Lake Worth Playhouse Presents THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, Beginning 1/17

The Lake Worth Playhouse brings to life the hilariously unusual musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone. Reveling in the classic age of theatre, the show is a comedy wrapped in the musical exploits only live theatre can provide.

From The Director

Anyone who loves musical theatre will identify with the character simply called "Man in Chair.” Spending an evening with him is like hanging out with a really clever friend.

As someone who had a career in theatre, I reached a point in which I viewed it as business, not pleasure. I could be sitting in the middle of a laughing audience and yet I'd be estimating the costume budget or evaluating the orchestrations. However, when I saw The Drowsy Chaperone, I did get swept up. I heard myself laughing out loud. That's when I knew there was something special about this show.

The Drowsy Chaperone could be called light-hearted or silly by those who wish to criticize, but in a world where we're bombarded with doom and gloom, fun and escapist entertainment is a welcome relief.
It's truly an ensemble musical. The actress who just sang a big solo will next be seen dancing in the second row of the ensemble.

Synopsis
A rare combination of unprecedented originality and blinding talent, The Drowsy Chaperone boldly addresses an unspoken, deep desire in all of our hearts: to be entertained. If you’ve ever sat in a dark theatre and thought, “Dear Lord in heaven, please let it be good,” this is the show for you!

It begins when a die-hard, musical-theater fan plays his favorite album on his turntable. The musical literally bursts to life in his living room, telling the rambunctious tale of a brazen Broadway starlet trying to find, and keep, her true love.
History

The Drowsy Chaperone started in 1997, when McKellar, Lambert, Morrison and several friends created a spoof of old musicals for the stag party of Bob Martin and Janet Van De Graaff. In its first incarnation, there was no Man in Chair, the musical styles ranged from the 1920s to the 1940s, and the jokes were more risqué. When the show was reshaped for the Toronto Fringe Festival, Martin became a co-writer, creating Man in Chair to serve as a narrator/commentator for the piece.

Following the Fringe staging, Toronto commercial theatre producer David Mirvish financed an expanded production at Toronto's 160-seat, non-profit Theatre Passe Muraille in 1999. Box office success and favourable notices lEd Mirvish in 2001 to finance further development and produce a full-scale version at Toronto's 1000-seat Winter Garden Theatre. During that production, Linda Intaschi, Associate Producer of Mirvish Productions, invited New York producer Roy Miller to see the musical. Miller saw potential in the show and he optioned the rights.

With Canadian actor and fund-raiser Paul Mack, Miller produced a reading for the New York's National Alliance for Musical Theatre on 5 October 2004 – and invited Broadway producer Kevin McCollum. The reading captured McCollum's interest and eventually resulted in Miller, McCollum and Bob Boyett, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag and Jill Furman committing to producing the play. An out-of-town engagement followed at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles (2005), and after alterations, The Drowsy Chaperone opened on Broadway on May 1, 2006.

Tickets can be purchased through the Lake Worth Playhouse Box Office at 561-586-6410 or online at lakeworthplayhouse.org.

More Articles by This Author...