Christopher
1991 · Triopia High School
Christopher was the 1991 Triopia High School production, an original musical written and directed by Ken Bradbury. Ken's theatre history remembers it chiefly by its look — the most picturesque Triopia show to date, built around a chain-link fence and rusty metal — with freshman Scott Stanberry taking the lead. It belongs to the same run of Ken's original Triopia musicals as Roll On Ohio (1990) and MorningStar (1992).
Cast of Characters
- Christopher
- Andi
- Big Jim
- Jimmy
- Pete
- Philly
- Bart
- Tomi
- Matt
- Tad
- Izzy
- Jonnie
- Simeon
- Mag
- Levetia
- Mole
- Gigi
- Misty
- Waitress
- Announcer
- Back-Up Singers
- Malcolm
- Kyle Fuss
- Larry
- Moe
- Anna
- Judge Pyle
- Rather
- Sam
- Roy
- Car Dealer
- Church Man
- Promoter
- Henchmen
- Gang Member/Dancer
- Levetia's Dancers
- "Death" Dancers
- Chorus
Cast
- Scott Stanberry — lead role (a freshman)
- Dan Patterson
- Kirk Strubbe
- Rich Cernech
- & Crew (completing the twelve)
Songs
Act I
- Mean Streets — The Ensemble
- Do You Wanna Go — Christopher, Gang Members
- Cool Things Are A-Comin — Christopher, and the Gang
- I Bring You Fire — Levetia, Back-Up Singers, Ensemble
- Now We Got Even Less — The Gang
- What's It Gonna Take? — Christopher
- How Am I To Know? — Mag, Pete, Izzy & the Gang
- What's It Gonna Take, Reprise — Pete, Christopher & the Gang
Act II
- Oh, Say Can't You See? — Levetia, Back-Up Singers, The Ensemble
- Got a Good Thing, Now — Sam, Roy, Dealer, Church Man, Promoter, Mole, The Ensemble
- Dare Devil — Levetia, Back-Up Singers, Mole, The Ensemble
- Take the Hurt Away — Christopher
- The Agony — The Orchestra and Dancers
- Good Luck, Good Night, Goodbye / Nothin's Quite As Easy As It Seems / Only Love — Levetia, Pete, Andi, Mag and the Gang
- Do You Wanna Go? Reprise — Christopher, the Gang & Ensemble
Production Notes
1991 was the year the Triopia stage moved to its present position; more lights and the scrim were added. The show was staged with a chain-link fence and rusty metal and is remembered in Ken's theatre history as "the most picturesque show to date." Scott Stanberry took the lead as a freshman, in a cast of twelve — Scott Stanberry, Dan Patterson, Kirk Strubbe, Rich Cernech & Crew "completing the twelve." Carole Robertson was Triopia's longtime vocal director and pianist through this era, continuing until her 1994 retirement.
A direct video recording of the 1991 Triopia production survives (Christopher 1991.mp4, roughly 123 minutes). It opens directly on the staged performance and closes on the cast curtain call, with no legible on-screen title or credit cards.
Memories
"What's It Gonna Take?"
The song "What's It Gonna Take?" was original to Christopher. Later, the song was recorded by the group Shiloh. In 2005, the song was revised and included in a montage in Triopia's production of Wonderful World.