US Musical Receives Rave Reviews From The Cappies

Remarkably the audience gave a standing ovation at each performance, something that rarely happens at St. Andrew’s. Standing ovations are not automatic. They really have to be earned. 

Snow wreaked havoc on our schedule resulting in the cancellation of Saturday’s shows. Fortunately we were able to add a second show on Sunday, ensuring that the run would have three of its four performances. Despite canceled rehearsals and shows, the cast, crew and band were able to persevere. And triumph.

I knew the show would be funny, and catch people by surprise (despite it winning five Tony awards in 2006, it’s still not widely known).  However, I was the one caught by surprise at how enthusiastically the production was received, and how wonderfully it turned out.  The premise is certainly fun: a man in a chair cheers himself up by listening to his favorite musical from 1928 and talks the audience through it. He gets to comment on the actors, the flimsy plot line, his favorite sections, as well all the things in modern life that bother him. Along the way we learn a lot about Man in Chair, quite a lot. The humor and cleverness of the show aside, what really made our production a success was the considerable talent and commitment on the part of all our students.

Cameron Mitchell brought out all the humor and pathos in the role, making him real, hilarious and tragic at the same time. All the actors played their stock characters in the fictitious “Drowsy Chaperone” to a tee, capturing the broadness of the roles, and mining every ounce of comedy. Our ensemble also made great contributions, bringing energy and vocal talent to the whole show. Adding to the fun were the three faculty walk-ons, Dr. Liz Weber, Will Ferriby and John McMillen who played the intrusive Superintendent towards the end of the show “The Drowsy Chaperone” is not really dance heavy, but there are a few big numbers and show stoppers, which need to be strong.

Rachel Turner’s choreography was spot on, borrowing  from the 1920s,  but also original and fun to perform. The show sounded great, thanks to Mr. Jordan Yonce’s vocal coaching and music direction.

The tech crew, under the direction of  Mr. Anthony Harvey provided a flexible and fine looking set, enhanced by projections.  The running crew kept all the changes lightning fast, necessary for a quick paced comedy.

Dr. Amy Wooley prepared the show band expertly, and our ten piece ensemble was tight as they played what was actually a very difficult score.  

Parent Karlyne Reilly, assembled and created an array of gorgeous and entertaining period costumes.  Thanks also to Assistant Director Maki Yordán for her attention to detail and help bringing scenes to life.

 

“The Drowsy Chaperone” is definitely a show that is greater than the sum of its parts. Once all the various elements were finally put together– the songs, the music, the script, the staging and choreography, tied together by the Man in Chair’s monologues, it suddenly all made sense. We could see how well the show plays. The missing piece was the audience, and they played their part well, getting jokes both broad and sophisticated, and by getting to their feet for the curtain call. As Kitty, the aspiring chorine, shouts in the show, “Surprise!”

 

But don’t just take our word for it. Please browse through the reviews, as provided by the visiting team of student critics from the Cappies organization.