If ever there’s been a time when we could use something to laugh about or be given permission to sit back, relax and be entertained by some fun, high-quality entertainment — the time is now and the place to be is the Granite Theatre where “The Drowsy Chaperone” — a laugh-a-minute musical packed with extraordinary dancing, ridiculously humorous characters, outstanding performances, stunning costumes, gorgeous voices, and live music — is on stage though Aug. 4.
What a laugh riot! What a delightful escape! What fun! What a set! What costumes! What a healing tonic!
The show — directed by Marla Ladd with music direction by Lynn Dowding and choreography by Nicole DiMattei — will have you in stitches from beginning to end and all the way home. And probably the next day too, when you remember certain scenes, or certain expressions on the faces of the actors — or the fact that there was an airplane (and a Murphy bed) on stage — or the premise of the show … which is every bit as touching as it is corny.
The show-within-a-show begins with our sentimental guide/narrator, The Man in the Chair, (a well-cast Alex Pimental) who is sitting in his leather arm chair — in the dark — dressed in a smoking jacket and reminiscing.
“I hate theatre,” he declares dryly from a corner of the stage before asking, “Well, it’s so disappointing, isn’t it?”
“You know what I do when I’m sitting in a darkened theatre waiting for the show to begin? I pray. Oh, dear God, please let it be a good show. And let it be short, oh Lord in heaven, please. Two hours is fine, three hours is too much,” he continues to the audience’s delight. “And keep the actors out of the audience … I just want a story, and a few good songs that will take me away. I just want to be entertained. I mean, isn’t that the point?”
“So, would you indulge me?” he asks the audience before placing his cherished 1920s-era album on his old-fashioned record player. “Would you let me play the record for you now?”
“I was hoping you would say yes,” he says as he places the needle on the Jazz Age hit called “The Drowsy Chaperone.”
And then, just as soon as he does, the glorious Golden Age musical — with its colorful cast of characters and zany plot — bursts to life and the stage explodes with light, color, song, dance and pure entertainment. What a perfect set up from our no-longer somber guide who actually participates in a few of the numbers, and under DiMattei’s artful choreography (which is clearly on display throughout this show), smoothly dances his way around the stage — in itself a sight to behold. The dancing in this show — which is almost non-stop — is remarkable, as is the fabulously talented ensemble (Sandy S. Gaccione, Gracelyn Smith and Ryan Sanborn).
When “The Drowsy Chaperone” first comes alive, we meet Miss Janet Van De Graff (Laura Thompson is splendid and has a voice to match) a self-admiring showgirl who decides to leave her career as a “glittering starlet of Feldzieg’s Follies” after falling in love with Robert Martin (Elijiah Russell not only dances, sings and acts with skill, but roller skates around stage!) to the fury of Mr. Feldzieg (Eric Nayden is very funny), who sends two gangsters (Jonathan Hart and Trey DiGioia) disguised as pastry chefs to stop the wedding.
When that doesn’t work, he hires Aldolpho, the famous Latin lover (George Sanchez is so side-splittingly funny in the “I Am Aldolpho” number he brings tears to the eyes), who turns out to be “more vain than virile” to seduce the bride-to-be. Add to the mix Mrs. Tottendale (a hilarious Marlo Dennis) the hostess in the hoops; her butler, the Underling (Richard Springman) and Miss Janet’s intoxicated “chaperone” (Jessica Gates with her exquisite voice, gives a memorable performance); Kitty, the starlet wannabe (Carly Mastriano, in full on Betty-Boopishness is very good), the best man George (William Pereira is top-notch) a pilot (Joyll Smith is hilarious) and you have all the mixings for the riotous madcap romp that brought the house down on opening night and the audience to its feet.
Jane Mandes’ costumes are exquisite — from Mrs. Tottendale’s hoop skirt to the aviator’s garb on Trix The Aviatrix, to Janet’s red-sequined winged gown — as is Pandora Spock’s clever, rotating set. Gwen Boiselle is stage manager and Wren Tetlow is the lighting designer.
Dowding, the who recently celebrated her 25th anniversary as the music director and organist at Central Baptist Church, not only oversaw all the music for the show, but plays keyboards and sits alongside Curt Dumas in the pit orchestra, which is located in the front of the theater and is a wonderful, wonderful addition.
“The Drowsy Chaperone,” which has songs by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, understandably won five Tony Awards, including “Best Book” and “Best Original Score,” and features such memorable numbers as Show Off”, “Toledo Surprise” and “As We Stumble Along”, once called a “rousing anthem to booze.”
