The Drowsy Chaperone was originally written for and performed at the bachelor party before the wedding of co-author and Canadian composer, Bob (Robert) Martin and Canadian actress, Janet Van De Graff. The musical was so well received that it got re-written and performed at the Toronto Fringe Festival, then the Theater Passe Muraille and then a mainstage production at the Winter Garden Theater in 2001. There a Broadway producer saw it, added the man in the chair narrator and took it to Broadway in 2006, starring Sutton Foster as Janet Van De Graff. Audiences loved it and so did critics. It was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and won five, including Best Book and Best Original Score.
The Drowsy Chaperone is a love letter to the musicals of the 1920’s. It’s also a hilarious farce with characters that are stuck together for the weekend, like the murder mystery Clue, but without the ‘who-dunnit’. Chaperone is unusual in that it simultaneously takes place in the current day AND in the 1920’s. The fourth wall is broken repeatedly and the Man in the Chair compares his life (ordinary and a little tragic) to the fun and ‘happily ever after’ of his favorite Broadway musical. Drowsy Chaperone is unique and doesn’t fit neatly into any musical category. While technically a comedy, if you were to remove the musical portion and leave the man in the chairs dialogue, it would more closely resemble a ‘drama’, not a farce.
The theme in Drowsy Chaperone is to ‘live/love while you can’. In an uncertain world where people ‘stumble along’, trying to get it right the first time, the narrator encourages us to make the most of the life and the loves that we have. The characters in Drowsy Chaperone live in the fun fantasy world of a 1920’s musical, but one character stands out – the chaperone. The man in the chair loves this character best because she tells the unabashed truth. Like the witches in Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, the chaperone functions as the ‘seer’ or ‘prophet’ in the story. The ‘drowsy’ chaperone character appears to live in a stupor, but in reality she is the character whose vision and understanding of life is the most clear.
The Drowsy Chaperone is like no other musical I have ever directed. I love it for its cleverly woven storyline…the juxtaposition of the contemporary man’s story with the wit of musical theater farce blended with references to real 1920’s musical history and actual contemporary people. I also love it for telling the truth. In this life, love is not always ‘lovely in the end’. Real life is messy and people often stumble through life making less than optimum choices.
The music for this show was particularly challenging, so I am indebted to Meredith Hopkins (music director). Many thanks also to Nancy Casey (Orchestra), Kat Baker (Choreographer), Damaris Eddy (stage manager), Deb Rohrbaugh (Producer), Jennifer Warner (Tickets), Dulce Gangani (Program), Spencer Farmer (props, make-up, acting coaching, stage combat, etc.), Helen & Donna (Costumes) and all the other parents who helped on this production. It takes a village to put together a show like this; I could not do my job without each one of you! Thank you also to Dana Moen and Cameron Curry for supporting arts in our schools.
Telling this story has been a rewarding experience. I am so proud of the actors for all their hard work bringing The Drowsy Chaperone to life. It is my hope that you enjoy this quirky, hilarious, heart-warming farce. Live (and love) while you can!
Jennifer McCormick
Director, The Drowsy Chaperone
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