THE DROWSY CHAPERONE to Open at Cal State Fullerton This Month

Cal State Fullerton's production of "The Drowsy Chaperone" with Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar is directed by Sarah Ripper, choreographed by William F. Lett, with musical direction by Mitchell Hanlon. Performances will be held in the Little Theatre, November 18-December 11, 2016.

"The Drowsy Chaperone" is a joyous send-up of the Jazz age musical featuring one show-stopping song-and-dance number after another. With the houselights down, a man in a chair appears on stage and puts on his favorite record: the cast recording of a fictitious 1928 musical. The recording comes to life and the musical begins as The Man in the chair looks on. Mix in two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not so bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan and an intoxicated chaperone, and you have the ingredients for an evening of madcap delight. The original production was hailed by New York Magazine as "The Perfect Broadway Musical."

Director Sarah Ripper earned her MA in Educational Theatre from NYU, and received her BFA in Musical Theatre from Sam Houston State University. Sarah was the runner up in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Directing Competition in 2015 and is in her last year in the Department of Theatre and Dance's MFA in Directing program. Some of Sarah's directing credits include "Moon Over Buffalo" and "Spring Awakening" at Sam Houston State University and "Really Really" and "Dancing at Lughnasa" at Cal State Fullerton.

The cast of "The Drowsy Chaperone" includes Joshua Johnson as Man in Chair, Adriana Rodriguez as Mrs. Tottendale, Colby Hamann as Underling, Quentin Carbajal as Robert Martin, Cody Bianchi as George, Joe Stein as Feldzieg, Allison Schynert as Kitty, Marqell Edward Clayton as Gangster 1, Kyle Kayvaun Pazdel as Gangster 2, Ala Tiatia as Aldolpho, Kristina Dizon as Janet Van De Graaff, Erin Tierney as The Drowsy Chaperone, Kayla Contreras as Trix the Aviatrix, Matthew Ollson as Superintendent and the ensemble includes Evan Borboa, Lily Bryson, Hannah Clair, Jeff Garrido, Scout Lepore, Matthew Ollson, Allison J. Parker, Olivia Pence, Anthony Michael Vacio, and Samantha Wojtaszek.

Scenic design is by JR Luker, lighting design is by Katy Streeter, costume design is by Bradley Lock, sound design is by Cierra Peet and hair/makeup design is by Leland Stephens.

"The Drowsy Chaperone" plays at 8pm on November 18, 19, December 1,2, 3, 8, 9, 10 and at 2pm on December 3, 4, 10, 11. General admission tickets are $24 ($22 with advance Titan Discount purchase for students, seniors or with a CSUF ID). All tickets are $24 at the door. Tickets are available by calling (657) 278-3371, 11am-5pm, Monday through Friday and online.

Starting the Spring 2017 Season is William Shakespeare's "The Two Gentlemen of Verona," directed by Mark Ramont, running from February 24-March 12, 2017 in the Young Theatre on campus.

Pictured: CSUF students Erin Tierney (The Drowsy Chaperone), Joshua Johnson (Man in Chair), Quentin Carbajal (Robert Martin) and Kristina Dizon (Janet Van De Graaff) in Cal State Fullerton's "The Drowsy Chaperone" directed by Sarah Ripper, playing November 18-December 11, 2016 in the Little Theatre on the CSU, Fullerton campus. Photo by Jordan Kubat.

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