:rose: Info :rose:

The Drowsy Chaperone is a musical with book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. It is a parody of American musical comedy of the 1920s. The story concerns a middle-aged, asocial musical theatre fan; as he plays the record of his favorite musical, the (fictional) 1928 hit The Drowsy Chaperone, the show comes to life onstage as he wryly comments on the music, story, and actors. The Drowsy Chaperone debuted in 1998 at The Rivoli in Toronto and opened on Broadway on 1 May 2006. The show was nominated for multiple Broadway (2006) and London (2008) theatre awards, winning five Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards. The show has had major productions in Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, London, Melbourne and Japan, as well as two North American tours.

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:trumpet: Songs :trumpet:

Overture – Orchestra

Fancy Dress – Company

Cold Feets – Robert, George

Show Off – Janet, Company

As We Stumble Along – Drowsy Chaperone

I Am Aldolpho – Aldolpho, Drowsy Chaperone

Accident Waiting To Happen – Robert, Janet

Toledo Surprise – Gangsters, Feldzieg, Kitty, Mrs. Tottendale, and Company

Message From A Nightingale – Kitty, Gangsters, Aldolpho, Drowsy Chaperone

Bride’s Lament – Janet, Company

Love Is Always Lovely In The End – Mrs. Tottendale, Underling

I Do, I Do In The Sky – Trix, Company

As We Stumble Along (Reprise) – Company

:sparkles: Bonus Songs :sparkles:

The original cast recording contains two bonus tracks titled, “I Love,” which is a duet between Mrs. Tottendale and Underling, and “Message From A Nightingale”, which is the unabridged version of a portion of a song that is cut short in the show. “I Love” also contains a ukulele solo by Ukulele Lil as Mrs. Tottendale. It was replaced by “Love is Always Lovely in the End.”

:sparkles: Listen to the sound track! :sparkles:

:tv: How to Watch :tv:

There are plenty of bootlegs out there!

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🕺🏿Cast :dancer: 🏻

Man In Chair

Original Cast~n/a

Original Broadway Cast~Bob Martin

Original London Cast~Bob Martin

Original Australian Cast~Geoffrey Rush

The Drowsy Chaperone

Original Cast~Lisa Lambert

Original Broadway Cast~Beth Leavel

Original London Cast~Elaine Paige

Original Australian Cast~Rhonda Burchmore

Janet van de Graaff

Original Cast~Jenn Robertson

Original Broadway Cast~Sutton Foster

Original London Cast~Summer Strallen

Original Australian Cast~Christie Whelan

Robert Martin

Original Cast~John Mitchell

Original Broadway Cast~Troy Britton Johnson

Original London Cast~John Partridge

Original Australian Cast~Alex Rathgeber

George

Original Cast~Steve Morell

Original Broadway Cast~Eddie Korbich

Original London Cast~Sean Kingsley

Original Australian Cast~Rohan Browne

Aldolpho

Original CastD~on McKellar

Original Broadway Cast~Danny Burstein

Original London Cast~Joe Alessi

Original Australian Cast~Adam Murphy

Mrs. Tottendale

Original Cast~Teresa Pavlinek

Original Broadway Cast~Georgia Engel

Original London Cast~Anne Rogers

Original Australian Cast~Robyn Nevin

Underling

Original Cast~Scott Anderson

Original Broadway Cast~Edward Hibbert

Original London Cast~Nickolas Grace

Original Australian Cast~Richard Piper

Feldzieg

Original Cast~Matt Watts

Original Broadway Cast~Lenny Wolpe

Original London Cast~Nick Holder

Original Australian Cast~Shane Jacobson

Kitty

Original Cast~Jennifer Irwin

Original Broadway Cast~Jennifer Smith

Original London Cast~Selina Chilton

Original Australian Cast~Heidi Arena

Trix

Original Cast~Jennifer Whalen

Original Broadway Cast~Kecia Lewis-Evans

Original London Cast~Enyonam Gbesemete

Original Australian Cast~Zahra Newman

Gangster 1

Original Cast~Jack Mosshammer

Original Broadway Cast~Jason Kravits

Original London Cast~Adam Stafford

Original Australian Cast~Karlis Zaid

Gangster 2

Original Cast~Doug Morency

Original Broadway Cast~Garth Kravits

Original London Cast~Cameron Jack

Original Australian Cast~Grant Piro

Superintendent

Original Cast~Matthew Patterson

Original Broadway Cast~Joey Sorge

Original London Cast~Unknown

Original Australian Cast~Unknown

Staff/Reporter/Monkey/Clouds

Original Cast~Unknown

Original Broadway Cast~Patrick Wetzel

Original London Cast~Unknown

Original Australian Cast~Unknown

Notable replacements (Broadway)

Jo Anne Worley and Cindy Williams as Mrs. Tottendale

Mara Davi as Janet van de Graaff

Peter Bartlett as Underling

Jonathan Crombie, Bob Saget, and John Glover as Man in Chair

Notable replacement (London)

Steve Pemberton replaced Bob Martin in the role of Man in Chair from 10 July until the production closed on 4 August.

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:trophy: Awards :trophy:

2006

:sparkles: Original Broadway Production :sparkles:

Tony Award

Best Musical

Nominated

Best Book of a Musical

Bob Martin and Don McKellar

Won :star2:

Best Original Score

Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison

Won :star2:

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

Bob Martin

Nominated

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Sutton Foster

Nominated

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

Danny Burstein

Nominated

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Beth Leavel

Won :star2:

Best Direction of a Musical

Casey Nicholaw

Nominated

Best Choreography

Nominated

Best Orchestrations

Larry Blank

Nominated

Best Scenic Design

David Gallo

Won :star2:

Best Costume Design

Gregg Barnes

Won :star2:

Best Lighting Design

Ken Billington and Brian Monahan

Nominated

Drama Desk Award

Outstanding Musical

Won :star2:

Outstanding Book of a Musical

Bob Martin and Don McKellar

Won :star2:

Outstanding Actor in a Musical

Bob Martin

Nominated

Outstanding Actress in a Musical

Sutton Foster

Nominated

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

Eddie Korbich

Nominated

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

Beth Leavel

Won :star2:

Outstanding Director of a Musical

Casey Nicholaw

Nominated

Outstanding Choreography

Nominated

Outstanding Lyrics

Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison

Won :star2:

Outstanding Music

Won :star2:

Outstanding Orchestrations

Larry Blank

Nominated

Outstanding Set Design

David Gallo

Won :star2:

Outstanding Costume Design

Gregg Barnes

Won :star2:

Outstanding Sound Design

Acme Sound Partners

Nominated

Theatre World Award

Bob Martin

Won :star2:

2008

:sparkles: Original London Production :sparkles:

Laurence Olivier Award

Best New Musical

Nominated

Best Actor in a Musical

Bob Martin

Nominated

Best Actress in a Musical

Summer Strallen

Nominated

Best Theatre Choreographer

Casey Nicholaw

Nominated

Best Costume Design

Gregg Barnes

Nominated

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:cocktail: Synopsis :cocktail:

The Man in Chair, a mousy, agoraphobic Broadway fanatic, seeking to cure his “non-specific sadness”, listens to a recording of the fictional 1928 musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone. As he listens to this rare recording, the characters appear in his dingy apartment, and it is transformed into an impressive Broadway set with seashell footlights, sparkling furniture, painted backdrops, and glitzy costumes. Man in Chair provides a running commentary throughout the show from the stage, though he is on the audience side of the fourth wall, invisible to the players.

In the opening number, “Fancy Dress”, the premise and characters of the show are introduced: it’s the day of the wedding of oil tycoon Robert Martin and Broadway star Janet Van De Graaff, who plans to give up her career for married life. Those in attendance include aging hostess Mrs. Tottendale; her loyal employee known only as Underling; Robert’s best man, George; Broadway producer Feldzieg, who is hoping to persuade Janet to forgo marriage and continue starring in Feldzieg’s Follies; ditzy flapper Kitty, who hopes to take Janet’s place in the Follies; two gangsters disguised as pastry chefs; self-proclaimed famed Latin lover Aldolpho; Janet’s alcoholic Chaperone, who is supposed to keep her away from Robert until the wedding; and Trix, an aviatrix.

The gangsters reveal to Feldzieg that their boss has invested in the Follies and wants to make sure the show is a financial success, which it presumably will not be without Janet. They tell Feldzieg that he must sabotage the wedding and make sure Janet stays in show business. Feldzieg enlists the vain, easily manipulated Aldolpho to seduce Janet and spoil her relationship with Robert. Meanwhile, in his room, Robert realizes that he is nervous about the wedding. To get rid of his “Cold Feets”, he tap dances, and George, who is also nervous, s in the dance. George notes that tap dancing could be injurious, so he suggests that Robert go roller skating in the garden instead, while wearing a blindfold to keep him from seeing Janet. Outside by the pool, Janet tells reporters that she is happy to be getting married and ostensibly doesn’t want to be an actress anymore (“Show Off”), but her song evolves into a big production number.

In Janet’s room, Janet is having doubts about whether Robert really loves her, and she asks the Chaperone for advice. The Chaperone responds with the extemporaneous “As We Stumble Along”, a “rousing anthem to alcoholism”, which, Man in Chair explains, the original actress playing the Chaperone insisted on including in the show. More helpfully, the chaperone tells Janet that she is feeling “drowsy” and must take a nap, giving Janet the opportunity to ask Robert if he loves her. Janet leaves for the garden, and Aldolpho enters, mistaking the Chaperone for Janet. The Chaperone happily pretends to be Janet and allows Aldolpho to “seduce” her (“I Am Aldolpho”). Janet meets the blindfolded and roller-skating Robert in the garden, and she pretends to be a French woman, “Mimi,” “from ze middle part [of ], where zey make ze toast.” She asks Robert how he met his bride, and he describes their lovestruck first meeting (“Accident Waiting to Happen”). Carried away by his emotions, Robert kisses “Mimi” because she seems just like Janet. Janet furiously storms off because Robert has “kissed a strange French girl”.

Kitty, hoping to take Janet’s place in the Follies, tries to demonstrate her mind-reading talents to Feldzieg, but he is unimpressed. The gangsters confront Feldzieg, threatening him with a murderous “Toledo Surprise” because he has not yet succeeded in cancelling the wedding. Feldzieg distracts them by insisting that they actually have singing and dancing talent, and they turn “Toledo Surprise” into an upbeat dance number. Aldolpho, with the Chaperone on his arm, announces that he has seduced the bride and the wedding is therefore cancelled, but Feldzieg angrily tells him he has seduced the wrong woman. Janet announces that she is cancelling the wedding, and Robert protests in vain that he only kissed “Mimi” because she reminded him of Janet (“Toledo Surprise“).

Man in Chair announces that this is the end of the first act and the first record of the two-record set. He puts on another record, saying that the audience can listen to the opening of the second act of The Drowsy Chaperone, and leaves for the restroom. A scene set in an oriental palace appears onstage, with characters in stereotypical oriental costumes and the chaperone costumed as an Englishwoman in a hoopskirted dress (“Message from A Nightingale”). Man in Chair hurriedly stops the record, explaining to the audience that that was the wrong record—it was the musical The Enchanted Nightingale, not the second act of The Drowsy Chaperone. He finds the right record, and The Drowsy Chaperone continues.

In a musical dream sequence, Janet laments her lost romance and decides to return to the stage (“Bride’s Lament”). Mrs. Tottendale tells Underling that the wedding will proceed as planned because “Love is Always Lovely” in the end. She reveals to Underling that she is in love with him (“Love is Always Lovely in the End”). The Chaperone announces that there will be a wedding after all: she and Aldolpho are getting married. Mrs. Tottendale announces that she and Underling are getting married as well.

Robert tells Janet that he loves her, and Man In Chair announces that one of his favorite parts is coming up. The Chaperone gives Janet advice on what to do as someone drops a cane and the Chaperone says “l-ve while you can,” leaving out the middle syllable of the word. Man In Chair has an emotional monologue where he expresses his wonderment about the phrase, asking if it says “live while you can,” or “leave while you can.” He shares a brief backstory about his unsuccessful marriage and about how you should never leave, only live. The scene transforms back to Janet where she its that she was really the French girl and agrees to marry him. To appease the gangsters, Feldzieg tells them that he has discovered a new star: Kitty. He asks her to demonstrate her mind-reading talent, and when she “reads Feldzieg’s mind”, she announces that he is asking her to marry him.

George, now best man for all four weddings, realizes that he has failed at his most important task: finding a minister. Trix lands her plane in the garden, announcing she is about to depart for Rio. Because a captain on board a ship can perform marriages, everyone rationalizes that Trix, as a pilot, can perform marriages on board a plane, and she can fly them all to Rio for their honeymoons (“I Do, I Do in the Sky“).

As the record is about to play the show’s final chord, the power goes out in Man in Chair’s apartment, and a superintendent arrives to check the circuit breakers. The power returns, the final chord plays, and the show is over. Alone again, Man in Chair sadly expresses his deep love for a musical that he has never actually seen. He begins to sing “As We Stumble Along” and the cast , for the first time, acknowledge his presence, in, and cheer him on (“As We Stumble Along (Reprise)“).

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:electric_plug: Sources :electric_plug:

Wikipedia sorry

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