HOLDEN — The cast and crew of “Lucky Stiff” are gearing up for the Wachusett Theatre production, set to take the stage the first weekend in April.
There are 65 Wachusett Regional High School students in grades nine through 12 involved with the musical farce, either on stage or behind the curtains.
“Rehearsals are going well, and I feel we are where we need to be prior to opening night,” said WRHS Music Department Head Sherri Der Kazarian. “Now it’s time to clean everything up and make it flow.”
The plot synopsis on the show’s website relays that “Lucky Stiff” is based on the 1983 novel “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” by Michael Butterworth. “Lucky Stiff” is an offbeat, murder mystery farce, complete with mistaken identities, $6 million in diamonds and a corpse in a wheelchair. The story revolves around an unassuming English shoe salesman who is forced to take the embalmed body of his recently murdered uncle on a vacation to Monte Carlo. Should he succeed in passing his uncle off as alive, Harry Witherspoon stands to inherit the $6 million. If not, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn.
Der Kazarian, who is also the band and choir director at the high school, is the stage and musical director for the show. She has been involved with Wachusett Theatre musicals since she came to the school 18 years ago.
Senior Matthew Trombley plays one of leads, Witherspoon, and fellow senior Rylie Schoville plays his counterpart, Annabel Glick, who represents the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn. Other major supporting characters are Rita LaPorta, played by senior Sofia Doucette; Vinnie DiRuzzio, played by senior Declan Rockwell; and Luigi Gaudi, played by junior Carter Egdall. Also, of course, is the role of the dead body in the wheelchair, played by senior Gavin Finn.
Der Kazarian said now that the crew is in the rehearsals, “that energy and magic among them will happen soon.”
“The show should be fast-paced, with quick set changes, so there will be a lot of choreography that needs to happen between cast and crew to have everything run smoothly,” she said.
When asked what she is looking forward to about the performances, Der Kazarian said she “always look(s) forward to seeing all of our hard work come together to entertain the audience.”
“This year I have three student players in the pit orchestra and four adults, so the full sound won’t come together until our first dress rehearsal. I also hope we’ve done our job and get a lot of laughs, as well as perhaps a tear or two.”
“Lucky Stiff” showtimes are Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6, at 6 p.m., with a matinee on Sunday, April 7, at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden.
