Pittsburgh in the Round: CMU Drama’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone is a high-energy fun-filled spoof of American musicals from the 1920s. It was created initially as a performance piece in 1997 for the stag party of two actual Canadian actors, Bob Martin and Janet van de Graaff, and made its way to Broadway in 2006.
3 comments:
Ok, I just saw the show on its closing afternoon, but going into this performance I was already skeptical. Not at all because the production here at CMU, but of the show itself and its context. While “lite hearted” and a fun theatre spoofs, I just think it plays with some cultural glass. I knew the show from before this production and after analyzing it with a new woke eye, I can’t help but to see the perpetuation of racial stereotypes. I was pleased with the attempt to lighten the jokes , but maybe we are in a time were,
“ha ha”, it was funny but maybe we can move on and stop making those kind of jokes? I almost think, well if you are going to cut Nightingale, why not cut Monkey Monkey with the two black servants down center. I think there are so many other great progressive shows to do right now, and that maybe this just wasn’t a good choice.
I always find it interesting to read the reviews of stage productions because to be completely honest they often are the most benile things ever. Take for example the usage of “The first number, in the best tradition of musical theatre, tells us all we need to know about the characters and the plot. Dashing oil tycoon Robert Martin (Kevin William Paul) and Broadway star Janet Van De Graaff (Kate Margalite) are getting married today. She is to give up her career and adoring fans for married life. We meet Mrs. Tottendale (Megan Forester), the absent-minded aging hostess and her loyal butler known only as Underling (Eric Wiegand). Robert’s best man, George (Christian Strange) serves as the wedding planner. Broadway producer Feldzieg (Christopher J. Essex) hopes to persuade Janet to forgo marriage and continue starring in his Follies. Ditzy flapper Kitty (Myha’la Herrold) hopes to take Janet’s place in the Follies and in Feldzieg’s heart. As a bonus we are introduced to two gangsters disguised as pastry chefs Jimmy Brewer and Kyle Decker) they are insurance to convince Feldzieg to keep Janet in the Follies. Janet’s alcoholic Chaperone (Chantelle Guido) is supposed to keep her away from Robert until the wedding. Self-proclaimed famed Latin lover Aldolpho (Chase Del Rey) and Trix (Jada Mayo), the aviatrix round out the cast.” This was just a surface attempt to both list the cast but give a pretty useless synopsis, but eh it happens all the time.
This was a really nice article. Not only does it give description of the plot and the actors, but it also talks about some of the design, a part of the production often overlooked in professional reviews. Also, it mentions the lift so that's good. I think this is one of the easiest to read reviews that I have read in a while because it is not trying to be to pretentious. Sure, it may miss out on using some better phrases or words, but it gets the point across and that's all the matters in reviews. I do find it a little odd that it does list every main actor. Often reviews list the best and most prominent, but this hits every senior which is a good touch. Perhaps one day there will be a review that mentions the people in the back with as much detail, but again, that's not why we do it.
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