A major musical star, Janet Van de Graaff, is to wed her sweetheart and leave the Broadway theatre life behind. Enter the Drowsy Chaperone, the tipsy guardian employed to make sure the bride and husband-to-be do not see each other prior to their wedding day, as dictated by ancient custom. However, Miss Van de Graaff’s manager/producer, plus two gangsters disguised as pastry chefs, want to prevent the wedding from occurring; thus, Latin lover Aldolpho is enticed to sweep Janet off her feet.
Such is the plot of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” the witty fictitious musical of the Roaring Twenties, which the narrator, Man in Chair, plays for us on his phonograph. Very real actors perform the show as imagined by Man in Chair. As if that metanarrative were not enough, Man in Chair regales the audience with anecdotes of the fictional 1920s era actors and actresses who perform the play before us as he spins the records on the turntable.
In this Little Theatre of Alexandria musical, brilliantly directed by Krissy McGregor, Miss Van de Graaff is portrayed beautifully by the talented Amelia Jacquat, whose number “Show Off” not only shows off, but pulls out all Broadway stops! Her fiancé, Robert Martin, and best man, George (Matthew Managhan and Matt Yinger, respectively), dance their way into the American musical theatre past as Robert worries about having “Cold Feet” about his impending wedding. How to “make your cold feet hot?” Vigorous tap dancing, as Messrs. Managhan and Yinger skillfully demonstrate!
Clear audience favorites are comic “gangsters” Anthony Galace and Brian Ashton, who entertain (together with the entire cast, well-choreographed by Benjamin Simpson) in “Toledo Surprise.” Paul Caffrey is in top form as producer Victor Feldzieg (the last name a play on the producer Ziegfeld of the vintage Ziegfeld Follies); Rachael Fine joins in on the screwball antics as his less-than-brilliant assistant, Kitty. The eponymous drowsy chaperone, depicted by Leah Chiaverini, sings beautifully in “As We Stumble Along.”
We interviewed Shakil Azizi, who portrays Aldolpho with humor and verve, most notably during his duet and tango with the drowsy chaperone in “I Am Aldolpho.” Mr. Azizi shared his insight that the true chaperone for the audience is Man in Chair. Contrary to the dynamic, glittery world of the mostly upper-class characters in the “Drowsy Chaperone,” Man in Chair, excellently portrayed by Eric Kennedy, lives a lonely life in a drab studio apartment. We get occasional glimpses of his life when he is not discussing the glamorous Broadway shows that he so adores. The contrast between the two worlds sometimes causes him, and the audience, to wonder how accurately he perceives both the musical he is sharing with us and the world in general.
The 1920s-style music, superbly conducted by Owen Posnett, is performed in a unique way, as the audience listens to a live orchestra performing the music, though sometimes this shifts to the muffled output of a phonograph. Man in Chair admits he has never actually seen a production of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” knowing the work only through his research and the vintage record set gifted to him by his mother. This and other events during the show underscore the notion that each of us creates his or her own understanding of the play, along with the author. One could not have a better chaperone than Mr. Kennedy as Man in Chair, who displays wit, energy, despair, and cynicism in equal measure.
“The Drowsy Chaperone” plays through June 6 at Little Theatre of Alexandria. This wonderfully fun show will appeal to lovers of traditional musicals, as well as those who enjoy metanarratives, plays within plays, and occasional thought-provoking ambiguity.