TOWNSHEND — The Leland & Gray Players end their 17th season with HATS OFF 2013! on May 24 and 25 in the Dutton Gymnasium on the Leland & Gray campus on Route 30 across from the Townshend Common.
An eclectic parade of music, song, dance, comedy - and a smattering of drama - HATS OFF affords Leland & Gray Players in grades 7-12 an opportunity to select what they want to perform, to display their strengths, to hone new skills, and to discover different ways to contribute to the performance. Many students also direct, choreograph and write pieces for HATS OFF.
This year's performances include comedic skits by Mike Nichols and Elaine May, Lewis Carroll, Victor Borge, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Red Skelton, Abbot and Costello, and Jackie Gleason.
Other sketches include the modern comedy of “Saturday Night Live” and “MADtv,” improvisations, and juggling. Voices will be heard from the works of Arthur Miller, George Bernard Shaw, Anton Chekhov, and William Gibson.
Songs and dances will include musical numbers from “Phantom of the Opera,” “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” “A Chrous Line,” “The Lion King,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Les Misérables,” “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Guys and Dolls,” and others.
Featuring several new faces as well as a host of veterans, the HATS OFF '13 company includes Adam Culver, Alexa Litchfield, Anna Cashman, Arik Clark, Bailey Whelchel, Casey Williams, Corrin Broussard, Forest Taylor, Gable Rak, Gia Casella, Giannina Gaspero-Beckstrom, Jesse Cannella, Kayla Williams, Kenny Cashman, Maddi Etman, Madison Cannella, Maezie Cramp, Mike Zimayni, Natalie Cullen, Nathaniel van Osdol, Nicole Winot, Patrick Hauer, Rachael Turner, Rebekah Winot, Sam Turner, Shelby Whelchel, Susie Francy, and Tino Benson.
The producer is Ann Landenberger. Production assistant is L&G staff member and 2002 Players' alumna Abby Wicker.
The crew includes Genevieve Darling, Olivia Reilly, Zoe Soule, Grant Cullen, Itara Jacobs, Dani Dezendorf, Anna Cashman, Bruno Posa, Rachel Spence, Nate Laning, and Stephen Scott.
Lighting will be designed and run by participants in Leland & Gray's new lighting workshop, led by Jerry Stockman as part of Leland & Gray's after-school program.