The Drowsy Chaperone Tour Review Thread

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 9:51pm

We have to start all over again but I don't want to miss fans reviews on the Tour. So please post your thoughts and ideas here.

** sorry I missed the older thread but no one was posting reviews on it for the new show, so I started it up again. Since it is past opening nite, I thought I should just emphasize reviews. No offense to the original poster of the thread. I hope news though still goes under the other thread.***
Updated On: 10/14/07 at 09:51 PM

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 10:36pm

I wanted to show my support of the tour, but since I wouldn't take pictures OF the show itself, this is the best I can offer.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 12:09am

I know Bob Martin opened the tour. Did the new Man in the Chair take over yet?

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 12:18am

Thank you so much for the pictures Miss Pennywise. It looks great.

Jonathan Crombie takes over the show in Cleveland on October the 16th. I hope you get a chance to see it and let us know how it all is going. It's exciting to see it rolling along nicely.

I wanted to re-post this website too. https://www.andreachamberlain.com. This is the Janet for the Tour and she was nice enough to post pictures from the show on her website. She looks great in her costumes. I love the costumes and set's so much for this show.

Now, let's hear it for the Dancing Monkeys!

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 12:26am

Andrea is marvelous in the show!!!

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 7:18am

So excited to hear Jon Crombie is starting soon...he was great as MiC on Broadway.

[giddyup]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 7:48am

This is the cast to see. They are fabulous. I think if they brought this one to NYC, you might see ticket sales go up. THis group is full of energy! And, I have already seen this about eight times.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 12:11pm

Andrea's pictures looked very good. Thank you. I am looking forward to what Cleveland has to say. I saw a very sketchy view of Moye as Aldopho. It's going to be tough but I am looking forward to seeing the new cast on the set. I think NYC will be fine with Saget in the Chair. I still love the whole NYC cast, I don't think that will ever change. I just expect to love the Tour just as much though.

Since they changed the logo have they changed any of the t-shirt designs yet?

[Tag]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 1:03pm

So I saw it last week. It was my first time seeing the show (in any of its stagings in Toronto or on Broadway).

I was unimpressed.

I know I am in the minority...but I just didn't like it. I can't really put my finger on why though. I felt that the show as a whole wasn't cohesive in that many of the songs felt out of place (I know that is the intent of some of the numbers...but still). The ending was also rushed.

Of course Bob Martin was the standout. Perfect.
The costumes also stood out above anything else.

I did the rush so luckily only paid $25. And honestly I would have preferred to walk down the street to see We Will Rock You again for their lottery price. (WWRY has a horrible book but the songs and the cast are phenominal)

Bob Martin's last (possibly ever) show begins in one hour. And after that, this tour looses its best asset.

[mauriposa]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 1:15pm

I'm inclined to agree with Tag about Bob Martin. Don't get me wrong, I loved this show on Broadway and was so excited to hear that it was starting a national tour w/ Bob Martin, so I could see it again in Chicago. But now that he won't be there, I don't think I'm going to go see it. He (and the rest of the OBC) made that show the highlight of my NYC trip, and I would hate to have that memory altered by a less than perfect performance.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 2:23pm

Jonathan Crombie is excellent in the role of Man in Chair. The rest of the touring cast is wonderful as well.

Not everyone is going to like this show (or any show). That's normal. But if you liked the show on Broadway, there is no reason to worry about seeing the tour, in my opinion. In fact, if you "love" the show already, you should go to see the tour!

[mauriposa]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 3:05pm

Ehh. We'll see. It doesn't hit Chicago for many months. A lot can change in that amount of time.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 3:11pm

How is Nancy Opel in the title role?

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 3:49pm

I loved Nancy Opel as Drowsy, and I am an avid Beth Leavel fan.

(But I did not care all that much for Elaine Paige's interpretation of the Chaperone even though I have been a big fan of hers for years.)

[Tag]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 3:53pm

I've seen both Leavel's and Opel's As We Stumble Along live (even though I never saw the OBC).
Leavel's was far superior to Opel's version.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 6:25pm

But you haven't seen Jonathan Crombie as the Man in Chair so how do you know how well he plays the part? I have and he is very funny. This isn't too much like what he has done before on stage. He did play the Gangster in a few of its incarnations but you said you didn't see any of those shows either. He was rather a smart aleck in The Dishwashers but Randy Hughson had the best comedic lines in that Play. Here, Jonathan gets most of the funny parts all to himself. He plays them off really well.

Maybe we need to give Nancy a little more time. Beth has played the part for a very long time. She knows it like the back of her hand. Hopefully, she won't be afraid to play it Beth's way because it is a good rendition of the part. It's a great role so she has so much to aspire to. She isn't an amateur though, so I have more confidence in her than maybe someone else in the role.

Toronto reviews were mixed though weighed in favor of the show's new cast. If anything now I am more curious to see it for myself. I think you really need to have some references to the older Musicals to really appreciate Drowsy's humor but that isn't always the case. It's lack of seriousness is what makes me laugh over it. Casey is still directing, so I have some confidence in the ensembles presentation of the Production.

[Tag]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 7:23pm

If you are talking to me, I never mentioned anything about Jonathan Crombie. By saying that Bob Martin is the shows best asset probally is true and many would agree with me. I don't have an issue with Crombie (I think his Emmett in The Dishwashers was the best part of that play) and I'm sure he'll do a great job in Drowsy.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 7:39pm

That's good to hear Tag. His Emmett was great but I honestly enjoyed the whole ensemble of The Dishwashers. I only saw Oxford Roof Climbers Rebellion in rehearsal but that went well and had some funny parts in it too.

I'm sorry, it is just Bob is great in the role, no doubt about it. I just don't want Crombie to get jinxed because Martin can't/doesn't want to Play the Tour. Very understandable.

There are more video's of interviews at Dancap here, https://www.dancapproductions.com/dancaptv/

I also appreciate your honesty. It was rough since both Jonathan and Andrea were in the show in NY. I don't think she had to go on stage during rehearsals but she was still an understudy for several parts at the time. I have more faith in it but it's my kind of show. Though I would probably like WWRY too.

I was just thinking about Bob mentioning the possibility of a Movie version of Drowsy. Maybe for an Indy release or direct to Video? I'm not sure it has wide market appeal but I would still love to see them be innovative and make the Movie version of the Broadway show.

Now when I can buy Barbie dressed characters from, The Drowsy Chaperone, you know they have really made it in the World of Musicals.
Updated On: 10/15/07 at 07:39 PM

[Wild Roses]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 7:20pm

I just got back from seeing the 1:00 show today. The cast was great.

Crombie is not Martin but he does an excellent job at making MiC his own.

Nancy was slightly underwhelming as Drowsy.

I don't know if it was just me, but I felt as if the interpretation of Janet was played with a bit more seriousness than compared to how Sutton played it.

The one change I didn't like for the tour was 'Show Off.' Instead of leaving the stage while the singing the encore bit through the trap door, she exits the stage to the right. Its a minor change, but I prefer the trap door exit.

OT: JC is still amazingly hot after all these years.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 10:44pm

Sorry you missed Jonathan but that's great they gave you a signed Poster. I can't wait to get mine! Mr. Crombie is usually one of the first guys out of the door after the show. Hopefully you can go back and see the show? If not maybe you can catch it elsewhere?

How did you like the new Aldolpho and Robert Martin?

These are fairly demanding roles for a new cast. It's rough when the original cast has such a following for another crew to follow.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 10:59pm

How is Marla Mindelle as Kitty? I enjoyed her performance in Wild Party last year and am looking forward to seeing her.

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 1:52am

Was Ms. Engel as adorable as always?

[LittleMsUsher]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 2:31am

Well I have seen Bob Martin, Jonathan Crombie, Jonathan Glover (Lionel Luthor, Smallville) and Now Bob Saget (Full House, Americas Funniest Videos) all as the Man in the Chair, they have all brought their own personalities to the character, grant it Bob Martin created it but over all they each bring him to light in a different way.
Updated On: 10/22/07 at 02:31 AM

[Wild Roses]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 2:37pm

"How did you like the new Aldolpho and Robert Martin?

These are fairly demanding roles for a new cast. It's rough when the original cast has such a following for another crew to follow."

The Robert Martin was good. He brought an appropriate mix of zaniness and groom jitters to the role. He is also playing the role with his natural red hair. (If one wants to do a fanfic reincarnation, MiC is Gilbert lusting after Robert because Robert is Anne.)

Aldopho is the weak link in Drowsy IMHO. He has always annoyed me so I think no matter who plays him I won't care for the character. That said, the actor that played him was quite good.

I agree it is difficult to follow up such a strong cast as the Broadway cast well. However, they are doing a really good job. I'm sure they'll get better as the tour gets its legs. One could tell they were still settling into their roles somewhat (except Crombie, Engel, and Chamberlain, who seemed quite comfortable).

"Was Ms. Engel as adorable as always?"

I only met her a for a few seconds and she was in a 'hurry up and leave so I can get back to eating lunch' mood. I don't think the cast was expecting a person at the stage door. At all. (I was the only one back there.) They were all nice, but I kind of got the feeling that 'we are in Cleveland...not NYC...we shouldn't have to be dealing with this.' Or maybe I'm just reading that in it because I was nervous (first time stage dooring ever) and wasn't sure what to expect.

I actually made a boo-boo because I was so nervous. The guy who plays Robert Martin has distictly red curly hair and even though I recognized him when he walked out, I still asked him if he was in the show. I quickly mumbled something about how sometimes I don't recognize actors in real life...blah, blah. He didn't seem that annoyed, but still...it was a flammoxing moment to say the least.

I actually heard the backstage guy who got Ms. Engel for me apologizing to her for pulling her away from lunch...even though *he* was the the one who took me backstage to get her autograph. (I wasn't being stalkery or anything. He could have lied and said, 'she left already' or whatever. The way he apologized it sounded like it he was implying I was a nut who would stick around until I got an autograph. Which is true where JC is concerned, but not so much where Engel is concerned.) (He actually took me back to her rather than her having to come to me.)

I didn't say this in my orginal post, but I own Drowsy on bootleg with the orginal Broadway cast. I'm figured it was important to put it out there because

1. I will still go see a show live even if I own a bootleg copy of it. I will enjoy the memory of seeing it live (and knowing that Cleveland was the first U.S. city on the tour).
2. it is fun being able to compare a new cast and any adaptions made to a show--sets, costumes, whatever---to a live show (see, for example, the change to 'Show Off') to the original cast and stage it was on.

This is very off topic, but since threads get off topic all time, I am not going to apologize. I noticed in the back of my DC playbill that Baldwin Wallace College has been selected to do a 'non professional pilot production' of Phantom of the Opera. Is ALW getting ready to licence out the show for regional and local productions? BW mentioned it was part of 6 companies picked for this.

[theminutepast]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 3:23pm

Where were you sitting, WildRoses? I have tickets for the back balcony. I've been to the Palace before and sat in the front row mezz, which was wonderful. I'm hoping the back balcony won't make the actors look like ants.

Wow, you got to go backstage? Did the person show you anything else?