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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“The Drowsy Chaperone” Took Unique Path to Coming Hudson Opening on April 29<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Award Winning Comedy with Music and Winner of Five Tony Awards Started out as a Bachelor Party Gift<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Hudson Players (the Fox 8 Hotlist 2010 Akron/Canton Area Theater Group of the Year) are readying the Tony award winning fresh from Broadway hit comedy with music “The Drowsy Chaperone” for its opening on April 29 at 8 p.m. at the Barlow Community Center at 41 S. Oviatt St in Hudson. The group will be one of the first theater groups in the area to present this crowd pleasing musical comedy. With performances being held April 29, 30, May 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 20 & 21, it’s been called one of the funniest plays ever, but it all actually started as a unique bachelor party gift written to include the actual bride’s name (which still remains in the show today). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Composer Lisa Lambert explained that she was one of three “best men” to the groom (the eventual star and co-writer of the final show, Bob Martin) and that “The Drowsy Chaperone” was conceived as the second half of the unconventional bachelor party they threw (Lambert, librettist Don McKeller and co-composer Greg Morrison had all known Martin since high school). Guests were actually charged admission to the show as a way to help pay for the wedding. Everyone liked it so much the friends polished it up, added the infamous ‘Man in Chair’ and started the show on it’s journey to Broadway, five Tony’s and beyond (Hudson, Ohio in this case). The actual bride’s name, Janet Van De Graff, remains in the show as nod to the original concept and as a fun ongoing gift to the couple.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The premise is that a man, known only as "Man in Chair," is so enraptured by a recording of a classic musical that it comes to life as he spins the platter in his living room. He fills us in on all the juicy gossip about the actors in Broadway's glory age and tells the story that occurs between the tracks of the recording.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The play within the play, meanwhile, is a pastiche of musical-theater tropes in which a starlet named Janet Van De Graff is ready to give up the stage to get married to an oil tycoon and settle down. This threatens the pocketbook of her theatrical producer, and he determines to foil the wedding, in part through the seductions of a Latin silent-film lothario. The "drowsy" (a period euphemism for tipsy) chaperone is Janet's upstaging minder. In “The Drowsy Chaperone” people tap dance for no reason, gangsters pretend to be pastry chefs, Chaperones get tipsy, a latin lover pursues the bride and a pilot invites a group of strangers to accompany her on a trip to Rio. It’s all ridiculous but that’s what makes it so fun. As they say, ruses are played, hi-jinks occur, and the plot spins everyone into musical comedy euphoria.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Tickets are available now via the Hudson Players website at <a href="http://www.hudsonplayers.com/">www.hudsonplayers.com</a> or by calling the box office at 330-655-8522. Single show tickets are only $14 each with group, senior and student discounts available. The show is directed by Rich Jagunic, one of the rotating directors at Theatre West Virginia. Cast includes: Jason Simmons, Mark Moore, Suzanne Davis, Kayla Heichel, Jared McGrath, Rantea Thompson, Michelle Dolciato, Steve Brofman, Roger Clary, Tom Cirner, Theresa Marzullo, Ron Cuirle, Jennifer Matas, Marianne Karlson, Kathy Steiner, Adrienne Dickson, Kirk Worcester, Sonny Sonnhalter, Gary Maher and Chanda Porter. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>As an added benefit, opening the Hudson Players hope to announce their 2011-12 Season at opening night of “The Drowsy Chaperone” and opening night audience members will be invited out after the show for a reception with cast and crew.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Hudson Players are an all volunteer non-profit community theater organization. Volunteers are always welcome to assist with a variety of tasks including publicity, poster distribution, set building, costumes and more. Additional information is available at <a href="http://www.hudsonplayers.com/">www.hudsonplayers.com</a>, by emailing <a href="mailto:info@hudsonplayers.com">info@hudsonplayers.com</a> or by calling 330-655-8522. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoBodyTextIndent align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>###<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>