Reviewed by Tony Annicone
Welcome back to the 1920’s and to MMAS Black Box Theater’s current show which is “The Drowsy Chaperone”, a five-time Tony Award winning musical. The show first opened on Broadway on May 1, 2006 and starred Georgia Engel as Mrs. Tottendale. It won Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score. The hilarious show-within-a-show begins when a die-hard musical fan decides to play his favorite cast album, a 1928 smash hit called The Drowsy Chaperone and the show magically bursts to life right in his very own apartment. It is a send up of a Jazz Age musical featuring one show stopping number after another. When the house lights dim, a man in a chair appears onstage and plays his favorite recording of this fictitious 1928 musical. The recording comes to life and “The Drowsy Chaperone” begins. Mix in two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not-so-bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan and an intoxicated chaperone and you have the ingredients for an evening of madcap delight. Director Vincent Ratsavong picks the best 16 performers for these wild and madcap roles, winning his cast a thunderous ovation at the close of the show.
Some of the dance numbers choreographed for this show by Vincent include the Charleston, tap, tango and Busby Berkley type dances to name a few. Vincent is aided in his task by musical director Derrick Lacasse who also plays lead keyboards for the show and taught the beautiful 1920’s type score to the cast. He leads a 4 piece orchestra. Ted Talanian designed the Art-Deco set and the 1920’s costumes by Pam Denning are gorgeous especially Janet’s and the Chaperone’s outfits.
Leading this cast in the pivotal role of the Man in the Chair is Corey Cadigan. He narrates the show, keeping the plot moving along as well as delivering and enormous amounts of dialogue. The Man in the Chair weaves in and out of the scenes in a comic manner. He makes many other funny references along the way and continually steals drinks from the bosom of the Chaperone. He joins in on “Bride’s Lament”, the finale of Act 1 as well as the final scene of the show.
Amelia Boyce Munson plays Janet Van De Graaff, showgirl who is giving up show biz to get married to an oil tycoon. Pretty Amelia delivers the goods with her numbers including “Show Off” which begins as a torch song, builds into a rousing number where she does high kicks and the hilarious “Bride’s Lament” where she compares her boyfriend to a monkey on a pedestal. Jordan Potash is tall, dark and handsome as her suitor Robert Martin. He is also a wonderful singer and dancer especially in “Accident Waiting to Happen” when he roller skates around the stage while blindfolded. He also does a song and dance routine to “Cold Feets” with Matthew Stone as George, the best man. The tap dancing in this number is breathtaking by Errica Moran and the two guys. Matthew uses his tenor voice to also sing “Wedding Songs.”
The biggest scene stealer in this show is Christine Gill Lovegood as the drowsy chaperone with the clever shtick Vincent gave her to do. She is hilarious when she guzzles the booze and brings the show alive with her high energy. Christine uses her marvelous voice in the show stopping “As We Stumble Along” which refers to her drinking. She is also comical in “I Am Aldolpho” where she seduces the Latin lover with a tango. Christine leaves the audience in stitches with her brilliant portrayal of this role.
Another scene stealer is the Latin Lothario played by Joseph Tinianow. He has dark swarthy looks and he uses a smarmy charm to win over the audience as this character. His “I Am Aldolpho” is hysterical with a comic tango as he mistakes the drunken chaperone for the bride to be. His pelvic thrusts while seducing her are fabulous.Joseph’s funny antics wins accolades from the crowd and he stops the show when he delivers his name in a deep mysterious voice. Jim Foster is comical as the producer, Feldzieg. Some of his best moments occur when he does a slow burn with the gangsters as they threaten him continually. Another scene stealer is Stacy Sherman as Kitty, his dumb girlfriend who wants to replace Janet in the show. She displays her strong acting ability, strong voice and dancing prowess in “Toledo Surprise” and throughout the show.
Two more wacky characters are the two gangsters well played by Jess Emerson and Allison Porter who disguise themselves as pastry chefs. They have many puns about cooking. They display their voices in “Toledo Surprise.” Their scene stealing antics are priceless. Playing the eccentric dowager, Mrs. Tottendale is Carrie-Ann Kavan whose character wins much laughter at her ditsy portrayal. She has funny spit take bits with her butler who brings her vodka when she asks for ice water. Derrick Lacasse also is her faithful comic British butler, Underling. Their duet “Love is Always Lovely in the End” is well done. Rose Kearns plays Trix, a mysterious woman who solves the problems facing the cast in the finale. She belts out a song called “I Do, I Do in the Skies” while the cast dances around her. Errica Moran also makes a cameo appearance as the Superintendent who turns the electricity back on. So for a fun filled evening of song and dance in this witty and entertaining 1920’s style farcical musical, be sure to catch the tongue in cheek “The Drowsy Chaperone” by MMAS Black Box Theater.
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (26 July to 5 August)
MMAS Black Box Theater, 377 North Main Street, Mansfield, MA
1(508)339-2822 or www.mmas.org
