This dynamic musical ‘has it all’
What makes for a good show?
Musical theatre has been analyzed and critiqued according to shifting standards for as long as it has existed, but Ridley College’s performance of “The Drowsy Chaperone” proves that at the end of the night, sometimes all a musical needs to be able to do is deliver enough sweetness and jazz to make its audience, however big or small, feel good.
“The Drowsy Chaperone,” first performed at Toronto’s Fringe Festival before opening on Broadway in 2006, is a metamusical that centres on Man in Chair, a man sitting alone in his apartment with an unspecified sadness. He puts on the cast recording of his favourite old musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” and, through his frequent interjections of show trivia and self-deprecating jokes, guides the audience through the world of the roaring twenties that unfolds, revealing more of his own life in the process. A high-profile wedding, a bumbling villain, a soulful ballad performed to the audience — this well-intentioned parody of the golden age of musicals has it all.
The musical numbers scattered throughout the show varied in style, but all were delivered with the same taste of old-fashioned glamour. Dancing ranged from the impressive tap footwork displayed by best man George (Jason Li) in his attempts to cheer up nervous groom Robert (Jacob Lytle) to the acrobatics of Janet Van De Graaf (Georgie Murphy) as she insisted she was done with showing off, while musical performances included those of hostess Mrs. Tottendale (MaryGeena Prestia) as she showed off her pink dress. Most big dance numbers were performed with a high level of enthusiasm by the cast, and microphones stayed in place remarkably well through the majority of the transitions.
Quinten Neudorf played the Man in Chair with all the charming bumbling that the role entailed, interacting with the audience and giving glimpses into his personal life as the show went on. Laura Rosic brought magnetism to the titular role of the Drowsy Chaperone, the classic Broadway diva of the show who struggled to find love until the appearance of the European lover Aldolpho, played by Abigail Sullivan with dramatic flair and the perfectly-timed dropping of her cane. Raylon Chan and Minji Kang pulled off a tight duo of nefarious gangsters disguised as pastry chefs thanks to well-rehearsed synchronization, balancing their menacing roles with the comedy of the situation.
The balance between the Man in Chair’s apartment and the glittering set behind him was tightly maintained until the final number, with the world of “The Drowsy Chaperone” clearly existing in his imagination despite his forays into the set to mop up a spit-take or unfold a bed from the wall. Ensemble members moved set pieces with purpose and each lighting cue was instant, preventing the energy from lagging during the frequent transitions.
By the time the show ended and the Man in Chair finally joined in the musical world he so admired, the dynamic movement and bouncing energy of the show had made Ridley’s performance of “The Drowsy Chaperone” one to remember.