THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
Co-produced by The PERFORMANCE NOW THEATRE COMPANY and THE LAKEWOOD CULTURAL CENTER: 9/10-9/26
Bernie Cardell is a National Treasure!!!
“The Drowsy Chaperone” is a musical parody of the American musical comedy of the 1920s. With book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, it won five Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards in 2006.
The show brims over with excellent musical theater performances from its outstanding triple-threat cast.
The show opens with the musings of a musical theatre super fan - Man in Chair- who’s trying to lift his spirits and decides on playing the original Broadway cast recording of a show called The Drowsy Chaperone. As he describes the show and plays the record – “yes, record”- the show explodes across the stage of The Lakewood Cultural Center with eye-popping, ear-pleasing panache!
Bernie Cardell portrays the Man in Chair, and his portrayal is one of those truly exceptional performances that are SO rare, it will be talked about in theatre circles for decades. Cardell’s incarnation of ‘man in chair’ is tenderly vulnerable and wondrously open as he informs the audience of all his interesting points of view about “The Drowsy Chaperone’s” characters as well as the actors who played them. Cardell’s character walks in and out of the scenes in such a way as to let us as audience realize he’s more at home in his musical theatre fantasies than he is in real life. Kelly Van Oosbree’s direction of Cardell in “An Accident Waiting to Happen,” will have you in stitches. (Sorry. No spoilers.)
In a nutshell, the plot has to do with whether Janet Van de Graaff and Robert Martin will get married or not. As the bride to be, Emma Rebecca Maxfield’s unforgettable performance of “Show Off” is breathtaking!! Andy Sievers’ performance of the groom’s “Cold Feets” is jaw-dropping!!! As Drowsy, Nancy Evans Begley’s “As We Stumble Along,” rattles the rafters.
Everything is adorably over the top in this show, from Jeffery Parker’s Latin Lothario, Aldolpho, to the pair of gangsters posing as pastry chefs played by Timothy Campbell and Kris Graves, to Adrianne Hampton’s squeaky wannabe star, Kitty.
Directed and Choreographed by award-winning Kelly Van Oosbree, this exhilarating show features music direction by Denver favorite, Eric Weinstein. Nicole M. Harrison’s costume design is to die for. So is Brett Maughan’s outstanding lighting design and the wonderful wrap around scenic design by Andrew S. Bates.
The numbers are all, of the show-stopping variety, and you may find it hard to decide which one is your favorite.
For tickets call the box office at 303-987-7845,Lakewood Cultural Center(Just south of the Belmar Shopping Center at Alameda and Wadsworth)470 South Alison Parkway, Lakewood, CO,80226
Loved, loved, loved this production! It reminded me of how much I have missed theater during the pandemic. Thank you Kelly, Bernie and all for a wonderful evening of top quality entertainment!
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