Drowsy Chaperone with Intermission - Thoughts?

A theater group near my hometown was putting on a production of the Drowsy Chaperone. My friend texted me saying how much she was enjoying the show. I was confused when she told me it was intermission.

FYI, for those of you who haven't seen the show and/or aren't familiar with it, Drowsy Chaperone is usually a one act musical.

It kind of annoyed me to hear there was an intermission, considering the Man in the Chair's reaction towards the end of the show when he was interrupted by the handyman.

From what my friend told me, it sounds like they tried their best to transition from intermission to the second act (the Man in the Chair states how much he hates intermission, but doesn't he say that regardless?).

According to MTI, it is categorized as one act. I am not sure if MTI has options for those who want to split it into two acts; obviously the only logical time to have an intermission, if absolutely needed, is after Toledo Surprise. Having not seen the group's version of the show, it is hard for me to comment on the production itself; however, I did see it on Broadway and think it makes the most sense not to have an intermission.

Thoughts?

Another FYI - this group has a good reputation in my hometown, and they do put on high-quality productions. The group mostly consists of high school and college students. I have a feeling that intermission was intentional because that's what people are used to and expect.

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Updated On: 8/4/13 at 06:32 AM

The college I work at did it with an intermission last year. If I remember correctly it happened at that point where m-i-c puts on the other record and goes to take a pee. The curtain comes down...intermission...curtain rises...Message from a Nightingale begins the second act.

It was licensed as a one-act. But the director inserted the intermission for all the reasons Besty states. No one in the audience seemed phased one way or the other.

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no.

but you gotta make your money

Updated On: 8/4/13 at 01:59 PM

Not really. There's a brief bit where the intermission of the show-within-the-show falls, and Man-in-Chair says something about hating intermission while he's turning over the record, and then the "second act" begins with "Message From a Nightingale." It was a one-act as performed on Broadway.

I saw this done in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Money was not the issue, concession sales cannot be more than $50. It may have been to accommodate many older bladders. But, the director just has weird ideas. She set the show in Mrs. Tottendale's house. Janet and Robert were about 50 and 65 respectively and Robert wore roller skates, but was pushed around the set in a wheelchair. Since the set is in Mrs. Tottendale's foyer, there is no bed and Aldopho wooes The Chaperone on a chair. There was no plane, so the super's joke went no where. During the flying number people came out on stage with cafeteria trays to mimic wings. I tried to talk "the man in the chair" about it afterwards, but he deflected my questions and I didn't press the issue and left.

The same director, changed songs in "The Sound of Music" to have "My Favorite Things" sung in the abbey and "The Lonely Goatherd" song in the bed with the kids during the thunderstorm.

So, the intermission was the least, of my criticisms. It was handled, by TMITC, starting the 2nd act by putting on the wrong record and excusing himself to go get a 2nd bottle of wine off stage (or maybe it was to go to the bathroom). So, the intermission didn't really break up the continuity.

Updated On: 8/5/13 at 04:11 PM

You can't legally change anything in the libretto from what you have paid for, unless they specify and supply alternative options, as a lot of shows do regarding language and mature content. But, most community theaters and high schools only get away with these bizarre artistic changes because they are so under the radar.

"The same director, changed songs in "The Sound of Music" to have "My Favorite Things" sung in the abbey and "The Lonely Goatherd" song in the bed with the kids during the thunderstorm"

You obviously don't know the original stage version that well. That is how it is written.

My town just did this as well-they used the "pee" excuse for intermission to. It worked, there were a lot of silver foxes in the audience who probably needed to use the bathroom. When I saw it on Broadway--and tour--I recall the TMITC ate an energy bar or somehing like that when there might have been an intermission.

It was actually very funny in this production when TMITC left to pee and then rushed back to grab the record to stop the nightingale song. They did have a raffle and such at intermission.