Newport Theatre Arts Center ’ s Production of ‘ The Drowsy Chaperone ’ is a Compact Comedic Salute to Classic Musical Theater
One of the most enduring comedic masterpieces of all time .
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY Tickets start at $ 45 . Groups save up to 35 %.
newportbeachindy . com MARCH 29 , 2024 3
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Newport Theatre Arts Center ’ s Production of ‘ The Drowsy Chaperone ’ is a Compact Comedic Salute to Classic Musical Theater
By Eric Marchese | Special to the NB Indy
Billed as “ a musical within a comedy ,” “ The Drowsy Chaperone ” has been around long enough to have developed something of a cult following . Its reputation is well deserved as a compact , comedic show that both parodies and salutes the musical theater of the 1920s .
Originating in Toronto in 1998 , the show has played worldwide . Now it ’ s Newport Theatre Arts Center ’ s turn to offer this valentine to Golden Age musical theater .
The brilliance of the show , conceived by Lisa Lambert , Greg Morrison and Don McKellar , is in its concept : A solitary devotee of musical theater shuts out the unpleasantries of contemporary life by bolting the door of his New York City apartment and playing LP recordings on a vintage gramophone . Whenever feeling low , the character , known only to us as “ Man in Chair ,” dusts off his exceedingly rare two-disc recording of “ The Drowsy Chaperone ,” an obscure Broadway musical from 1928 .
As the show begins , Man in Chair ( Christopher Spencer ) shares with us the philosophy that drives his actions : “ I just want a good story and a few good songs . I just want to be entertained . Isn ’ t that the point ?”
And thus , through his starting and stopping the album , and imagining and
Scene from “ The Drowsy Chaperone .” Photo credit to Matt Bobke .
envisioning the show ’ s cast members , we get pretty much that entire show , framed by the main character ’ s thoughts , feelings and impressions of his all-time favorite musical .
“ The Drowsy Chaperone ” wouldn ’ t work , of course , unless the fictional musical at its core weren ’ t viable . A compendium of ’ 20s elements , McKellar and Bob Martin ’ s book draws inspiration from dozens of real-life Jazz Age musicals . It ’ s Lambert and Morrison ’ s music and lyrics , though , that really set the tone .
They ’ ve crafted only 11 songs ( plus an overture ), but this score has an authentic ’ 20s sound that ’ s reflected at NTAC by the look and feel of the musical numbers .
What ’ s also readily apparent about the show is the stark contrast between the real world inhabited by Man in Chair ( and , by extension , us ) and the songs , story and characters of the vintage musical he so loves .
Spencer ’ s Man in Chair does all he can to block out the world , fuming at every interruption , each of which “ ruins ” the delicate experience of enjoying the show .
The writers have purposely made the characters of the show-within-the-show stock , one-dimensional figures with exaggerated personality traits and overreactions to the twists and turns of the creaky plot .
“ Drowsy ” – the show we see and the make-believe show it depicts – is a frivolous yet delicious slice of Broadway musical cake . Director Holly Jones ’ s cast of 22 sparkles from the leads and supporting cast members to an exceptional chorus , delivering a sweet , heartwarming show wherein each performer clearly revels in the comedically over-the-top nature of the fictional jazz-era musical they perform .
By the same token , Spencer throws himself into the role of someone who lives vicariously through not just the obscure show he adores but stops the action here and there to relate the back-story of every Broadway personality ( all fictional ) who starred in the original “ Drowsy Chaperone .”
The exuberant , bubbly opening number (“ Fancy Dress ”) introduces us to all of the key characters of the fictional stage musical , all of whom are purposely one-dimensional .
The titles of both shows – the one we ’ re seeing and the one the play is about – are defined when , early on , the chaperone ( Shannyn Page ) of the bride-to-be proclaims “ champagne makes me drowsy !”
Near the top of the evening , both bride Janet ( Jennifer Harmon ) and groom Bob ( Alberto Hernandez ) are spotlighted . Hernandez is featured , first solo and then with Alexander Shearer as best man George , in “ Cold Feets ,” an exciting vintage tap number . Their scene is followed by “ Show Off ,” starring Harmon and featuring the company in just one of the show ’ s quintessentially ’ 20s musical numbers .
Harmon and Hernandez are paired in the endearing “ Accident Waiting to Happen ,” as the blindfolded Bob roller-skates around Janet , who invents the persona of French girl “ Mimi .”
Every character in the show Man in Chair adores is appealingly simple , reflecting this devoted observer ’ s nostalgia for the simpler times of Broadway ’ s Golden Age .
Hernandez aptly portrays Bob as endearingly narcissistic . Then we meet stereotypical Latin lover Aldolpho , whose ridiculously funny self-love is given comedic exaggeration by Kyle Myers .
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One of the most enduring comedic masterpieces of all time .
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY Tickets start at $ 45 . Groups save up to 35 %.
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