THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE: A Musical within a Show, Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison, Book by Bob Martin & DoncMcKellar. Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market at 8th St., San Francisco, CA 94103. (415) 551-2020 or visit www.shnsf.com.

SPLASHY, COLORFUL, CHARMING, A BIG HIT

The National Tour of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE burst into San Francisco last night creating an excitement enveloped by a cheering audience. This is a spectacular staging with the ingenious sets (David Gallo), gorgeous/garish costumes ( Gregg Barnes) and dancing/direction (Casey Nicholaw) of the original Broadway production crew that won thirteen major awards and more Tony nominations than any other musical of the 2006 season.

This production has lost none of its Broadway charm and feels fresh and new. The Man in the Chair (Jonathan Crombie) is loveable as ever, with his meticulous cleansing of his treasured vinyl records of original Broadway shows, sitting in his cluttered but clean urban apartment. He is irrepressibly optimistic and joy to see and hear as he shares his fantasies with the audience.

Here is a man with an enormous love for the theatre who creates virtual reality when listening to the record (newly re-mastered) of a 1928 musical comedy clunker “The Drowsy Chaperone.” As he drops the needle on the record, the music starts and the show begins. David Gallo's lavish set pieces magically appear as the cast strut their stuff. The play within the play has a thin story line typical of musical genre of that era. A self-centered starlet Janet Van De Graff (Andrea Chamberlain) wishes to give up show business to marry Robert Martin (Mark Ledbetter), the scion of an oil tycoon. The producer Felfzeig (Cliff Blemis), with dumb-blonde Kitty (Marla Mindelle) in tow must stop the wedding to assuage two gangsters (Paul Riopelle & Peter Riopelle) disguised as pastry chefs. Throw in alcoholic Drowsy Chaperone (Nancy Opel), ditzy hostess Mrs. Tottendale (Georgia Engel), her Underling (Robert Dorfman), wedding consultant George (Richard Vida), Adolpho a pompous Italian would be sexpot (Dale Hensley), and Trix (Fran Jaye) an aviatrix to round out the cast of the play within a play.

There is as much, if not more, Borscht Circuit shtick to keep you in stitches. The musical score/lyrics are only serviceable but the singing and dancing will keep your foot tapping, your diaphragm sending up laughs, your eyes wiggling in their sockets and your head weaving from side to side in astonishment. There is not a single weak character. Georgia Engel , who played Georgette, Ted Baxter's dumb girlfriend, on "Mary Tyler Moore", the only member from the original cast, has great comic timing. Her scenes with Robert Dorfman playing the “straight” role with aplomb, is a perfect foil for Engel.

Cliff Blemis’ blustery stance will bring back memories of Chicago linebacker Alex Karras in “Victor, Victoria.” He holds his own even when Marla Mindelle takes the dumb-blonde chorine role to new heights with her “mind-reading” act. Brothers (?) Paul and Peter Riopelle as gangster/pastry chefs perform their routines with split second timing keeping the producer off balance. Richard Vida in the unheralded role of George gets his kicks in a tap dancing routine that Ruby Keeler would envy. The seduction scene of Dale Hensley, our Italian lothario, putting the make on stunning, elegant, tipsy Nancy Opel as The Drowsy Chaperone must be seen to believe. Fantastic Fran Jaye (Trix) descends onto the stage in full scale airplane demonstrating her dynamic 6 octave voice. The house roars when she announces “I’m Trix the Aviatrix …what we now call a lesbian."

As the lovers who where scheduled to wed, Andrea Chamberlain and Mark Ledbetter are in excellent voice exuding charisma. Chamberlain stops the show with her early romp with the entire company as she sings “Show Off.” Ledbetter gets to have more fun with a turn around and off the stage in roller skates eventually sharing a tap routine with Richard Vida who matches him step for step.

The story line belongs to Jonathan Crombie with his deprecating style and command of the stage he observes, comments and eventually mingles with the dancers. His enraptured look as he sits on stage with the action whirling about him before stepping forward to bring us up to speed, is infectiously charming. You feel his chagrin when his second vinyl record brings forth a kaleidoscope red Chinese costumes belonging to another show. It seems his cleaning lady, against his instructions, has stored his records in the wrong jacket.

Running time is 1 hour and 50 minutes without intermission but the time races by. Highly recommended.
Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine