Theatre Aspen Education's production of "The Drowsy Chaperone,” which runs through Sunday, features nearly two dozen students.
The “musical within a comedy” takes place at the Black Box Theatre at Aspen High School.
The production is a send-up of just about every musical you’ve ever seen.
There are flashy song-and-dance numbers, big surprises, pendulum-swinging plot points and classic duets — with a twist.
Like, say, when the romantic leads sing on stage, and one of them is blindfolded and wearing roller skates.
Vanessa Strahan, director of the show, says the affectionate spoof of musical theater is part of what she loves about “The Drowsy Chaperone.”
“When I love something, I'm like, yes, I would like to make fun of this thing as a demonstration of my love for it,” Strahan said.
“To me, when you can sort of poke fun and rib at something, it's because … at its core, you have a respect and a love for that thing,” she added.
Strahan said the show has “a little bit of something for everyone” and “a lot of ridiculousness,” too, with plenty of family-friendly humor and a few jokes for the grown-ups that might fly over kids’ heads.
“It's just like a sort of 90-minute direct infusion of laughter, which I think is something that we could all use,” she said.
She said there is a lot of audience interaction, so come ready for an engaging performance.
