It’s becoming that time of year again, in which the dedicated students of the Bronx Science drama department commit themselves to putting on a musical to bring Broadway culture to the diverse atmosphere of the school. The musical this year is the comedy ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ a lighthearted parody on the musicals of the 1920’s, such as the Bronx Science 2016 musical, ‘Anything Goes.’ ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ centers around an old man, and his favorite musical, the fictional ‘Drowsy Chaperone.’ The musical within a musical centers on a wedding between a ex-actress and an average joe, and the hijinks surrounding their wedding day. Filled with numbers about romance, baking, and monkeys on pedestals, it is anticipated to be one of the best shows that Bronx Science has put on to date.

After days of auditions and callbacks, the chosen cast and ensemble gather after school every day until 6 p.m., working on perfecting notes and nailing choreography. On top of this, the chosen few who are given roles learn their lines and blocking, each movement meticulously thought out by the directors to provide an engaging experience for the audience. The actors additionally will have to memorize their lines and deliver them in a way that makes the audience react the way that they are supposed to react in a given scene. Theater is an intricate art, and almost no one has a keener eye for detail than the students and faculty of the drama department. The senior director, Kristina Ang ’18, noted her history with the show itself.

“It was just last year when Ms. Heidi Li first came to me about doing ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ and the moment she introduced it to me, I knew it was the one I wanted to direct.”

The directors are tasked with making sure that everything runs smoothly. The senior director is the head of the project, tasked with telling actors where to go and what to do and how to act their part, and their two colleagues, the junior and sophomore director, are there to ensure that the senior director’s plans pan out.

This year was a particularly difficult one to get rolling, given the record size of the enthusiasm shown for the project. “I was so shocked and excited to see this year’s audition turnout come out to a total of seventy-five people! We recently finished casting the show after three weeks and have a cast size of forty-six, one of our largest casts we’ve had here at Bronx Science,” said Ang. With luck, what this means for future productions is that more students can shine in a way that is unexpected for a school known for its science.

In a time of stress for almost all students, given exams and college planning and the workload, it’s difficult to find respite. But the show is consistently a source of relief, not only for those who come to see it, but for the students who put a large amount of time into making it. “I highly encourage everyone, even if you’ve never heard of ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ or even if you’re not a fan of musical theater, to watch this year’s Spring Musical because it’s going to be the cat’s pajamas!” said Ang.