The theater program at California Baptist University will be performing a musical within a musical and a play with a comedic twist on a Hitchcock classic this semester in Wallace Theatre.
Students can enjoy the play “39 Steps” from Feb.19-20 and Feb. 25-27, featuring Andrew Cochran, senior theatre major, as the lead, Richard Hannay. The musical “Pirated!” will premiere in April featuring Sarah Whitaker, junior communication studies major, as Kitty Prince. Tickets will be available for $10.
“39 Steps” is based on Alfred Hitchcock’s film of the same name released in 1935. Cochran describes the show as a comedic remake of the original.
“It is about a man who accidentally uncovers a national conspiracy and is forced to become a player in the drama,” Cochran said.
Cochran acted in the fall production of “Fahrenheit 451” as Chief Beatty but “39 Steps” is his first leading role.
“Pirated!,” which will run from April 8-9 and April 14-16, is an adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera, “Pirates of Penzance,” set on a 1930s-style film set. The character, Roger Marshall, directs the film in a time where talking films are on the rise. When Marshall tries to use silent movie stars as actors and replaces their voices with a different set of vocal actors, craziness ensues.
“Think ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ meets the music from ‘Pirates of Penzance,’” Whitaker said. “The issue occurs when Marshall’s overbearing directing style and rules cause the vocal actors to rise up against their leader.”
This is Whitaker’s CBU stage debut as Kitty, Marshall’s personal assistant who gets swept into the craziness of the actor’s riot. Last semester, Whitaker was the assistant stage manager for “Fahrenheit 451.”
“This show has something for everyone,” Whitaker said. “There is fun music, hilarious scenes, quirky characters, a police chase and pirates. I would encourage everyone to come and see it.”
