The Drowsy Chaperone cures fatigue
Driving to Lawrenceville for anything does not seem all that ideal, or probable. It’s kind of like when you live in Manhattan and the thought of crossing a bridge to anywhere makes you feel slightly ill inside. But I made the trek through Atlanta’s traffic to Aurora Theatre to witness opening night of The Drowsy Chaperone, and I was not disappointed.
This Tony Award winning musical, written by Bob Martin and Don McKellar with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, pokes fun at the old musicals and spoofs over acting, strange lyrics, and stock characters. The Drowsy Chaperone begins with a man in his living room played by Steve Hudson. He loves musicals, he is incredibly hermit like and he puts on one of his favorite records and talks the audience through the show. When the curtain actually opens we are introduced to pastry chef mobsters (John Markowski, Austin Tijerina), an old kook of a woman and her butler (Holly Stevenson, Brandon O’Dell), a couple approaching their nuptials (Greg Bosworth, Liberty Cogen), the best man and of course the chaperone (Nick Morrett, Courtney Patterson), a producer and his want-to-be leading lady (Bart Hansard, Caitlin Smith), a Latin lover (Anthony P. Rodriguez), and really weirdly incorporated aviatrix (Xylina Nuckles), who the narrator jokes in the present day, this character would be known as a lesbian.
The performances by all were standout, but scene stealer and the fuel behind the soul of the show was Steve Hudson’s rendition of the man in the chair. To be able to break down the fourth wall and walk us all through his imaginative musical life is hard to do without coming off a little cheesy. He was hilarious, adorable and sad. You wanted to hug this man and have his obsession with The Drowsy Chaperone become your own, even with the monkey love and spit scenes.
Directed by Anne Towns, this musical was fun, funny, and full of all of the excitement and talent that theater should hold. It contained all of the things that the narrator enjoyed most: singing, dancing, powerful tunes that stick in your head for days, and a story with a happy, heartfelt ending. The jokes are contemporary, sometimes filthy, and never fell short on the audience. The songs, though lyrically silly, kept the motion of the plot moving and allowed for large numbers and impressive dance moves. And I would just like to add that it was so unbelievably nice to see a show that wasn’t blasting music through speakers, they had an actual band. Oh, the good old days.
Aurora Theatre has created a true experience and reignited the excitement behind the curtain rising. The Drowsy Chaperone is running till April 14. For tickets, visit www.auroratheatre.com.
