A musical within a musical, the University of Florida’s fall production of "The Drowsy Chaperone" breaks the fourth wall in a comedic fashion.
The UF School of Theatre and Dance’s Fall showing of the musical will premiere at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Constans Theatre.
The production tells the story of a man obsessed with musicals imagining a show he’s never seen. As the narrator listens to the musical in his apartment, the characters come to life before his eyes.
"We really have a relationship with the audience in this show," said Tony Mata, head of musical theatre at UF and director of "The Drowsy Chaperone."
Mata first became interested in the musical during a summer spent in New York. Mata and his friends won a ticket lottery for a showing and fell in love with the charm.
"When that show started, we were just delighted," he said.
Mata said the great script and catchy tune make it a show that everybody can do. The musical is rather young, first premiering in Toronto in 1998 and debuting on Broadway in 2006. But Mata stills plans to put his own twist on it.
"I never really like to do productions the way they’ve been done before," he said.
The musical has been in the works since last year and will display an art deco set, a live orchestra and a script with a bite, Mata said.
"It’s a very big village when you put a musical together," he said.
The musical will showcase actors and actresses from diverse backgrounds. Some are freshmen at UF, others are professionals.
Everybody has an integral part.
"I’m just the captain who mans the ship," Mata said.
One of the most important roles is that of the stage manager, Mata said.
"After opening night, the stage manager runs the show," he said.
Matthew Henao, a 20-year-old UF theatre junior, takes on the stage manager title. He is in charge of facilitating rehearsals and maintaining the integrity and vision of the designers and director during the show.
"I’m like the invisible hand that moves all the parts," Henao said.
Henao has been behind the stage from a young age.
"It started in high school. I stage managed for a children’s theatre," he said.
He originally entered UF as an engineering student, but made the decision to change his major to theatre.
"I am so glad I made that switch," he said.
Henao said one challenge to his job is making sure everything runs smoothly. He needs to precisely call cues and time the production.
"My artistic input in this production is the smooth transitions throughout the entire show," he said.
With show rehearsals lasting from about 6:30 to 11 p.m, a struggle for an undergraduate like Henao is managing classes while being part of the show.
The show is in a better place if his life is organized, he said.
Jeff Drushal lies on the other end of the spectrum of students performing in the musical. The 42-year-old graduate student in the UF Master of Fine Arts program just finished over 400 performances of Broadway’s "Mamma Mia!" around the U.S.
"I’m definitely one of the old men in the department," he said.
Drushal plays Feldzieg in "The Drowsy Chaperone." Feldzieg is the antagonist in the musical.
"You got to like him. I’ve always loved my bad guys," Drushal said.
He said one of the challenges to being involved in the production was playing such a broad character. However, he’s used to playing the bad guy.
"If there’s an antagonist in the show, I’m probably it," he said.
Drushal got involved in theatre during his senior year of high school when he played Tony in "West Side Story." He took a break from his professional career to complete an MFA at UF. The program has helped him take his craft to the next level, he said.
Drushal said one of the best parts of the program is bonding with everyone. He helps younger students studying theatre by sharing his experiences with them. He helps students wrap their minds around life after school.
"I can sort of bridge the gap between the school setting and the professional setting," he said.
Drushal is used to being a replacement, so it was a unique experience to be part of something from day one. He was able to be set free from usual approaches to create something for the audience. He said there was a lot of joy and excitement in having a part in the production.
"At the very least, we’re enjoying the heck out of what we’re doing," he said.
The UF School of Theatre and Dance will premiere its fall musical, "The Drowsy Chaperone," at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2015.
