BWW Blog: Christopher Panella - Fort Lauderdale High School Stageplayers Begins THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

It's the fall, which means thousands of high schools across the country are beginning their spectacular seasons of theatre. From Shakespeare to Carrie, drama clubs are performing some very complicated and complex musicals and plays. The same goes for Fort Lauderdale High School, where the Stageplayers have officially begun rehearing one of the most underrated, hilarious, and intricate shows, The Drowsy Chaperone.

Fort Lauderdale High School's Stageplayers are no strangers to big musical numbers, intense harmonies, or long monologues. Just two years ago, we competed for a mainstage spot at the Florida State Festival with our most massive show ever, Legally Blonde. After the two story house and whirlwind of pink, Fort Lauderdale picked the colorful and energetic Seussical the Musical. Both shows couldn't be more different but the Fort Lauderdale Stageplayers rocked them just the same.

This year, The Drowsy Chaperone begins its road to show night, and I have to say, it may be the hardest musical we have ever undergone. It requires character acting in a way that isn't extreme and excessive (like Seussical) and is more mature in humor than Legally Blonde. The Drowsy Chaperone is a musical within a comedy and follows a man who plays his favorite musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, on his record player. The musical comes to life in his apartment, and the audience is constantly jeered back-and-forth between the man's comments and the musical itself. The Drowsy Chaperone is complex. The humor is smart; from the man's cynical and hilarious comments to the actual characters of the musical, this show requires smart actors or the audience simply won't get it. Fort Lauderdale High School's The Drowsy Chaperone cast is the perfect group for this.

We began rehearsals earlier in September with a cold read. Slowly, the cast began to understand the jokes and their characters more and more each line they read. It soon became quite hilarious to watch the cast enjoy themselves with these fun and interesting characters. Now, as we continue with rehearsals, the cast has fallen in love with show. From Toledo Surprise to Show Off, the Stageplayers are nailing every rehearsal. And this cast isn't like our previous ones. From Aida to Seussical, the casts have been large, stretching to around fifty or sixty people (the year before I entered my freshman year, the Stageplayers did Hairspray, which had one-hundred people in the cast). The Drowsy Chaperone's cast is twenty-five, an elite group that was chosen because of their commitment and talent. With a smaller number, the cast becomes more cohesive and family-like, which can only strengthen our performances.

The Drowsy Chaperone performs December 8th, 9th, 15th, and 16th, at Fort Lauderdale High School.