Meanwhile, in his room, Robert realizes that he is nervous about the wedding. Feldzieg enlists the vain, easily manipulated Aldolpho to seduce Janet and spoil her relationship with Robert. They tell Feldzieg that he must sabotage the wedding and make sure Janet stays in show business. 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. 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. Those in attendance include aging hostess Mrs. 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. This commentary sporadically reveals aspects of his personal life, such as his failed marriage and implied attraction to Drowsy's leading man. 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. 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, 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. An out-of-town engagement followed at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles (2005), and after alterations, The Drowsy Chaperone opened on Broadway on. The reading captured McCollum's interest and eventually resulted in Miller, McCollum and Bob Boyett, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag and Jill Furman committing to producing the play. With Canadian actor and fund-raiser Paul Mack, Miller produced a reading for the New York's National Alliance for Musical Theatre on 5 October 2004 – and invited Broadway producer Kevin McCollum. Miller saw potential in the show and he optioned the rights. During that production, Linda Intaschi, Associate Producer of Mirvish Productions, invited New York producer Roy Miller to see the musical. Box office success and favourable notices led Mirvish in 2001 to finance further development and produce a full-scale version at Toronto's 1000-seat Winter Garden Theatre. įollowing the Fringe staging, Toronto commercial theatre producer David Mirvish financed an expanded production at Toronto's 160-seat, independent Theatre Passe Muraille in 1999. When the show was reshaped for the Toronto Fringe Festival, Martin became a co-writer, creating Man in Chair to serve as a narrator/commentator for the piece. In its first incarnation, there was no Man in Chair, the musical styles ranged from the 1920s to the 1940s, and the jokes were more risqué.

The Drowsy Chaperone started in 1997, when Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison and several friends created a spoof of old musicals for the stag party of Bob Martin and Janet van de Graaf. 6.4 Subsequent North American productions.Super / Ensemble / Understudy for Man in Chair, Feldzieg, and Ganster #1Įnsemble / Understudy for The Drowsy Chaperone, Mrs. Swing / Understudy for Underling, Feldzieg, Gangster #1, and Gangster #2 Swing / Understudy for Man in Chair, Robert, Aldopho, and George Swing / Understudy for The Drowsy Chaperone, Mrs. ( )Įnsemble / Understudy for Robert, Aldopho, Underling, and Gangster #2Įnsemble / Understudy for Janet and Kitty When he plays the scratchy cast album, the musical comes to life around him in his shabby studio apartment. The Drowsy Chaperone concerns a reclusive, ardent musical theatre fan named Man in Chair, who introduces us to his fave show, a 1928 treat called The Drowsy Chaperone. September 19th, 2007 – October 14th, 2007 Synopsis

Drowsy chaperone cast