My Review: The Drowsy Chaperone

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of seeing the new Broadway Musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. I had fully expected to at least enjoy it, but to my surprise it was even more wonderful than I had anticipated. Initially, I had wanted to see it for only three reasons: 1) It starred Sutton Foster 2) It featured Georgia Engel (from the Mary Tyler Moore Show) and 3) it was an entirely new musical- a rare commodity on Broadway these days. But once the curtain went up I was blown away. It is about a man and his love for a second-rate musical from the 20's. As he plays the cast recording the characters appear in his apartment and perform the entire show with him narrating the story. It is at once; fun and lovable and immensely entertaining.

One thing though, I was greatly surprised at how under used Sutton Foster was- well, perhaps under used isn't the right word because she was wonderful- it's just that I had expected her to be the main focus of the show (like in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Little Women) and was surprised to find what an ensemble piece Chaperone was. She just seemed unchallenged by the role of "Janet Van De Graff", a beautiful Follies star leaving show business to marry a matinee idol. Sutton sang, danced and acted as well as she always does, but there just wasn't the show stopping moment that I've come to expect from a Sutton Foster performance. In fact the show stealer was definitely Beth Leavel who played the title character, an alcoholic, upstaging, diva. She was an amazing mix between Marlene Dietrich and "Vera Charles" and her facial expressions and dry line readings supplied some of the funniest on-stage moments.

For the most part, the entire cast was stellar, all filling their stereotypical, period characters' shoes perfectly. And the fun, innocent attitude of the show makes you look past the, pretty-much, unmemorable score. True, The Drowsy Chaperone, is not the greatest musical ever written, but anyone who loves Musical Theatre will love this show. At the end, the Man in Chair (which is what the narrator is called) says something to the effect of; A musicals purpose is to transport you to another place and make you forget about your problems and unhappiness. Well, for any fault that one might find with The Drowsy Chaperone at least it has fulfilled it's "purpose". Go see this show.