A musical, a wedding, and a surprising amount of vodka
The University of Guelph’s own Curtain Call Productions has done it again, successfully staging the hilarious comedy-musical, The Drowsy Chaperone.
The show is a newer musical, having hit Broadway in early 2006, which parodies the traditional American musical comedy of the 1920s. The main character is a middle-aged, agoraphobic musical theatre junkie, named simply “Man in Chair.” To chase his blues away, the Man in Chair – played in this production by Lauren McGinty – puts on the record to his favourite musical, which is a fictional show, conveniently also called The Drowsy Chaperone. The Man in Chair’s dingy apartment is soon transformed into a full-scale Broadway production.
The plot centres on the wedding day of Robert Martin, a successful businessman played by Brandon Vollick, and Janet Van De Graaff, a Broadway star, portrayed by Emma Moroni. The attendees include the elderly and forgetful hostess, Mrs. Tottendale (Savannah Stuart); her exceptionally loyal right-hand man, known only as Underling (John Gallant); Robert’s hilarious best man, George (Duncan Tilford); Mr. Feldzeig (William Mackenzie), the producer of Janet’s Broadway show, who hopes to derail her wedding to save “the Follies;” Kitty (Jenay Hikele), a ditzy flapper who wants to take over Janet’s leading role; Adolpho (Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey), the amazingly over-the-top, self-proclaimed Latin lover extraordinaire; and, of course, the Drowsy Chaperone (Michelle Bruno), assigned to keep Janet away from Robert until the wedding.
The show is filled in by a talented ensemble, along with standouts Jacob Citron and Aaron Cadesky, who play two gangsters disguised as bakers, who show up to complicate the “B plot” – that is, to threaten Mr. Feldzeig’s well-being should Janet not return to the stage. Of course, all could not have ended well without Trix the Aviatrix, played by Emily Nunez, who flew in at the last minute to save the day.
Standout numbers include “Show Off,” with Moroni’s angelic vocals backed by the talented cast; “Adolpho,” which showcased the impeccable comedic timing of McKenzie-Lefurgey and Bruno; “Toledo Surprise,” which put the hilariously wonderful Hikele front and centre; and “I do I do in the Sky,” which wrapped the plot up nicely and put a bow on it, just as a good musical comedy should. Extra congratulations should go out to Vollick, for tackling an entire love scene blindfolded and on roller skates, and McKenzie-Lefurgey, for successfully taking on two ridiculous racial stereotypes in one show.
Of course, McGinty should be commended not only for tackling the difficult role of Man in Chair tremendously, but also for doing so as a female in a male role. McGinty’s performance is, at once, touching, engaging, and downright hilarious.
The entire cast and crew should be proud of an excellent production. Curtain Call’s The Drowsy Chaperone runs from Mar. 5 to Mar. 8 in War Memorial Hall.