“The Drowsy Chaperone” at Theo until April 26th

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“The Drowsy Chaperone” at Theo is a Theater Lover’s Fantasy! - Review By: Paul Lisnek   

****/4

The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony Award winner for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical) at Theo is a witty, heartwarming love letter to and celebration of musical theatre! This show is the fantasy every devotee of musical theater gets and appreciates. It’s a standing ovation inducing evening of laughs and fun! You can feel the energy fill the room in this intimate, classic theater space that was meant to present productions exactly like this one. It’s Theo’s way of reminding us why we all fell in love with musical theater comedy in the first place! 

The show is traditionally characterized as a “show within a show.” But I disagree. The show IS the fictional 1920’s-based Drowsy Chaperone, but it’s surrounded, not so much by another show, but by a single character (the Man in the Chair) who talks to us about the show….his is a narrative whose job is to tell the story of that other show….and we never lose site that we are watching the performance of Drowsy as if we are students of American Musical Theatre, including biographical notes not just of the characters but of the fictional actors who played them….the Man in the Chair wants us to get the importance of theater and power of actors in our lives and even to forgive those moments in a show when the playwright or score writers “jump the Shark” such as in “Bride’s Lament.” Very tongue in cheek; all eyes on the action, and all eyes on the teller of the story. 

The story is told thru its cast recording (of the whole show!) but through the interpretive eyes of that “Man in the Chair,” a role so lovingly played by theater veteran Steve McDonagh, who in many ways represents all of us who get lost while listening to the cast recording of our favorite Broadway musicals. McDonagh unfolds the plot like a valentine to a bygone era of Broadway theater. Yet, he tells us that he has never seen the show, but fell in love with the cast recording gifted to him by his mother; it was love at first site. He is the anchor of the show who guides us with deep felt passion and a sense of personal nostalgia. He wants us to feel and share the love that he feels for the show and as a bonus perhaps, for every musical production we have ever fallen in love with during our own lives. 

Shows aren’t made today the way the fictional “Drowsy” was supposedly made in the 1920’s, yet it looks and feels exactly like what we expect a production of that time period to look like. The script is filled with witty observations and a genuine affection for the genre that is easily relatable for us. “Drowsy” brings the cast recording to life (skips, defects and all) before our very eyes and only feet away because after all, this is in the Theo space. We become part of this magical experience. Here, nostalgia in performance, tone and costume, are met by a top-notch performance by every member of this fabulous ensemble cast. 

An affection for the genre, anchors the show with warmth and pathos, guiding the audience through a whirlwind of laugh inducing nonsense tempered with heartfelt nostalgia.

Each performer hits a high note—figuratively and literally. The Chaperone herself, lovingly played by Colette Todd, commands the stage with exuberant comic timing, while the supporting players, from the debonair groom (the handsome and talented toe-tapping and roller skating Trey Plutnicki) to the pair of bumbling gangsters (played with great humor by Chase Wheaton-Werle and one of my local favorite actors, Jimmy Hogan), create a tightly woven ensemble who blend so well with each other. The choreography is playful and varied tapdancing and all, the vocals soar, as together, they vividly capture the 1920’s era in which the characters and the actors who played them lived (over the top slapstick moments and all). As an ensemble, the cast finds the perfect balance between performing broad comedy and infusing it with genuine heart. Much credit must be given to seasoned director L. Walter Stearns who understands how to guide actors to performing comedy, but never without an underlaying sense of heart and humanity in the portrayal. 

Theo’s signature touch—immersive staging and emotional honesty in its by-design close quarters—elevates the show well beyond simple parody; it’s a more moving and meaningful tribute to musical theatre that leaves you smiling long after the final note.

Whether you’re seen the Drowsy Chaperone before, or are discovering it for the first time, this production offers a loving tribute sorely needed in an era where the arts seem unappreciated by those who fund it; happily, Theo delivers again: polished, hilarious, and heartfelt. It’s beloved founder Fred Anzevino would be oh so proud...this was his kind of show. Bravo!