The Drowsy Chaperone

The VSC Production, “The Drowsy Chaperone”, was performed over 6 shows in August to great success. The cast, jedis (backstage crew), tech crew, hair and makeup crew, costume team and band all put in exceptional amounts of work to bring this logistically complex musical to the stage and it paid off, with it rumoured that they even managed to land a plane on the stage!

The production team would like to commend all the students involved for their dedication and commitment to the challenging rehearsal process and to the exhausting, but very rewarding, process of bringing this show to life on the stage each night.

The Drowsy Chaperone is a show that celebrated the many joys of musical theatre and the spellbinding escapism that musicals offer their audiences, and this spirit was embraced by this year’s production community. Students banded together to teach each other parts, support understudies and rehearse the many tricks that went into the show (from roller skating blindfolded to mastering quick changes) and did all this with smiles on their faces. They also put in the work to unpack the stereotypes and tropes that this show parodies, and reflect on the importance of accurate and nuanced representation in theatre.

We feel it is important to acknowledge the amazing efforts of so many, without whose help the show would not have been possible. We would like to thank all of the students involved, especially those who put effort into creating the inclusive environment that Production is proud to boast. We would also like to thank the Year Twelves, who worked immensely hard to balance their many commitments with rehearsals and shows and set an excellent example for the production generations to come. We would also like to thank our dance and music leaders, who stepped up and supported the production team by leading warm ups and providing feedback for the cast, and our student featured director Astrid Jian, who helped bring the directorial vision to life.

We would also like to acknowledge some alumni who came back to support the show. The spectacular Maya Lee and Ruby Frostick returned to choreograph this show and brought such immense talent and enthusiasm with them. Teaching tap routines, choreographing a dream sequence filled with monkeys and managing to choreograph around a plane on stage are no easy feats, yet this powerful duo worked tirelessly to bring this magic to life. Matt Chen also returned this year to continue his fantastic work with our photography, poster and program. We are always spellbound by the exceptional quality of his work. We would also like to thank marvellous band alumni Felicity Siegenthaler, Lachlan Rae and James Chen for joining our band at the last minute and bringing immense knowledge and enthusiasm with them.

We would also like to acknowledge all staff who helped to bring the show to life, both the production team, and those who assisted with supervision, front of house, or simply supported the show by coming to see it, we sincerely thank you. Thank you also to the school community and staff, especially the English and Drama faculties, General Office and Daily Org Staff, Canteen team, Maintenance Team and Principal Team, without whose generosity and problem solving, this show would not have been possible.

Finally, thank you to all the parents and community members for your patience and support. A show like this doesn’t happen if no one comes to see it, so we are all exceptionally grateful for your enthusiasm.

- Victoria Adams on behalf of the Production Team

Cast List

Man in Chair –Jay Nelson and Maddie Ballerini-Willis

Robert – Ben Hamilton

Aldolpho – Maddy Davison

Janet – Keeley Zappia

Kitty – Charlotte Cetoupe

Tottendale –Jorja Smith

Underling –Heath Judd

Gangster 1 –Amelia Truong

Gangster 2 –Sue Anne Jian

Drowsy – Ella Reid

Trix – Natasha Ho

George – Amelia Ross

Feltzig – Ava Gerrard

Superintendent – Emily Barnes-Read

Junior Ensemble

Adelina Garcia
Alyssa Huynh
Chloe Czarny
Christiano Melges
Christian Lindner
Emily Wilson
Ghost Stockley
Jessica Le
Maeve Frostick
Rhea Manigandan
Becca Mitchell
Ella Drost
Kaitlyn Arrowsmith
Olivia Middenway
Charlie Barnett

Senior Ensemble

Darci Buckland
Ryan Hoskin
Triyana Kewada
Samantha Curwood
Chelsea Martin
Mitchell Fairley
Meesha Kothari

Featured Dancers

Abby-Rose Serpell-Wilcock
Tiarne Grummisch
Jorja Wallis
Yanxi Zhou
Amber Knight
Natasha Ho

Band

Adrian Holschier – Trombone

Dylan Hua – Drums

Jitho Jayasinghe – Keys

Alex Lee – Guitar

Kayleigh Smith – Saxophone / Flute

Paisley Smith – Clarinet

Summer Squires – Baritone Saxophone

Blake Wheeler – Percussion

Caleb Wong – Trumpet

Isabella Yiin – Bass

Backstage crew

Samantha Adam

Mia Beavis

Hubert Choong

Grace Eaves

Connor Ellis

Teagan Ellis

Evie Fahey

Stella Karatasios

Imani Klair

Sascha Lee

Charlotte Lyall

Sadie Montigue

Harry Mummery

Anna Phelan

Alex Siu

Sarah Sumner

Jack Turner McCrae

Daniel Waite

Grace Zhang

Iris Zhao

Tech

Ryan Cottren

Colin Dam

Ayush Mehul Dave

Amelie Davenport

Riley Ducusin

Kurt Ennis

Geordie Frostick

Emma Nijk

Nikhil Sampson

Ryan Siu

Will Tabe

John Tiang

Kieran Wastie

Costumes

Esther Brown

Finn Hagop

Anna Kirk

Jessie Tabe

Hair and Make-up

Sophia Espinoza

Heidi Ma

Amelia Roberts

Amber Storie

Production Team:

Producer & Director: Victoria Adams

Assistant Director: Caroline Leavey

Music Director (cast): Katelyn Anitema

Music Director (band): Jeremy Shannon

Choreographers: Ruby Frostick and Maya Lee

Student Featured Director: Astrid Jian

Costumes: Victoria Adams and Student Costume Team

Technical Director: Dion Beauglehall

Jedi Leader: Charlotte Miller

Lighting Director/Technician: Dion Beauglehall

Hair and Make-up: Student Make-up Team

Head of Ticketing/Front of House: Cindy Wu

Graphic Designer/Photographer: Matthew Chen

Front of House support: Mason Butterworth

Year 8 News

Vermont Secondary College