Tony Tuesday: THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

This week, it’s back to the mid noughties for some show-offing musical theatre. Today’s TONY Tuesday is:

‘Show Off’ from The Drowsy Chaperone at the 2006 TONY Awards ceremony. 

The Drowsy Chaperone is a musical that parodies the comedies of 1920’s America. The show centres on “Man in Chair” who is an agoraphobic Broadway fanatic. He reminisces with the audience about his love of theatre, in particular his favourite musical, the fictional “The Drowsy Chaperone”. As Man in Chair plays the recording of the show, the musical comes alive in his apartment, replicating production number after production number.

The show first came to life in 1997 when the show’s author, Bob Martin’s friends created a spoof of old musicals for the stag/hen party of him and his future wife Janet van de Graaf. Originally, the jokes within the show were far closer to the line and Man in Chair didn’t exist. However, when Toronto Fringe expressed interest, Martin came on board to co-write and added the role of Man in Chair to serve as a narrator. The show underwent further development and financing, before playing Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre in 2001. This production caught the eye of Broadway producer Roy Miller, who optioned the rights and produced a New York based reading of the show. This reading gathered the interested of other producers who banded together to mount an out-of-town try-out in LA in 2005 before taking the show to Broadway, bowing in May 2006. 

The production with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar (members of the original stag/hen party production) opened on Broadway at The Marquis Theatre. The production starred Bob Martin himself as Man in Chair, Sutton Foster as Janet van der Graaff, Beth Leavel as The Drowsy Chaperone and Troy Britton Johnson as Robert Martin. The production opened to critical and commercial success winning five 2006 TONY Awards. The production was directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw. 

Having seen and enjoyed the Broadway production, Cameron Mackintosh saw the potential of bringing the show across the Atlantic to London’s West End. The Broadway team reunited to stage the production at The Novello Theatre in May 2007. Co-author and original Man in Chair, Bob Martin, reprised his role for this engagement and was joined by Elaine Page, making her return to the West End after six years in the role of The Drowsy Chaperone. Summer Strallen starred as Janet van de Graaff, alongside John Partridge as Robert Martin. However, despite positive reception from the audience and critics, the production failed to ignite the box office like it had done in America, and the production closed in August after less than 100 performances.

The show also enjoyed a North American tour in 2007, where Bob Martin once again played Man in Chair, and various subsequent North American productions. The show also had its Australian premiere in 2010 in which Geoffrey Rush starred as Man in Chair. 

In 2014, there was an announcement of a film adaptation starring Rush, however, this has yet to make it to production. 

The Drowsy Chaperone is an absolutely delicious score with fun, nostalgic Broadway bangers. If you haven’t listened to it yet Besties, get it done! 

Cast recording available on streaming services.  

FACTS:

Music: Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Lyrics: Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Book: Bob Martin and Con McKellar
Theatre: The Marquis Theatre
Run: 3 April 2006 – 30 December 2007 (32 previews and 674 performances) 

TONYS:

(NOMINATED) Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Lady in a Musical – Sutton Foster, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Bob Martin, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – Danny Burstein, Best Direction of a Musical – Casey Nicholaw, Best Choreography – Casey Nicholaw, Best Orchestrations – Larry Blank, Best Lighting Design – Ken Billington and Brian Monahan, 

(WON) Best Book of a Musical – Bob Martin and Don McKellar, Best Original Score - Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – Beth Leavel, Best Scenic Design – David Gallo, Best Costume Design – Gregg Barnes.

OLIVIERS:

(NOMINATED) Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical – Bob Martin, Best Actress in a Musical – Summer Strallen, Best Theatre Choreographer – Casey Nicholaw, Best Costume Design – Gregg Barnes.