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TRISHA MURPHY/Palatka Daily News – Matthew Snider, a senior in the Palatka Junior-Senior High School Musical Theatre Department, will perform his last show, “The Drowsy Chaperone, A Musical Within A Comedy,” which will start at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Having gotten a taste of musical theater when he was just 12, Matthew Snider has found his happy place on stage.
The Q.I. Roberts Junior-Senior High School senior will graduate this year with 12 shows under his belt with the Palatka Junior-Senior High School Musical Theatre Department, including the spring musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone, A Musical With A Comedy,” where he plays George, the best man to the groom, Robert, and who is in charge of planning the wedding.
“I have changed tremendously in the six years I have been a part of this program,” said Snider, now 17, who lives in Melrose. “I learned how you need every single person in the production or anything in life to be fully committed or you will not be able to perform to the best of your ability.”
“The Drowsy Chaperone” opened last weekend and its final performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Jim Pignato Theatre at the C.L. Overturf Jr. District Center, 1100 S. 18th St. in Palatka.
The PHS spring musical is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International. Tickets are $15 in advance at Ralph’s House of Flowers, 605 St. Johns Ave., Suite 101, or $20 at the door while available.
Director Jim Pignato said the show, written by Bob Martin and Don Mckellar, won five Tony awards in 2006, including Best Music and Best Book of a Musical.
“The whole show takes place in the apartment of a lonely, eccentric man who shares his favorite Broadway show, ‘The Drowsy Chaperone,’ with the audience by playing the soundtrack record,” Pignato said. “It’s a show from 1928 that he’s never even seen but it comes to life in his imagination. At the end, he actually crosses over into 1928 with the cast.”
Snider said his first play with the Palatka High group was in 2018 when he was cast as Mike Teavee in “Willy Wonka.” Then the PHS production “Newsies” came around and Pignato was in need of many people to play male characters so Snider decided to audition.
According to Pignato, Snider has matured into a fine Christian young man.
“He is coachable, talented and a lot of fun to work with,” he said. “He has played a great variety of roles. In last year’s spring production “Titanic,” he played Captain Smith, a very dramatic role, which is totally different from this role of George.”
Pignato said this year’s spring show was selected for his group to perform because “we all need a good, silly laugh in the world in which we live.”
“Silliness agrees perfectly with Matthew because he is by nature a kidder,” he said. “He will be missed as he graduates and goes off to (Florida State University).”
Before joining the theater group, Snider said, he had performed three years with the Q.I. Roberts drama class, where he learned a lot. He also was part of two summer musical camps with Florida School of the Arts.
“The Q.I. program helped me grow my skills as an actor,” he said. “I feel like being with the PHS group has given me training in leadership and in being confident in what I am doing.”
Following graduation, Snider plans to work toward a degree in communications, where he wants to become a broadcaster or a radio host.
“I would love to still do musical theater in college in some form, whether that be for the college or elsewhere,” he said.
Snider admits he always gets a little nervous before every show, but one of his favorite things about live theater is there are never two identical shows because something can always happen.
“There have been many instances of something funny happening on stage,” he said. “There have been times where someone falls during a dance in a way that they don’t hurt themselves and it always provides us with a good laugh afterwards.”
While part of the Palatka High group, Snider has had the opportunity to sing, dance and act. Besides that, Snider said his favorite thing to do though is dance.
“I have spent many times in the ensemble just performing and helping by singing and dancing,” he said. “I love singing harmonies as it fills in the songs. I greatly fell in love with dancing and I love characters that enable me to act and dance at the same time.”
Snider believes he can’t end his time with the theater group without taking the time to thank those who have helped him along the way.
“These past six years have been some of the best moments of my life,” he said. “I am truly indebted to Mr. P. and I hope he knows how much we care about him and are grateful for him and how much he has helped me grow as a person.”
Snider pauses when considering what his favorite part has been during his time with the theater group.
“It is hard to pick a favorite musical because I love each and every show that I have been a part of,” he said. “My favorite show to dance in was ‘Hello Dolly’ as I loved the number ‘Waiters Gallop’ and ‘Hello Dolly.’ My favorite show to act in was ‘Titanic’ because I greatly enjoyed playing Captain Smith. And my favorite show overall, however, was ‘Newsies’ as it was my first big musical and when my heart truly fell in love with theater.”
Snider said what he has loved most about being a part of musical theater is seeing everyone work together.
“You can’t do a musical without a dedicated group of people coming together to perform,” he said. “I have also loved growing myself, especially as a dancer and seeing my own personal improvements. I just love being able to cut loose and be someone other than myself.”
