Review: ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ was Funny, Sad, and Downright Good

If you were lucky enough to catch The Drowsy Chaperone at the Lakewood Cultural Center, you know what’s up—it was great. If not, read on and get FOMO.

If you’re familiar with Bernie Cardell, who usually works in a directorial role with Vintage Theatre instead of on the stage, you ‘ll know what a perfect role The Man in the Chair, the narrator of the odd tale, was for him. He’s a lovable theatre nerd, so what better role than someone who wants to share their favorite fictional musical with the audience?

So what exactly is this show about? The synopsis from the press release gives a pretty good idea:

“The Drowsy Chaperone is a loving send-up of the Jazz Age musical, featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another. With the houselights down, a man in a chair appears on stage and puts on his favorite record: the cast recording of a fictitious 1928 musical. The recording brings the characters to life, and The Drowsy Chaperone begins as the man in the chair looks on. Mix in two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theater producer, a not-so-bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided suitor, and an intoxicated chaperone, and you have the ingredients for an evening of madcap delight.

In short, it’s a mostly silly show, plenty of jabs at both modern life and old-school musicals. But don’t let the premise fool you; there are some serious, sad moments in there as well. Cardell’s portrayal of the narrator is both funny and a little dark and sad, as he drops various clues about a failed marriage, a reclusive personality, a closeted identity, and a distaste for the horrors of the modern world.

There really isn’t much criticism to aim at this show. The show is meant to be madcap and funny, and it was. The actors were all well-suited to their roles, and the set was really cool and captivating. In fact, hearing from folks who were familiar with the show, Cardell’s pensive portrayal of the narrator and other little details in the dialogue actually added more depth to a sometimes-goofy show. Some of the moments were a bit cringy, like the part where Cardell “accidentally” puts on the wrong record, and it’s a very racially insensitive play about Asian folks, but those moments are definitely intentional and meant to drive a point home about how some lovable old theatre doesn’t exactly age well.

If you missed the show this time around, stay tuned for more productions from the Lakewood Cultural Center; they won’t disappoint.

The cast includes Bernie Cardell as Man in Chair, Nancy Begley as The Drowsy Chaperone, Emma Maxfield as Janet Van de Graaff, Andy Sievers as Robert Martin, Jeffrey Parker as Adolpho, Jennifer Burnett as Mrs. Tottendale, Brian Trampler as Underling, Kevin Schwartz as Mr. Feldzieg, Adrianne Hampton as Kitty, Andrew Bates as George, Kris Graves and Tim Campbell as Gangsters 1 & 2, and Brekken Baker as Trix. The ensemble includes Lindsay Blackman, Bethany Luhrs, Adam Luhrs, Rebecca Dean, Gennifer Grahnquist, Abby Herron, Riley Homes, Martin James, Justin Milner, Jessica Strong, Aaron Szindler and Will Treat. 

Photos courtesy of RDG Photography