The Drowsy Chaperone? I've never heard of that! I wouldn't be surprised,
Drowsy premiered on Broadway in 2006 after running in Canada in 1998. It competed on Broadway against fellow musicals Tarzan, The Pajama Game, Les Miserables, Mary Poppins, Lestat, A Chorus Line, Ring of Fire, High Fidelity, and Grey Gardens to name a few. That's a lot of big name shows. While it did earn five Tony Awards, it lost Best Musical to Jersey Boys. It did win for Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Performance for a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Scenic Design, and Best Costume Design. It also won the same categories for the Drama Desk Awards, as well as Outstanding Musical.
Drowsy started as a series of living room sketches for friends. Bob Martin then expanded the bits into a full length show as a present for his wife, Janet van de Graaf. These names should be familiar to you by the end of the show. Drowsy is a loving send-up of the golden age of musicals. Like shows from the 1920's it intentionally has a bland and forgettable title and plot, but focuses on memorable songs and dances. Since the Roaring 20's are a little more than a year away, it is interesting to see how some of the lines that would have been typical then, are jokes that comment on society now. How much has changed for minorities since the 1920's? For that matter, how much has theatrical storytelling changed?
The Man in the Chair is the ultimate Broadway superfan. He will take us on a journey through the construction of this fake 1920's musical. Through the lens of this adoring narrator, we will see a 'vintage' show and understand, through his emotional commentary, how theatre functions and reflects modern times. Drowsy also illustrates why people are so drawn to this form of theatre, how we connect passionately to our favorite show, and how we constantly find inspiration in the music, words, and story, no matter how cliche' or cheesy it may be.
With lots of inside jokes for the musical connoisseur (Feldzieg is a thinly disguised reference to Florenz Ziegfeld, of the famed Ziegfeld's Follies for example), we have tried our best to have the appropriate 1920's, Vaudevillian, and Contemporary theatre styles of performance. You'll also notice the behind-the-scenes moments for the 'Cast' of Drowsy as well. I'm very proud of the hard work and research the cast has done. For many of this cast/crew this is not only their first time on stage, but their first musical. Many had to learn to sing, dance, and act for this production.
Joel Anderson has done a fantastic job with his debut set design and build. Julia Voorhies created a beautiful sounding ensemble with both novices and experienced singers. Dana Henson's band students have learned an entirely new style of performance that will enhance their marketable music skills. The choreography by Jeff George is challenging and fun; we are very fortunate to secure his services. Laurie Lundgreen has volunteered countless hours to provide the hundreds of costume pieces used. Drowsy is a favorite of mine, and offers a large number of lead roles, as well as an expandable chorus. I hope the students have had as much fun as we have in putting this together. They have learned teamwork, time management, research, persistence, and how to be confident in themselves.
I'd also like to thank the Oregon City community for their patience as we put this first musical in quite a while, on the stage. Squeezing this show in around vacations, holidays, and exams when no one had planned on such a schedule this year, was a challenge. Buying ads in this program has allowed us to add details to the show we would not otherwise have. You will see all that hard work pay off in the first full Performing Arts Department collaboration. It is our hope that we can make this a yearly event. Thank you for patience and patronage. Now, enjoy the show!
