FRIDAY 5 (+1): Cumberland County Playhouse's THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

Who better than Cumberland County Playhouse's artistic director Britt Hancock to take the helm of The Drowsy Chaperone, the latest show slated to open on the mainstage of Crossville's iconic theater? After all, he starred as Broadway producer Feldzieg in the national touring company of the Tony Award-winning show, tap dancing his way across the country and winning hearts and rave reviews all along the way.

Finally, a musical for everyone who loves musicals! Beginning September 15, Cumberland County Playhouse presents The Drowsy Chaperone, a loving send-up of Jazz age musicals featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another.

"We know how much Playhouse audiences love to discover great new musical comedies," Hancock (Beauty and the Beast) says. "And this warmly nostalgic show has the power to transport us into a dazzling fantasy and to lift our spirits in hard times."

To tease and tantalize audiences, director Hancock gathered five of his players - Weslie Webster, Grayson Yockey, Harli Cooper, Jason Ross and DeAnna Etchison - in this production to offer some insight into their own creative processes and to offer some reasons why you should be making reservations to see the show in today's edition of Friday 5 (+1)!

Weslie Webster (The Drowsy Chaperone)

What was your first "live, onstage" taste of theater? I got to see A Chorus Line on Broadway on a seventh-grade trip to New York! It changed my life!

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? I like to turn on my Amazon Prime Video and select a good historical documentary or an episode of Ancient Aliens to have playing in the background while I put on my makeup.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? I was entering stage right on an elevated platform and my heel went off the back. Britt Hancock reached down as I was tottering and hoisted me back up, just as my dress was flying up. Not the only time I've flashed the audience I'm sad to say.

What's your dream role? Violet Weston in August: Osage County.

Who's your theatrical crush? Neil Patrick Harris is the absolute bomb!

Why should people come see The Drowsy Chaperone? This show takes you by surprise! It is charming, funny, poignant, passionate, sentimental, fast paced, and SHORT! You don't want to miss it! Plus, it was directed by Britt Hancock who was on the National Tour so it is authentic and amazing too!

Grayson Yockey (Aldolpho)

What was your first "live, onstage" taste of theater? I saw Beauty and The Beast on Broadway when I was about four years old and I caught the bug and have wanted to do nothing else ever since.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? In college, we would play this warmup game we called "Che-Che." The whole cast would circle up and we would all do these ridiculous dance moves to help shake of some of the nerves.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? When I was a senior in high school, I was playing Harold Hill in The Music Man, and one of the boys in the ensemble had not been feeling well that day and totally threw up onstage. I had no idea that had happened and went to do a leap and landed right in the vomit and slipped on the floor staining my white pants. Gross. I didn't have an opportunity to change for the next couple of scenes. So...the show had to go on while I wore vomit-coverEd White pants. The best part was the audience was filled with middle schoolers who came on a field trip. They thought it was hilarious.

What's your dream role? Right now, I would love to play Chad in All Shook Up, but in a couple years once I've aged up a bit, my biggest dream role is Jean Valjean in Les Mis.

Who's your theatrical crush? My girlfriend, Maggie. She's also a performer and she inspires me every day.

Why should people come see The Drowsy Chaperone? The Drowsy Chaperone has everything. Beautiful songs, fast dance numbers, it's hilarious, and yet incredibly moving. It is a real theater people's show too. I think audiences will have just as much fun seeing the show as we have doing it up on stage!

Harli Cooper (Janet Van De Graaf)

What was your first "live, onstage" taste of theater? I couldn't tell you the specific show or moment-my love for theatre snuck up on me a bit. But I do remember that my cousin did shows in high school and my parents and I went to support her a couple of times. I thought she was just the coolest, and I wanted to do the same thing she did. I remember when I auditioned for my first play when I was in third grade that I totally sprang it on my mom. She came to pick me up from the after school care program I attended and I said, "Play try-outs are at 6. Can I go?" At this point it was 5:45 and she wasn't the most pleased with my spur of the moment desire, but she swung through a drive-through for dinner and brought me back so I could audition for the Christmas play - and here we are almost 20 years later...

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? Coffee? Honestly, my rituals change based on the role and the show. I do always warm up though. It took me until my professional career to consider this a necessity, but now I always take a bit to go to a space alone and breathe and stretch out while I warm up my voice.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? I did Little Women the musical in college and played Amy. About two shows in, the girl playing Beth got sick and lost her voice completely. About ten minutes before curtain, the music director came up to me and asked if I knew all of Beth's music, which I did because I had listened to the soundtrack a thousand times. So, he spoke with tech, and I ended up singing all of Beth's solos off stage and she mouthed the words on stage. This lasted about four performances. It was definitely a bizarre experience.

What's your dream role? Dot in Sunday in the Park with George.

Who's your theatrical crush? Well, the cheesy answer would be my boyfriend, Blake Graham. He played the Eric to my Ariel last summer and the Beast to my Belle this summer. I always swoon a bit when he sings. In terms of the broader theatrical community though, I have a major talent crush on Betsy Wolfe and Celia Keenan-Bolger. I think both of those women are so amazingly talented and versatile and I can only aspire to their range.

Why should people come see The Drowsy Chaperone? Oh, so many reasons. I really am struggling to pick one - I could give you a reason every single cast member alone is the worth the ticket price - not to mention the amazing costumes and the brilliant set, AND a stellar orchestra. The show is funny and honest and ridiculous. "It does everything a musical is supposed to do," to quote the show.

Jason Ross (The Man in Chair)

What was your first "live, onstage" taste of theater? Playing young Scrooge in the Michel Legrand version of A Christmas Carol directed by Sherry Landrum.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? At this point, just reviewing the lines.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? Doing a phone call scene in The Foreigner with no phone using my hand as the receiver.

What's your dream role? Recently, still Sweeney, the dad in Fun Home, LBJ in All the Way, Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Buddy the Elf, Sidney in Deathtrap, Paul Sheldon in Misery and pretty much anything by Ken Ludwig or Noel Coward - I love their writing so much.

Who's your theatrical crush? John Lithgow, Michael Cerveris, Frank Langella, Kevin Kline and Jefferson Mays.

Why should people come see The Drowsy Chaperone? I've loved getting to know this show because it's such a love letter to that musical theatre fanatic in all our lives and a celebration of the art form itself. It's so surreal to sit and watch this stellar cast perform the fictional Drowsy Chaperone from a front row seat that's right on the stage!

DeAnna Etchison (Kitty)

What was your first "live, onstage" taste of theater? The first show I remember seeing live was probably Grease at my local high school. However, my first experience on stage wasn't until my junior year of high school when we did Fiddler on the Roof and I had my first big line, "Yes it could!"

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? I always drink a dirty chai tea late, chew a piece of cinnamon gum, put on some Doterra essential oil, and say a quick prayer!

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? My first lead ever was in CCP's production of Footloose. I was playing Ariel and was standing on the diner bar belting "Holding Out for a Hero" when I completely lost my voice. It was mid song and towards the beginning of the show. However, with the help of a steamer and a very supportive cast, I muddled through.

What's your dream role? I have been lucky enough to already play my dream role of Louise in Gypsy here at CCP but the next ones on my list would probably be Nellie in South Pacific or Ado Annie in Oklahoma!

Who's your theatrical crush? Aaron Tveit! Specifically, him singing "Run Away With Me!"

Why should people come see The Drowsy Chaperone? This is such a fun and quirky show! It's truly written for people who love the theater and has just the right amount of humor and heart!

About the show The Drowsy Chaperone tells the tale of a modern-day musical theater fan, known as the "Man in the Chair," (Jason Ross, Sister Act). As he plays his favorite cast album "the fictional 1928 musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone" - on his turntable, the musical literally bursts to life in his living room! The audience becomes immersed in the glamorous and hilarious tale of a reluctant stage star bride (Harli Cooper, The Little Mermaid), a groom on skates (Walker Degerness, Beauty and the Beast), a tap-dancing best man (Brett Mutter, Smoke on the Mountain), a womanizing gigolo (Grayson Yockey, Beauty and the Beast), gangsters posing as pastry chefs (Ross Griffin, Million Dollar Quartet and Aaron Atkinson, Sister Act), a Broadway producer (Bill Macchio, The Diary of Anne Frank), a ditzy flapper (DeAnna Etchison, Lying in State) an aviatrix (Illeana Kirven, Sister Act), and an intoxicated chaperone (Weslie Webster, Lying in State)! The Man in the Chair constantly brings the audience in and out of the fantasy as he expresses his thoughts about the mishaps and mayhem that ensue. The Drowsy Chaperone is an old-fashioned, laugh-a-minute crowd pleaser!

The Drowsy Chaperone runs through October 27 at Cumberland County Playhouse.

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