Meet our Cast: Max Renner

… in the role of Feldzieg…

Hi Max!  Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.  Tell us about past SDSU productions you’ve been involved in or any other San Diego-area projects that we might know you from.

I co-run a sketch comedy group titled "Party of Dos Comedy Crew". We're San Diego States premiere sketch team, and we have a short film set to air at the Cannes International Film Festival this May.

So, what originally made you choose to participate in musical theatre?

My parents got me into musicals. I didn't have much of a choice. My father was a musical man, and his father before him. I wanted to be a doctor.

What is one thing that you love about Drowsy?

What I love most about Drowsy, is the cast. I love the my fellow actors. Like, literally. I love them, and I want to marry them, but it's been tough to plan a wedding with the large amount of time we've put into show.

What are some unique challenges of your role?

Unique Challenges: There are a couple scenes in the musical where I slap myself on the face out of frustration. During tech week, we had to do those scenes multiple times. Stephen said I could take it easy, but I pull no punches when it comes to performing. If anything, I ramped up the slap, and turned it into a real knuckle sandwich. My face was covered in bruises, and I had to use a lot of makeup to disguise the swelling.

What is one thing that audience members should know before coming to see the show?

The audience members should know that Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Although musical theatre overlaps with other theatrical forms like opera and dance, it may be distinguished by the equal importance given to the music as compared with the dialogue, movement and other elements. Since the early 20th century, musical theatre stage works have generally been called, simply, musicals [Courtesy of Wikipedia! 😉].

Meet our Cast: Bradley J. Behrmann

… in the role of Underling…

Hi Bradley!  Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.  Tell us about past SDSU productions you’ve been involved in or any other San Diego-area projects that we might know you from.

Here at SDSU, you might recognize me as the Narrator/Mysterious Man from Into the Woods.  You probably won't recognize me as Duke from The Great American Trailer Park Musical because I was wearing such an awful/perfect mullet.  I was also in San Diego Musical Theatre's production of Singin' in the Rain last June.   

So, what originally made you choose to participate in musical theatre?

I always loved to sing, but being in a musical seemed intimidating when I was a kid.  It seemed elusive.  "I could never do that," I used to think.  But eventually I auditioned for my high school's production of South Pacific my freshman year.  The bug had bit.  

   

What is one thing that you love about Drowsy?

I love the heart of this show.  I love that Man in Chair is our guide throughout the evening.  So not only does he give us a little primer about musical comedies of the 1920s, but he eventually provides us with the moral.  

What are some unique challenges of your role?

I'm playing Underling alongside Julia Cuppy's Tottendale.  She spits on me excessively.  I just need to keep a straight face and take it.  

What is one thing that audience members should know before coming to see the show?

You really could know nothing about musicals, and this show will "take care of you."  But if you know even the slightest inkling about vaudeville or early musical theatre history, the show will be hilarious for you.

Visit my blog for musical theatre musings, reviews of new musicals, and fun stories from academic life is 7HalfCents.com

My website is bradleyj.co

Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/mrbehrmann

Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bradleyjbehrmann/

Meet our Cast: Sean Boyd

… in the Ensemble…

Hi Sean!  Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.  Tell us about past SDSU productions you’ve been involved in or any other San Diego-area projects that we might know you from.

I was the Steward in SDSU’s production of Into the Woods and Etienne in On The Eve.

So, what originally made you choose to participate in musical theatre?

I saw an awesome production of Footloose and West Side Story, and thought "this is the coolest!" I started acting after that, and musical theatre had more opportunities here in San Diego.

What is one thing that you love about Drowsy?

I love how much fun it is! And how the point seems to be about having fun in the theatre

What are some unique challenges of your role?

I never really considered myself a dancer -- so, making it seem like I know what I'm doing has been a struggle. A fun struggle, but a struggle nonetheless.

What is one thing that audience members should know before coming to see the show?

Be ready to have lots of fun!

Meet our Cast: Julia Cuppy

… in the role of Mrs. Tottendale…

Hi Julia!  Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.  Tell us about past SDSU productions you’ve been involved in or any other San Diego-area projects that we might know you from.

As a MFA Musical Theatre candidate, I had the pleasure of performing in Into the Woods as the Baker's Wife, Betty in The Great American Trailer Park Musical and Madame Thernardier in Les Mis - concert. I look forward to doing more San Diego projects after graduation. 

So, what originally made you choose to participate in musical theatre?

Well, I committed to a life as a theatre artist when I started my undergraduate training. I have always believed the saying that if you love what you do you will never have to work a day in your life. This saying inspired me to create a life for myself doing what I love. For me, that was a life of performing/directing and teaching. I was a high school Theatre and English teacher for nine years before attending SDSU and then I continued to teach Acting until this semester. I have been a performer/director in my hometown in Southern Oregon throughout that time as well. I feel very blessed to live a life filled with rewarding work and creative people. 

What is one thing that you love about Drowsy?

I love that it is a valentine to musicals. As a MFA Musical Theatre class, we have labeled ourselves musical theatre nerds due to our passion for all things musical theatre. I love that this show centers around one of the biggest musical theatre nerds - The Man in Chair. This show really captures the nerdiness that we all are proud of in ourselves. 

What are some unique challenges of your role?

I play the role of Mrs. Tottendale or also known as Ukulele Lil. As the show unfolds, the Man in Chair explains a little bit about the real life stories of the people playing the parts in the musical within a musical titled The Drowsy Chaperone. The most difficult element of this meta musical concept is knowing when the real actor is on stage and when the character is on stage.  

What is one thing that audience members should know before coming to see the show?

They should know that we have had a lot of fun rehearsing this show and we hope that they have a lot of fun watching it.

Meet our Cast: Jessica Humphrey

… in the role of Janet…

Hi Jessica!  Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.  Tell us about past SDSU productions you’ve been involved in or any other San Diego-area projects that we might know you from.

Other San Diego productions would include West Side Story at Lambs Players as Anybodys. Past SDSU productions include Les Miserables (Cosette), Trailer Park (Jeannie) and Into the Woods (Little Red). 

So, what originally made you choose to participate in musical theatre?

I actually started as a dancer- ballet specifically- but had always sung in the church choir, played the piano and had an aptitude for music. I realized somewhere around middle school that I could combine singing AND dancing and be even MORE successful. I grew up watching musicals, doing shows at church and in the community, but never knew that it could be a career. From that moment on, I've pursued the musical theatre industry. In college, my love of writing and teaching was able to grow by working as a dance captain, assistant director, and a leader in my university's musical theatre program. That led me to SDSU to pursue being an educator as well as a performer while getting a Masters Degree. 

What is one thing that you love about Drowsy?

I love the humor in Drowsy - I think it is very funny and smart. I wish more it was more popular because I think it’s a musical that people from all walks of life can relate to; it has a little something for everyone! I also love all the dancing! 

What are some unique challenges of your role?

The role of Janet is very iconic in the musical theatre community- everyone wants you to perform it just like Sutton Foster. It is a challenge for me to highlight my assets and what makes me special while also trying to be true to the character. I also have to have all my lines come from a place of truth and sincerity even though the character in the show is very two-dimensional and more of a stock character of 1920s musicals. 

What is one thing that audience members should know before coming to see the show?

Audience members should know that this show is all about fun. It was written as a parody and a vehicle for comedy writers and actors to have freedom to do what they wanted. Audiences should not take it too seriously! 

Visit Jessica’s website: www.JessicaMHumphrey.com for more information and access to her blogs for NewMusicalTheatre.com

Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and... Drowsy?

While The Drowsy Chaperone can be seen as having elements of a parody, it is more properly considered a pastiche.  The 1928 musical presented within the show imitates a typical frivolous 1920s musical like a parody (hence, we sometimes describe it as a parody), but the overall tone of the show is one of irreverent affection.

Parody and pastiche are very similar, as both are devices that imitate another work or style, and they are both commonly used in postmodern culture—including literature, fashion, film, design, and music.  Given their similarities, the distinction between the two can be blurry.

A parody imitates a work or genre in order to mock or ridicule the original, highlighting or exaggerating an element in order to poke fun at it.  There’s often the element of irony in a parody, pointing out mistakes or flaws for comic effect.

A pastiche, on the other hand, imitates to celebrate the original work.  It is a creative way of paying respect to great works of the past.  Humor in pastiche is affectionate in tone.  A pastiche references multiple sources, and may be a mixture that quotes several works, such as a medley of songs.

Since a parody can also refer to multiple sources, and can have other elements of a pastiche, the main difference between the two lies in the intention of the imitation.  In a pastiche, the imitation is meant as the sincerest form of flattery; it is done in homage to the source material.  In a parody, the imitation is used as a form of mockery.

A scene from the hilarious parody, Young Frankenstein.

A popular and well-known parody, the Mel Brooks film Young Frankenstein (1974) is a parody of classic 1930s horror films.  Hackneyed conventions of these films—such as gothic-style castles and a hunchback assistant—are used for comic effect.  Similarly, the Brooks film Blazing Saddles (1974) parodies westerns from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Other prominent examples of parodies can be found in episodes from TV shows like South Park and The Simpsons, which frequently parody other shows and aspects of pop culture.  Saturday Night Live skits are often parodies that feature impersonations of celebrities and important political figures.

In contrast to these mocking examples, the TV show 30 Rock often references classic shows like The Brady Bunch, Seinfeld, and even the musical Mamma Mia!  Other prominent examples of pastiche include the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction (1994) and Kill Bill (2003), which pay homage to 1950s pulp novels and kung-fu movies.

The scrolling opening recap from Flash Gordon.

A celebrated pastiche, Star Wars references various sources, including 1930s science fiction serials like Flash Gordon.  The text scrolling across the screen at the beginning of the film and the blasters are taken directly from Flash Gordon.  Similarly, the Indiana Jones films pay homage to 1930s-era adventure serials—with their ancient temples, buried treasure, sinister villains, and damsels in distress.

The two devices are combined in the Austin Powers series, which as a whole is a pastiche of the fads and clichés of the psychedelic Swinging Sixties, while it parodies 1960s spy films.

The Man in Chair.

While The Drowsy Chaperone can also be seen as combining both devices, the show’s narrator Man in Chair, reveals his genuine affection for 1920s musicals through his comments and interjections.  He does not trivialize the flimsy plots of these musicals or laugh at the stories that often seem superficial and silly to a modern audience.  It is clear that the purpose of the imitation is to celebrate the nostalgic escapism of musicals.

Meet our Cast: Dakota Ringer

... in the role of Gangster #1.

Hi Dakota!  Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.  Tell us about past SDSU productions you’ve been involved in or any other San Diego-area projects that we might know you from.

I have performed in at least one show a year during my 4 years at SDSU and every one of them have been a fantastic experience! Whether it was a student-directed production or a staff-directed production, the amount of professionalism and support that comes from the department has always kept me loving the work that our theater department puts on. My most recent role, however, was outside of SDSU's department in which I played the role of "Henry" in the production Next To Normal, which happens to be one of my favorite new shows.

So, what originally made you choose to participate in musical theatre?

I have always enjoyed music and singing and performing, ever since I was 5 years old, and I started doing mini shows with an acting group at my church. Eventually I started getting bigger and bigger roles and I began branching out to community theaters and performing with more serious companies and I just feel in love with the whole process. Once I got older, I really struggled a long time trying to figure out whether or not Musical Theatre was something I could see myself doing as a possible career. It was always conflicting with my athletic endeavors, but eventually I realized there were millions of burly guys trying to make it as a football player, and only a handful of them trying to make it in the theatre business.  So I stuck with it and I'm very happy with my choice.

What is one thing that you love about Drowsy?

I love the way that it pokes fun at itself and never really takes itself too seriously. I believe most of the comedy comes from the satirical nature this show has regarding the stereotypes of the 1920's, and playing these roles that are so different from our real lives makes it that much more fun. 

What are some unique challenges of your role?

Being a 1920's-style gangster that isn’t supposed to be a dancer, but has to become a dancer in an instant and look good doing it, but still portray to the audience that we don't really have any idea what we are doing. 

What is one thing that audience members should know before coming to see the show?

The jokes are rapid fire and if you aren’t paying close attention, you are bound to miss a handful of great material. If you stay invested in this show, and allow it to sweep you away, you will fall in love with it!