingham is lucky to have so many student musicians willing to lend a hand.
This production was a masterpiece, with every person involved playing a vital role in making the show happen. And in the end, they had the entire audience laughing. Junior June Rogan commented, “I have gone to lots of the HHS musicals in the past, and usually they are more serious, I guess. So I was really surprised how much I was laughing at The Drowsy Chaperone. All the characters were so funny and talented. It was great!”
To explain this shift in style, Mrs. Fish offered, “I chose this show as a vehicle for the strengths of our program. At the moment, we happen to have an abundance of excellent comedic actors in Hingham High Drama! Despite its lightness, comedy is actually a very difficult genre to perform, and I wanted to offer our students a challenge for their comedic timing and deftness.”
In conclusion, the Hingham High drama program did not disappoint this year. Hingham can’t wait to see what’s next for the Hingham High School drama program!
And one final message from Mrs. Fish…
“Take a Drama Class at HHS! We have three options: Drama I, Drama II (both during E) and Unified Drama (F block). All the classes are a lot of fun, low-pressure, and a great way to break up the stress and rigor of heavy academics in your day. We do a lot of improv games and acting exercises, as well as class performance of a One Act Play, with a focus on tech theatre (see Crew info above!) Stop by and visit Rm 191 (in the Arts Hallway) if you want to ask any questions! (Or email!).”
