When you hear the words “Roaring 20s” flappers, bobbed hair, and bathtub gin come to mind. But the 1920s were also the setting of some great musical theater, so with a nod to the music that defined the period, the Paul VI High School Players are proudly presenting “The Boy Friend.”
“The Boy Friend” is a comedy full of energetic song and dance, with a little romance mixed in. The play takes place in a girls’ boarding school in the South of France where the “Perfect Young Ladies” are more interested in subjects of the heart than the classroom. Polly Browne (Tracy Ramsay), an heiress, meets Tony (Jonathon Cumber), a messenger boy, and they fall in love in no time flat. Tony thinks that Polly is a secretary at the school, and Polly does not realize that Tony is himself rich. It’s boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and while everyone periodically bursts into song, you can guess the rest. The list of players is rounded out by PVI veterans Karen Kelleher, Francesca Chilcote, Steve McGonigle, Chris Stinson, Anthony Arnista, Anna Santayana, and a cast of thousands. Surprises in the cast include Amy Sesse-Creque (religion teacher) and Clarence Boone (staff), who will be dancing a tango that no one should miss.
Although set in the 20s, “The Boy Friend” made its Broadway debut in the 50s. It is remembered for, among other things, being the play that made Julie Andrews a star. Mrs. Miller, the director, said that is one of the reasons she picked it. “Could Julie Andrews be wrong?”
Junior Hope MacDonald, who was nominated for two Cappies last year in PVI’s “Bye Bye Birdie” (Best Choreographer and winner of Best Female Dancer), has brought her skill in tap, jazz and swing dancing to create a lively evening of theater.