It’s a romp, a riot, a musical within a musical, and a rollicking display of extraordinary Taft talent. It’s The Drowsy Chaperone, on stage on in Bingham Auditorium.

The story unfolds as the “man in the chair,” played by Sijie Yan, plays an old album of his favorite musical, the fictional 1928 show The Drowsy Chaperone. As the record plays, the show—a parody of 1920s American musical comedy—comes to life onstage, as the man wryly critiques the music, story and actors.

Catch the timeless musical comedy Friday, 10/21 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, 10/22 at 2 pm, Wednesday, 10/26 at 2 pm, or Friday, 10/28 at 7:30 pm. ⁠
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Enjoy a full gallery of photos from the show here.

Starring:

Man in the Chair: Sijie Yan 

Mrs. Tottendale: Elle Smiley 

UnderlingL Nam Dao 

Robert Martin: Isaac Obeng 

George: Jabari King 

Feldzieg: Jackson Almasian 

Kitty: Marina Tanaka

Gangster #1: Daniel Kaminju 

Gangster #2: Hannah Englander 

Aldolpho: Vincent Chen

Janet: Claire Roberts 

Drowsy Chaperone: Kyla O'Byrne

Trix: Sabrina Moffa 

Superintendant: Sally Higgins

With the talented vocals and footwork of:

Grace Deng (Captain), Ruby Dawson, Alex He, Heidi Li, Sarah Li, Melissa Maselli, Ava Payne, Natalie Shyika, Eden Thompson, Yolanda Wang. Yolanda Wei

Directed by Helena Fifer

Musical Direction by T.J. Thompson

Set Design by Kate Kovacs

Lighting Design by Emily Sherer

Technical Direction by Matt Jandreau

Choreography by Sarah Surber and Amber Cameron

Costume and Wig Design by Lesley Bowman

Sound by Chip Machokas

Technical Management by C.J. Silverman

Stage Management by Carm Sievers

Additional Support by Alex Werrell and Gina Ludlow

 

With musical direction from: 

Conductor & Keyboard: T.J. Thompson

Trumpet 1: Leo Lavallee         

Trumpet 2: Joseph Spitzer 

Trumpet 3: Cheryl Karpeichik             

Trombone: Justin Hudak

Reed 1: John Pytel                  

Reed 2: Jamie Berlyn 

Reed 3: Kris Jensen     

Reed 4: Anthony Pellegrini

Keyboard 2: Harry Yuan          

Bass: Eneji Alunge

Percussion: James Allen         

Drums: Bob Nolte

 

Music and Lyrics by:

Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison

 

Book by:

Bob Martin and Don McKellar

 

Support for this production is provided by the James G. Francis­ cus Theater Fund and James Hollyday Webb Theater Fund. These funds were established in memory of James Franciscus of the Class of 1953 and Jamie Webb of the Class of 1992 by their families and friends. These special memorials pay lasting tribute to two Taft alumni who found great joy in their love for the theater and acting.