Overview
Synopsis
When wealthy widow Mrs. Tottendale hosts the wedding of the year, she gets a lot more than a write-up in the society pages: Janet Van de Graaff, glittering starlet of Feldzieg’s Follies, is leaving the stage for love, a turn of events which horrifies the angry and anxious Mr. Feldzieg, whose chief investor has sent two gangsters disguised as pastry chefs to make sure he stops the wedding. Hiring Aldolpho, a Latin lover more vain than virile, to seduce the bride, is unsuccessful, as Janet’s chaperone, a drunken diva, gets herself mistaken for the bride and seduced in Janet’s place. It is left to the eager best man, George, to quite by accident break up the happy pair, when he sends groom Robert Martin out to the garden, blindfolded, and in roller skates. Such are the antics of The Drowsy Chaperone, a fictitious 1928 musical comedy. This magical piece of meta-theatre and playful, heartfelt parody of the 1920s musical comedy features a chirpy jazz age score by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, and a lively, clever book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, both of which were Tony winners in 2006. The score boasts such tunes as the scenery-chomping “Show Off”, the sizzling and silly “I Am Aldolpho”, the double-entendre laden “Toledo Surprise”, and “As We Stumble Along”, that rousing anthem to optimistic alcoholism.
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Context
The Drowsy Chaperone is a parody of 1920s musical comedies playing in a “show within a show” structure. The Drowsy Chaperone first opened at the Rivoli Theater in Toronto in 1998. Nearly eight years later, in 2006, The Drowsy Chaperone took its first bow on Broadway. This production was packed with an all-star cast that included the powerhouse vocals of both Sutton Foster and Beth Level. The Drowsy Chaperone won a grand total of five Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best
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The show opens with the Man in Chair sitting in his living room remarking about feeling “self-conscious anxiety resulting in non-specific sadness”, a state he calls “blue.” To turn his day around he looks to his collection of Broadway records and debates which to play. He decides to play his favorite record, a recording of the 1928 hit musical comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone. As the record plays, the show comes to life, transforming the Man’s living room into a bold and lively Broadway stage.
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Character Portrayals
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Monologues
Songs
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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number.
Key Terms
A musical with a well-structured narrative that integrates songs, dialogue, and dance to advance plot and character development.
A musical genre characterized by syncopation and improvisation, frequently integrated into musical theatre for style and rhythm.
A form of self-referential drama where the play draws attention to its own theatricality. This device challenges the audience’s suspension of disbelief and is used in Epic Theatre and postmodern works.
Parody is a comedic imitation of a style, genre, or work that exaggerates its features for humorous or satirical effect. In theatre, it playfully mocks conventions, characters, or cultural icons while still relying on audience recognition of the original. Parody can both celebrate and critique its subject, often blurring the line between homage and ridicule.
A work imitating styles or genres from various sources, often used in postmodern theatre for satire or homage.
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Guide Written By:
Emma Houlahan
Canadian vocalist and actor now based in London.
