How do you take a silly gift for a friend and turn it into a Tony Award-winning musical loved by musical fans and nay-sayers alike? Very carefully.
That is just what the creators of The Drowsy Chaperone did. It truly has something for everyone. If you like musicals, then you will enjoy its nod to the classic musical. If you don't like musicals, then you will appreciate how the show kindly pokes fun at them.
At first glance, the show appears to be a piece of fluff, but then it sneaks up on you, and once you start working on it as we have, you realize there is much more than meets the eye. For me, it isn’t about the music and the story as much as it is about the strong characters and how they react to life, and I think the real genius of the show is that we can all identify with our main character, Man in Chair. He reminds us that we all have that "thing" we go to when we are down, and musicals are his.
As human beings, some of our basic desires are comfort, happiness, and peace. Sure, most of us believe these may be achieved by having a nice home, car, or dream job, but what fuels us daily is usually something simpler…grabbing your favorite coffee, texting a friend, doing a little binge-watching, or putting on your favorite tunes. We’ve all done it, and this is what we have in common with our Man in Chair. Common ground whether you are a fan of musicals or not. Genius.
We appreciate you coming to mad Theatre’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone!
Many thanks to…mad Theatre (especially Tony, Jessica, and Cathy) for giving me this opportunity and supporting me...Richard Brown who has truly been Stage Manager and Assistant to the Director (I would have been lost without you!)...our amazing musical director and choreographer…talented crew of designers, builders, costumers, prop mistresses, and band members …and a remarkable cast of performers I wish I could keep forever (you’re one of my favs!)…and to you, the audience, for taking your time and money to see what we all have created.
We hope you enjoy our production of this beloved musical. May your cheeks hurt from smiling and you leave with a little tune you can carry with you in your head.
-Kari Ann Stamatoplos
