The Human Race, Dayton's own professional producing theatre company, moves next door from its home Loft Theatre for the next two weeks to present The Drowsy Chaperone. The performance is part of the Victoria Theatre Association's Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series.
The multi-Tony-winning musical is directed and choreographed by Kevin Crewell, a veteran of Drowsy's national tour. The costumes are also from the national tour, and, in a first in the 25-year history of The Human Race, the set comes from elsewhere, a Music Theatre of Wichita creation coming to Dayton via California.The result is an appropriately awe-inspiring version of the hilarious look at the Man in Chair and his uproarious presentation of a fictional 1928 musical about an extremely complicated show-biz wedding scenario.The cast is a mixture of regional performers and visiting artists from New York.
From New York are Jana Robbins (Chaperone), Robb Sapp (Robert Martin), Pinocchio in Broadway's Shrek; Wally Dunn (Man in Chair), Sir Bevedere in the Broadway and National Tour companies of Spamalot; Megan Nicole Arnoldy (Janet and Asst. Choreographer), a veteran of the Drowsy national tour; Christopher Gurr (Aldolpho), also a Spamalot tour veteran - along with Richard Vida (George), Scott Cote and Stephen M. Goldsmith (Gangsters), and Erica Steinhagen and Amy Wren (Ensemble).From Ohio are Human Race Resident Artists Patricia Linhart (Mrs. Tottendale) and Scott Stoney (Underling), plus Eric Byrd (Ensemble, u/s Robert Martin, Dance Captain), Saul Caplan (Feldzieg), Adrienne Gibbons (Kitty), Shawn Storms (Trix) and J.J. Tiemeyer (Ensemble, Superintendent).The set was designed for Music Theatre of Wichita by J Branson. Technical Director is Scott J. Kimmins. Production Stage Manager is Heather Jackson, with John Rensel designing lighting, Nathan Dean sound and Gregg Barnes costumes.
The Drowsy Chaperone will run at the Victoria Theatre in Dayton through March 20. Tickets are available from www.ticketcenterstage.com or at (888) 228-3630.Founded in 1986, The Human Race Theatre Company moved to the Metropolitan Arts Center in 1991, taking up residence at the 219-seat Loft Theatre. In addition to the Eichelberger Loft Season, The Human Race produces for the Victoria Theatre's Broadway Series, the Musical Theatre Workshop series, and special event programming. The Human Race, under the direction of Producing Artistic Director Kevin Moore, also maintains education and outreach programs for children, teens and adults, as well as artist residencies in area schools, The Muse Machine In-School Tour, Youth Summer Stock, and The Human Race Conservatory. Human Race organizational support is provided by Culture Works, Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, Shubert Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
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