Humor in misconnection

“Bells Are Ringing,” the latest musical to emerge from the Music, Theatre and Dance program, is a comedy and love story presented in one family-friendly package.

The story takes place in the 1950s at Sue’s Answer Phone. The main character, Ella, works for her cousin Sue, answering phones and taking messages for subscribers that aren’t available — a precursor to modern-day voicemail.

When Ella becomes over-involved in her clients’ lives, forging friendships and close ties, the police begin to think that Sue’s Answer Phone is a front for illegal activity. The case of mistaken identity unravels in the form of song and dance.

“It’s a story everyone could like,” director Karen Sheridan, a professor of theater, said. “There’s a lot of funny things that happen and there’s also romance at the heart of it.”

Allison Kochanski, a senior musical theater major, plays the part of Ella, a character whose quirky personality she said she can relate to.

“She can be kind of awkward in certain situations, but she’s very strong in other situations,” Kochanski said. “She’s very caring toward the people that she loves. She wants to be a part of their lives.”

Ella eventually falls in love with one of her clients, a man she has only heard on the phone and never met in person.

“It’s kind of an interesting concept, especially in today’s world,” Kochanski said. “Everything is very visual, and about who’s hot, and that’s how you fall in love with someone. In this case, she hears him and she wants to help him so much and she just loves the person that he is, so she falls in love with him. The musical escalates off of that.”

Because “Bells Are Ringing” is a musical, it often utilizes the ensemble, a group of actors cast as different characters that change throughout the story. Natalie Sparbeck, a sophomore musical theater major, is part of the ensemble.

“We portray about six different characters each,” Sparbeck said. “We go in different scenes as different people, so it’s a really great opportunity for us to dive into various roles all in one performance, which you rarely get to do. They’re all cute, fun ’50s roles.”

David Vogel, a sophomore musical theater major, plays Carl, a teenage delivery boy that hangs out at Sue’s Answer Phone. Carl teaches Ella how to ChaCha, one of Vogel’s favorite aspects of his character.

“I’ve never done Latin dancing before, so learning the basic aspects of Latin movements was probably the hardest thing for me, but not in a bad way,” Vogel said. “It was fun to be able to use my skills as a dancer.”

Both a major advantage and obstacle that the cast and crew faced was leaving Varner Studio Theatre.

Because of how large scale the performance is, the musical will take place at Eisenhower High School’s Performing Arts Center.

“We wanted our students to have an opportunity for students to work with a conductor in front of them in an orchestra pit,” Sheridan said. “We wanted to have big sceneries that they can push on and off stage, so it’s really an opportunity for students to work in what would be a big theater situation.”

The new environment has meant major adjustments for the students and faculty as they adapt to the changes.

“It’s a big show to begin with, and not having it in a comfortable place for us was really hard,” stage manager Kate Smith, a senior theater design and technology major, said.

Usually a show will run for 12 performances in the Varner Studio Theatre, which seats 130 people. The Eisenhower auditorium seats 690, and as a result, only four shows will be performed.

Kochanski emphasized that “Bells Are Ringing” is a family-friendly comedy that has something for everyone to enjoy.

“There’s jokes that adults will get and there’s funny things that all kids will like a lot,” she said. “It’s good for all ages.

Vogel urges students and faculty to attend the show as a way to get away from everyday life.

“It’s escapism,” he said. “When the economy is bad and there is political unrest, things like that, it’s good old-fashioned fun.”

Sheridan is impressed by everyone involved and said that she could have cast it several times over for all the talent in the room.

“We’ve got a really terrific program,” Sheridan said. “The talent is really extraordinary and we’ve got some really great people in the entire company. People should come and see it. They’re going to laugh and have a good time.”

“Bells Are Ringing” will be performed on Friday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. and Saturday, Feb 12 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Eisenhower High School Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $9 for students and $17 for general admission.

Tickets can be purchased at the Varner Box Office, at Eisenhower High School one hour before the show starts or by calling 248-370-3013.

Saturday night’s performance will be shadow-signed by interpreters from Terp Theatre.