David Liu as Underling and Cassie Nickels as Totendale in The Drowsy Chaperone.

ARCADIA - Award winning Arcadia High School Theatre Department, committed to giving students theatrical experience in a professional atmosphere by stressing self-responsibility, commitment, and dedication, presents The Drowsy Chaperone opening on Thursday, March 21 and closes Saturday, March 23, 2013, the first musical being performed in the new state-of-the-art 1,200 seat Arcadia Performing Arts Center. The Drowsy Chaperone  is a Tony Award winning musical with book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. It is a parody of American musical comedy of the 1920s. A rare combination of unprecedented originality and blinding talent, The Drowsy Chaperone  boldly addresses a great unspoken desire in all of our hearts: to be entertained. It all begins when a middle-aged, asocial musical theatre fan; as he plays the record of his favorite musical, the (fictional) 1928 hit The Drowsy Chaperone, the musical literally bursts to life in his living room, as he wryly comments on the music, story, and actors, telling the rambunctious tale of a brazen Broadway starlet trying to find, and keep, her true love. The Drowsy Chaperone  opened on Broadway in May 2006. The show won the Tony Award for Best Book and Best Score. The show has had major productions in Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, London, and Japan, as well as two North American tours.

“The theatre department finally gets to perform in a space large enough for the program. The Drowsy Chaperone  is filled with song, dance, and a night of laughter. The entire set and light design is constructed by our stage craft class and our 1920′s big band consists of AHS percussion students,” exclaimed Arcadia High School Drama Teacher and the show’s director.

Produced with Special Permission from Musical Theatre International, the Arcadia High School Theatre Department’s performances of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is Directed by the school’s drama teacher, Steven Volpe; Musical Director is Stephen Pu; Jeremy Thompson is Choreographer; and Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. The cast features over 42 drama students from grades 10, 11 and 12 under the direction of Drama Teacher Steven Volpe. The stage craft class includes  30 students who are building a 20 foot model airplane along with a full set that includes spiral staircases that rolls on and off stage. In addition to set design the stage craft class is responsible for the lighting, costumes and hair and make-up.  The music comes from a live band comprised of students along with Stephen Pu the Musical Director.

The new 40,000 square foot Arcadia High School Performing Arts Center anchors the High School campus at the northwest corner. The center has ground level and mezzanine seating for 1,200, a stage which can accommodate 150 musicians and state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting.

Award winning Arcadia High School Theatre Department won First Place Tech Awards; and First Place Oklahomaensemble at Musical Theatre Competition of America 2012.

Sponsors for Arcadia High School Theatre Department’s performances include the Arcadia Denny’s; Rose Hills and The Derby in Arcadia.

Arcadia High School Performing Arts Center is located between West Huntington Drive and South Santa Anita Avenue at 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007. General Admission tickets are $10; Students and Seniors are $15; and VIP tickets with no waiting in the General Admission line and priority seating for $25, and are available at www.ArcadiaStage.com or by calling (626) 836-9100.

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