The classic 1950’s musical “The Boy Friend” hit the Pittsburgh Playhouse stage and is now a part of the Point Park’s theater archives.
Point Park students can see the performance free of charge and can experience life in France during the 1920s through the outlet of acting, music and fashion.
This comedic musical was written in 1953 by Alexander Galbraith Wilson, who was born on May 19, 1924, and passed away on Aug. 27, 2014, at 90 years old.
In England, this influential composer, songwriter and author was popularly known as “Sandy” Wilson. Even though the musical title is often presented as “The Boyfriend” by some individuals, Wilson’s production and performance earned its right to be called one of the longest running musical productions on Broadway, according to critics.
The performance began on Feb. 27, but because of Point Park’s spring break, the next performances will take place from Mar. 12-15. Tickets are available on the Pittsburgh Playhouse website for $18 to $20.
Jack Allison, a critically-acclaimed director and Point Park professor of musical theatre course. Period Styles of Acting, and Beginning Directing, said that this musical is a “spoof of the 1920s.”
“It’s fun, and it’s mindless. It doesn’t pretend to have a deep message,” Allison said. “[A] young girl meets at night, falls in love in the morning.”
Kristin Serafini, a senior musical theatre major, is playing the role of “Polly Browne,” a young and attractive girl who falls head over heels for a delivery boy Tony Brockhurst. With excitement, Serafini explained how she felt about the character that she is playing.
“I love playing Polly Browne because she’s just a young girl that wants a boyfriend. She’s also kind of a pathological liar, but not in a bad way,” Serafini said.
According to Serafini, a small amount of research was needed to be able to become Polly. A glimpse at Julie Andrews, the originator of the role at the age of 18, and a pinch of history is all that it took for Serafini to play the character.
“I looked up what Polly was like in the 1920s, but she’s not too complicated of a character that I really had to do too much research on,” Serafini said. “There hasn’t been too much that I had to tap into. She’s kind of shy around the girls, but they all really like her, and they’re always wondering what she’s up to.”
In the musical, Tony Brockhurst’s animated and wealthy father Lord Brockhurst is played by Keaton Jadwin, a senior musical theatre major. Lord Brockhurst is an older man who does not hesitate when it comes to pursuing younger women.
“It’s a fluff musical,” Jadwin said. “Lord is a very character-driven type of man. He’s a 65 year-old man who is sick and tired of his wife pounding him, so he runs off and try to get with an 18-year-old, or 17-year-old.”
