| Dracula (Chris Keller) prepares to take a bite out of victim Michelle Johansen. |
Emery High Drama Department will present its first play of the season with a Halloween comedy musical entitled “Dracula The Musical?” This hilarious presentation will be Oct. 29, and 30 beginning at 7:30 p.m. and will be performed at the Emery High Auditorium.
This play is the musical story of Count Dracula’s attempt to take over the Seward Family Insane Asylum and Dr. Van Helsing’s attempts to stop him. It contains all of the cliches associated with vampires including the ability to turn into a bat and to not be seen in a mirror. The characters are also cliches of every vampire movie ever made. Kip Huffaker is Dr. Sam Seward the owner of the mental institution. His wife, Sophie Seward, is played by Kelsie Anderson and their daughter Mina is Michelle Johansen. They are visited by a family friend, the lovely but romantically desperate Bubu Padoop, played by Monica Weihing. Also running around the asylum are the family maid, Nelly Norton, portrayed by Sarah Jorgensen and Boris Renfield, a patient, starring Seth Cox. Dr. Van Helsing, the vampire hunter, is Matt Harrison and the evil Count Dracula is Chris Keller.Mina’s boyfriend, Jonathan Harker, is Jacob Bawden.
The play was written by Rick Abbot who also wrote the music and lyrics. The music is fun; the story is funny; and the characters are a riot. Though this is about vampires it is definitely “G” rated family entertainment. The characters would like to be scary but they are just too silly to manage it.
The set for this production has been built entirely by the Emery High Stage Crew and the Emery High Drama Department. Besides the main characters there are several more students involved who play lunatics and villagers. This production is presented through a special arrangement of Samuel French, Inc. of New York. Music is provided by pianists Marilee Cox and Seth Bott and the play is under the direction of Neal Peacock. This will be the 92nd play that Neal has produced/directed and the 22nd musical. He has received a lot of help from Marilee Cox and Natalie Blackwell who have helped with the vocal development.
Dracula the Musical? will be the first play of the season but certainly not the last. In November the Emery High Drama Department will present the musical – The Fantastiks – which was at one time the longest running play on Broadway. The dates for that production are November 21, 22, 23. The drama department plans on producing six plays this year including a contest play and also participating in several drama competitions including region.
Tickets for Dracula the Musical? can be purchased at the door or in advance from Emery High Drama students.