By Sophia Luckey
Staff Writer
On Jan. 20, “Day After Day: The Life and Music of Doris Day,” put on by P3 Theatre Company, opened at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse.
The play tells the life story of American singer, actress, and dancer Doris Day. It walks through the more unknown aspects of her life, all while being told with many of her most famous songs such as “Whatever Will Be Will Be,” “Sentimental Journey,” and “Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps.”
“We are thrilled to be bringing this play back,” said executive artistic director and founder Jon Peterson. “With it meaning so much to us, we hope it will mean just as much to the audience.”
The award-winning show was the last one produced by P3 Theatre Company before the pandemic hit in 2020. According to Peterson, the company has been yearning to bring the show back. The play was able to do so, even with the original actors.
“This play is so special, especially to everyone in the Day After Day family,” Peterson said. “We have all known each other for years, and watching our director’s attention to detail in Doris Day’s life was amazing.”
The characters’ costumes are a perfect example of said attention to detail. The narrator of the play, portrayed by Zach Appel, stays in solid colors and only switches his costume once during intermission. Contrary to the narrator’s design, Doris, who is portrayed by Deborah Robin, has around 18 costume changes over the duration of the show. This lets the audience focus more on Doris while she is on stage and also showcases Doris’ love for fashion.
“We are thrilled to be bringing this play back,” said Peterson. “With it meaning so much to us, we hope it will mean just as much to the audience.”
At the intermission of the play, concessions were sold and the audience was given a chance to stretch after the hour-long first act. During the intermission, a raffle was held offering a large box of feminine products, including perfumes and lotions.
“The way the actors danced and moved around the stage really intrigued me,” said Becker. “They used all the space offered and made it look so effortless.”
Although the play was a huge success, blocking was a slight issue, according to Becker. The first time the play was performed, it was in an 800-seat theater, so the stage and sets were much larger. In order to accommodate the change, much of the blocking had to be switched.
“I loved the play,” said sophomore Madelyn Riethmiller. “The performances of both the actors were spectacular.”
The play was held in the small theater, just off the main entrance. The tickets were priced at $38 for adults, and $33 for seniors, students, and those in the military.
“The prices of the tickets were pretty high,” said sophomore Lauren Becker. “However, I would definitely go to another show.”
Leave a Reply