Eruptions of laughter filled St. Daniel Hall the past two weekends during the musical comedy performances, The Drowsy Chaperone. Most of the shows were completely sold out. Some even enjoyed the musical so much that they went multiple times. Benet Academy student Susie Green said, “I enjoyed seeing the musical more than once because I got to notice how the students in the musical improve with each performance and how different the crowd acts each night.” 

The musical itself was two hours with a 15-minute break for intermission. The musical followed a man sitting in an armchair, played by Jackson Wand, who acted as the narrator for the play. He begins to play the soundtrack for his favorite musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. He then continues to narrate the story of this musical. This plot is set in the 1920s- a time of love, prohibition, flappers, and dance.

Janet Van De Graff, played by Lily Joy Santos, is a famous showgirl engaged to Robert Martin, played by Colby Van Gelderen. Feldzieg, played by Dean Kimmel, and the two gangsters, played by Ford McDonnell and Charlie Coffey, are put in charge of stopping the wedding. Feldzieg hires Aldolpho, played by Jack Jarosz, to seduce the bride. Aldolpho accidentally seduces the bride’s drunken chaperone, played by Bella Mckendall. Just as the audience learns that three couples are newly engaged, the show is cut short by a power outage in the Man in the Chair’s apartment. The second act ends with a grand finale featuring all cast members performing the last song. 

The music and performances in the musical were memorable, light-hearted, and comical. The crowd seemed to love “Show Off,” “I Am Aldolpho,” “Toledo Surprise,” and “As We Stumble Along.” 

Benet Academy actors and actresses showcased a variety of talent in their performances. The show featured a tap dancing performance, a dynamic duo of pastry-chef-gangsters, different genres of dancing, a wide range of vocal abilities, and musical accompaniment. 

Benet Academy is lucky to have such talented performing arts students! Without the cast, orchestra, crew, set designers, assistant directors, and Mr. Wand, The Drowsy Chaperone would not have been possible. Cast member Bella Mckendall remarked, “The Benet Academy production of The Drowsy Chaperone is not just a musical. It is a community. Each one of us is there because we love to sing and dance, and it is a beautiful thing when we have the opportunity to do it together and share it with others.”