Cast energizes lively 'Drowsy Chaperone'
No bouncy overture heralds the opening of "The Drowsy Chaperone." No buoyant production number sets the story in motion. Instead from a darkened stage, a disembodied voice intones: "I hate theater."
Only a show confident in its ability to change that opinion would open like that. "The Drowsy Chaperone" is such a show.
The national tour of this unapologetically escapist and wholly original Tony-winning show breezed into Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre Tuesday. And director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw's bustling, imaginatively staged production delivered exactly what its narrator -- an endearingly fussy musical theater aficionado known as Man in Chair -- insists every musical should: It boosted the spirit.
"The Drowsy Chaperone" is a musical within a musical that unfolds within the mind of a man who loves musicals. It's an ingenious confection served up by an exuberant cast led by Jonathan Crombie. Written by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, the show spoofs merry minor musicals from the 1920s, serving as an homage to old-fashioned musical theater and the people who love it.
Feeling blue, the Man (Crombie) pulls out a record of his favorite musical, "The Drowsy Chaperone," a romantic romp with a generous side of vaudeville shtick about a couple's wedding day misadventures. As the needle drops on the LP, the cast appears in the Man's apartment, where they re-create the show while he serves as guide, commentator and sometime participant.
The ridiculously convoluted plot centers around Broadway star Janet (the winsome Andrea Chamberlain) who quits showbiz to marry Robert (genial Mark Ledbetter), heir to an oil fortune. The guest list includes a quirky, interfering group of well-wishers. There's Nancy Opel's delightfully wry, cocktail-swilling Drowsy Chaperone; scene-chewing Latin lothario Adolpho (James Moye); Marla Mindelle's lovably dim Kitty, an aspiring actress in love with producer Feldzieg (a blustery Cliff Bemis); a pair of punning, Runyonesque gangsters (Paul and Peter Riopelle); Robert's best man George (the taptastic Richard Vida); loyal Underling (Robert Dorfman) and his dotty, society matron employer Mrs. Tottendale (whimsically played by Georgia Engel of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Everybody Loves Raymond.")
Opel's character provides "The Drowsy Chaperone" its title. But the show belongs to the Man, and Crombie, whose touching performance is a superbly realized portrait of a lonely man seeking refuge in art, is the best man for the job.
The pleasant score doesn't dazzle, but it shines well enough. Robert Billig earns praise for his razor sharp music direction (which becomes apparent when the record skips and the fuses blow).
The show looks beautiful thanks to Gregg Barnes' gorgeous, glittering costumes and David Gallo's splendid set, which add to this beguiling show that reminds us why we love the theater.
"The Drowsy Chaperone"
3½ stars out of four
Location: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago
Times: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays through April 13
Running Time: About 100 minutes, no intermission
Tickets: $25-$75
Parking: Paid lots nearby
Box office: (312) 902-1400 or www.broadwayingchicago.com
Rating: For most audiences, some sexual innuendo