The Drowsy Chaperone ‘does what a musical is supposed to do’
Not often do musicals open with the main character expressing their distaste of musicals, but “The Drowsy Chaperone” is not a typical musical.
Written as a “meta-musical,” the plot begins with the Man in the Chair (Quinten Neudorf ) putting his favourite record on. That record happens to be “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a musical set in the 1920s, revolving around a famous actress Janet Van De Graaf (Georgie Murphy) and her wedding day. She must deal with her boss desperately trying to cancel the wedding for her not to retire from Broadway, as well as a chaperone who does not let her see her husband to be before the wedding.
As the Man in the Chair spoils, the ending is a happy one, with a wedding coupled with a song and dance number. The dynamic between the musical, the Man in the Chair (who breaks the fourth wall at every opportunity) and the audience creates a truly unique plot to which Ridley College adds their unique flair.
To maintain the spirit of the Roaring ’20s, loud music and even louder dancing must always occur, which was true for Ridley College. With 17 dedicated dancers, as well as main cast members, every scene was full of fast-paced choreography. Even outside of dance numbers, the choreography of characters was excellent, with physical actions such as dropping of a cane being perfectly synchronized with the audio of the production. The excellent physical timing also translated to the timing of spoken lines being consistently on cue and projected very well, even with microphones not being used on most characters. The lack of microphones did not reduce the quality of any musical number, with cast members such as Jacob Lytle (as Robert Martin) delivering fantastic vocal performances that projected across the theatre.
To match the grandeur of the subject matter, Ridley College produced equally large sets. Transitions between ballrooms to beaches with palm trees were seamless, with various set props such as pull out beds and airplanes being used to help advance the plot. Of course, the 1920s were famous for their extravagant outfits, and the costumes reflected that. Cast members had multiple costume changes, from bathing suits all the way to wedding dresses. A final under-appreciated aspect about “The Drowsy Chaperone” was the use of physical comedy. Even without jokes being told, the audience was brought to tears by the dramatic expressions of characters, especially with Abigail Sullivan, who plays dramatic, Spaniard lover Aldolpho.
Ridley College expertly explored what it means to be a musical in a combination of comedy, fun and great acting. Every musical number and dance scene were memorable, and the set designs and costumes made it truly feel like the Roaring Twenties. As the Man in the Chair says, “It does what a musical is supposed to do: it takes you to another world.”