Seabury Hall presents ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ Nov. 13–21

Seabury Hall Performing Arts will present “The Drowsy Chaperone: A Musical Within a Comedy” Nov. 13–21, 2026, at the ʻAʻaliʻikūhonua Creative Arts Center, on the school’s campus in Makawao. Performances are scheduled for Nov. 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 7 p.m., with an additional matinee on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at seaburyhall.org/arts.

Directed and choreographed by David Ward, with vocal direction by Julia Golding, the production invites audiences into the world of a devoted musical theater fan seeking a little escape. When he plays the cast album of his favorite fictitious 1928 musical, his apartment transforms, and the show comes to life around him.

A love letter to the glitzy, madcap musicals of the Roaring Twenties, “The Drowsy Chaperone” follows two lovers on the brink of their wedding, surrounded by a bumbling best man, a desperate producer, comic gangsters, and an irrepressibly inebriated chaperone. The five-time Tony Award-winning musical features music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar.

“This is a perfect show for high school students,” said Ward. “There are so many great roles. It’s a true ensemble piece, the music is great, the choreography is inspired by the 1920s, and the characters are big, bold, and brilliant.”

The student cast features Bella Hampe and Braydan Mann as the wedding-bound lovers and Jeff Alet as the producer. Alternating performers include Connor Ulene and Sasha Meisel as the best man; Sol Bridgford and Sloane Rodriguez as the producer’s moll; Aurora Zoetewey and Makaela Cooper as the heiress; Emma Almenta and Jude Merritt as her underling; James Golding and Henry Kays, or Milan Libby and Erika Sharp, as the comic gangsters; Phoebe Golding and Victoria Jacitho as the aviatrix; and Peyton Prouty and Azmina Zainuddin as the chaperone.

“One of the best parts of working on this show is how much the students love the comedy,” Ward said. “It allows them to be bigger than life, with the perfect mix of vaudeville and camp.”

Todd Van Amburgh designed the set and lighting, Melody Koerber designed the costumes, and Matthew Hardwick designed the sound. 

Vocal Director Julia Golding praised the students’ commitment to the musical’s songs and ensemble work.

“It’s been amazing seeing the cast pour so much heart and energy into these songs. The harmonies are spot on, and the vocals are seriously impressive—people are going to love it.