By Skyler Bluemel
The Drowsy Chaperone, book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, is a show seldom performed in Utah, yet presents one of my favorite stories to date. The quaint and quirky musical is a sort of show-within-a-show. The entire production takes place in the modern living room of a theatre-loving, asocial man by the simple name of Man in Chair (Mitch Daley). He discusses his love for musical theatre and decides to treat the audience to his all-time favorite: the (fictitious) musical called The Drowsy Chaperone. It’s a parody of American theatre in the 1920’s full of knee-slapping humor, raucous romance, swinging music, spit-takes, monkeys, blindfolds, and numerous wry interjections by Man in Chair himself; it’s a riot that gets the audience rolling before the lights even hit the stage. And for those emotional audience members out there, don’t worry: you should feel a very wide range of them by the end on Act 2.
Draper Historic Theatre’s production, directed by Jared Daley, has shining moments of brilliance. I found the set (Marc Navez and Alix Van Noy) to be cozy, effective, and full of little surprises, particularly in Act 2. The costumes are colorful and fun, and the lighting design (Jason Jenson) works well in the space. The choreography by Ashley Ramsey appears light and entertaining, though not overly simple. Daley’s musical direction sounds reminiscent of the types of voices one might hear in a theatre in the actual 1920’s – full at times, yet countered with light elegance at others.
Of special mention are Daley as Man in Chair, Michelle Hickman (Janet Van de Graaf), Jen Spongberg (Kitty), and Mackenzie Haslam (Trix). Daley’s interpretation of Man in Chair, admittedly, took me a good 10 minutes to fully appreciate – my vision for the character was not shared. However, I quickly found the charm and passion behind his performance and fell in love. This particular character is difficult because of the pages of monologues, layers of emotions and motivations, and substantial stage time, but Daley takes control and conquers it with apparent ease. Make sure you watch him as often as possible – you would be entertained simply watching him the entire show. Hickman’s presence is perfect for Janet—she is simply putting her own aura of stardom for others to see, accompanied with quality vocal control and strong character work. Spongberg takes control of each scene in which she is involved, but not in a distracting or unwanted way. Her comedic timing improves and jokes become more frequent with each passing scene, turning her into the lovable ditz she is meant to be. By the end of the show, I realized I hadn’t seen enough of her character and wanted more. Haslam is the jewel of the production. Her fantastic vocals are clear, controlled, rich, and lead the cast in my personal favorite song of the show, “I Do, I Do in the Sky”. Her character is luminescent and motivated. She truly excels in all she does and hands-down won the “show-stopper award” in my book. Oh, and how could I not mention that Kyle Larsen (Mr. Feldzieg) seems to play a perfect Alec Baldwin? Intentional or not, well-played and a keeper.
The Draper Historic Theatre’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone proved a fantastic evening with friends and family – laughter and tears were shared by all. I strongly urge everyone to go experience it while it’s in town – who knows when it will be back?
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Draper Historic Theatre presents The Drowsy Chaperone by Bob Martin, Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert, and Greg Morrison
Draper Historic Theatre, 12366 S. 900 E. Draper, UT 84020
April 13-14, 16, 20-21, 23, 27-28, 30 7:00 PM, Matinee April 21 4:00 PM
Tickets: $7-15
Draper Historic Theatre Facebook Page
The Drowsy Chaperone Facebook Event
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