Andrew Chauncey, knows a little bit about how things work at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.
Chauncey, who has performed onstage and served as music director for other productions, is the CTC business manager.
Most recently, he served as musical director for “Songs for a New World” in the Circle Theatre, and before that he played Carmen Ghia in “The Producers.”
He also has been the music director at his church for the last five years.
Q: “The Producers” was among the best things I’ve seen at the CTC. Do you see it as a high point for the theater?
A: It was a huge thing for a community theater to do well. It is a huge undertaking with all of the costumes, staging, cast, everything. It was a very strong cast, and it just worked very well.
Q: Why? What made this work so well?
A: I don’t know, really. I don’t know if we got lucky or what, but there is a lot of talent here to dip into. It just clicked, and everything fell into place.
Q: Watching it, I imagined that during rehearsals, you might have thought you’d gone too over the top, only to be told to go farther.
A: There were times that we thought we were way out there and were told we were nowhere near where we needed to be. It’s pretty over the top.
Q: You also were musical director for “Songs.” Does it help to have been part of a cast and also a music director? Did one experience help the other?
A: Definitely. There is a different kind of pressure and accountability. It also helps me understand the frustrations and to be able to explain what I want better. With ‘Songs,’ it was a smaller cast, only four people, and the harmonies were very complex and difficult and you have to hear it. I did not want to send those four people out onstage until they were ready.
Q: Do you have your next project in mind?
A: No. It is a lot of work and a huge commitment. I don’t want to burn out. As far as a dream role, I’ve always said I wanted to do “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.’ What’s not to love? You put on a great coat, and you get to sing a great number.
Fact File
Name: Andrew Chauncey.
Education: Ringgold High School (2001), Bryan College, business management (2008), attended Lee University.
Career: Business manager, Chattanooga Theatre Centre.
Favorites
Movie: “Shawshank Redemption.”
Play: “Mary Poppins.” “I saw it in New York, and the stage work was phenomenal. I wanted to go backstage to see how they did it.”
Singer: Josh Groban.