What's On Stage?
In the Rehearsal Room with THE DROWSY CHAPERONE!
Rehearsals for mad Theatre of Tampa Bay’s The Drowsy Chaperone are in full swing and our cast is hard at work whipping up a top-notch show!
The Drowsy Chaperone first opened at the Rivoli Theater in Toronto in 1998. Nearly eight years later, in 2006, The Drowsy Chaperone took its first bow on Broadway. This production was packed with an all-star cast that included the powerhouse vocals of both Sutton Foster and Beth Level. Now The Drowsy Chaperone is hitting the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts this October!
Our production features the unbeatable talent of Doug Buffaloe (Man in Chair), Madison DeBrino (Janet Van de Graaf), Jessica Vitalo (The Drowsy Chaperone), Kate Holmes (Mrs. Tottendale), Lee Holmes (Mr. Underling), Bernard McNicol (Robert), Neil Bleiweiss (George), Jay Morgan (Mr. Feldzieg), Christen Preziosi (Kity), Ryan Farnworth (Gangster 1), Dylan Fidler (Gangster 2), Robert Pelaia (Aldolfo), Patty Smithey (Trix), Andi Laaker (Ensemble), Topher Larkin (Ensemble), Evan Lomba (Ensemble), Jenelle Vinachi (Ensemble), and Erica Vitelli (Ensemble).
Piloting the Drowsy plane is director Kari Ann Stamatoplos. Kari Ann is no stranger to the theatre, having both performed in and directed many local productions. She was last seen on stage in our very own production of Assassins in April of 2022 in the role of “Bystander”. The show is music directed by the talented Megan Zeitler, who recently played second keys in the band for that same production of Assassins. Actress Madison DeBrino feels that working with both Megan and Kari Ann is a true pleasure, “It’s amazing to work with such brilliant people who push us to the best of our abilities.”
Behind the scenes, the tech crew is hard at work getting everything together to make the show come to life. This outstanding crew includes Richard Brown (Stage Manager), Amanda Barron (Choreographer), Deborah Lastinger (Costumer), Kit Hastings (Scenic Designer), Tracy Bowers (Prop Master), Mitchell Samuelson (Sound Design), and Jayce Bertucelli (Lighting Design).
The Drowsy Chaperone opens on October 14th and runs through October 30th. You can buy your tickets on the Straz Center website or click the link here: https://shop.strazcenter.org/Shop/ProductionDetails.aspx?ProdId=30278
Get them quick before they’re gone, this is one show you won’t want to miss!
Alyssa Yates
Alyssa Yates is a professional writer and actor with a love for all things theatre. Alyssa got involved onstage with mad playing the role of “Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme” in their 2022 production of “Assassins” and fell in love with mad’s team and mission. She is currently a Senior Writer for the StageAgent platform where she has been since 2019 when she began as a summer intern. Don’t forget to follow mad on all social media platforms to be the first to see when new blogs are posted so you can stay up to date with all of Alyssa’s "mad Theatre musings!”.