The Man in the Chair

The Drowsy Chaperone

The house lights dim leaving the audience waiting in the dark for something to happen. Suddenly a man’s voice breaks the silence. The unnamed man confides that his personal prayer at every musical he attends, while sitting in a theatre before the lights go up, is that the show be short and that the actors stay out of the aisles. This audience laughs knowingly because they’ve undoubtedly been at a play where the fourth wall is broken and theatergoers become asked to clap, sing along or even come up on the stage. The feeling is, “Hey, I paid YOU to entertain ME!” 

The voice belongs to our emcee for the evening, an agoraphobic Broadway Musical fanatic, simply called The Man in the Chair. He’s played with humor and sincerity by talented Josh Maywin. The actor’s no stranger to comedy, boasting such credits as “The Importance of Being Earnest,” “Noises Off” and “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” The young man’s seeking to shake off his blues tonight by playing one the many original Broadway cast albums in his vast record collection. Tonight he’s chosen the fictitious 1928 musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” It’s basically about the wedding of a famous movie starlet and her fiancee.

The Man who, except for his potty break at intermission, never leaves the stage. Mr. Maywin plays his role with restrained camp, comic finesse and precise timing. From his first words we know we’re in good hands and about to be treated to a frivolous evening of fun. Josh reminds the audience of the magic spell that’s spun while listening to vinyl recordings (that mesmerizing static that comes before the music begins that says, “Listen…here it comes”). He eloquently introduces the musical’s simple plot while providing hilarious background trivia and gossipy chitchat about the actors in this Prohibition Era pastiche.

Unexpected problems keep the cliched story fresh. For instance, at one point all the lights go out when a fuse blows; then in another faux pas, the actors begin repeating their lyrics and dance steps over and over when the record begins skipping. Every opportunity for broad comedy and slapstick is mined from this cheery 2006 Tony Award winning show, written by Bob Martin & Don McKellar, with a score by Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison. It’s a salute to the Broadway musical and the fans that love them.

WPA director and choreographer, Cheryl Newman has fashioned a fast-paced, toe-tapping pastiche of the Busby Berkeley spectacle. She’s guided and choreographed her large cast of crazy, unforgettable characters, and even designed all the sparkling costumes. The rest of the cast is very good, from the star of this production, a captivating, magnificently multitalented Tessa Newman and stalwart Peter Cutler as the beautiful starlet, Janet, and her handsome fiancé, Robert (both supremely talented crooners and tappers); to Karen Powell and Andrew Pawlak, as the scatterbrained Mrs. Tottendale and her conservative, uptight butler, Underling.

 As the title diva, Susan O’Byrne comically and melodiously sings the show’s anthem, “As We Stumble Along,” while drinking everything in sight and becoming “drowsy.” Kevin Curran and Kevin Swatek practically make an art form out of spouting puns, as a pair of comical gangster chefs. Michael Kinnavy, as Best Man George, is there at every step to sing, dance and help make sure the wedding happens without a flaw.

 Mr. Feldzieg, played with conviction by Art “AJ” Johnson, is the pompous movie mogul who’s trying everything to prevent Janet and Robert from wedding, because he doesn’t want to lose his biggest musical star. But there to remind him that he has another talented diva waiting in the wings is ditzy Kitty, played with tongue-in-cheek humor by Emma Miele. Veteran actor John Benischek evokes most of the night’s laughter as Aldolpho, the lithe, laughable Latin lover; and Melissa Tancredi brings down the house with her big eleventh hour “I Do, I Do In the Sky,” complete with an airplane that assembles right before our eyes.

As The Man in the Chair says, “Musicals should take you away from your everyday troubles and send you home humming and happy.” Cheryl Newman’s wonderfully funny, energetically tuneful production is a love letter to the Musical. With a large, talented cast, Ms. Newman accomplishes her goal and, like The Man in The Chair, audiences will find their blues have indeed melted away.  

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented September 22-October 1 by Westmont Performing Arts, presented at Westview Middle School, 630 W. 65th St., Willowbrook, IL.

Tickets are available by going to www.westmontparks.org or at the door.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.