#1
Posted: 4/6/06 at 12:42am
While THE DROWSY CHAPERONE seems to be gaining some praise right off the bat due to the fact that it's an entirely original musical, it is absolutely not the saving grace of the season that everyone - including myself- was hoping it would be.
The show begins in the dark, with only Bob Martin (also co-writer of the book) on stage speaking to the audience. Literally every word out of his mouth - not only in the beginning of the show, but throughout the entire evening - is wonderfully hysterical. His comic timing is brilliant - think Denis O'Hare in TAKE ME OUT - only not perpetually neurotic - but funnier. Theatre aficionados in particular will get a big kick out of his mini-monologues - although there's something here for everyone. His opening monologue was just so perfect, so funny, and so cleverly written that it immediately raised my expectations for the rest of the show. This most definitely works against the show, in this case. Starting out with a bang is a wonderful thing - but not when all the subsequent material is less than impressive.
As soon as the show-within-a-show "Drowsy Chaperone" cast emerges and starts to act out the store from his apartment (with a few set pieces coming in and out), something just doesn't seem quite right.
The plot of "The Drowsy Chaperone" (the fictional musical, not the actual show on Broadway) is the most uninteresting, generally unfunny material that just doesn't quit. The music is forgettable and lyrics banal, and the story just plain - excuse my bluntness - sucks. Yes, obviously, it's in the style of a musical right out of the 1920's - a musical where the songs do very little, if anything, to advance the plot - full of stereotypes, melodramatic acting, and plenty of slapstick-style comedy. Or, should I say "comedy." While the story they present to us is probably something that might have emerged from the 1920's, it's just not interesting. I didn't care about a single character in "Drowsy", I didn't like a single song, I wasn't impressed by a single dance number, and the more the plot grew tired and rediculous, the more the cast tried so hard to show us that they're funny - the less funny they were.
The show gets away with it here and there, most specifically when Bob Martin stops the action to comment on the show - he'll say something like "These lyrics are really bad," or "This scene is really pointless," etc. Yea, I know it's the point - but why should I have to suffer through it? The only time I was interested in what was going on was when the action stopped and Martin addressed the audience with his brilliantly witty dialogue.
The cast is generally okay, but the only standout, again - is Bob Martin. Several of the performances start off as barely amusing, and quickly do down hill from there - to the point where you swear if they say one more word, you'll run up on stage yourself and remove them from the theatre. Most noteably, Danny Burstein as the over stereotypical, obnoxious, thoroughly unfunny Adolpho, Troy Britton Johnson as the former toothpaste model/fiance whose Gaston-like act is just tired, Garth and Jason Kravits as the bakers/gangsters - pure unfunny slapstick time and time again - they especially grated on my nerves.
On the "upside" of the performances, Georgia Engel is appropriately airheaded and has some thoroughly funny moments, particularly with Edward Hibbert - who have great chemistry together. It's a pleasure to see Sutton Foster back on the stage. After her marvelous performances in MILLIE and LITTLE WOMEN, she set the bar a little too high for her a little too soon. She's fine here - in fine vocal form, but she exerts much of the same charm she used as Millie. Every word out of her mouth is spoken in an overly dramatic, over-acting sort of way. I understand that it's the point - but it just gets annoying. Not only are the lines not interesting or compelling, but the melodrama only adds to the audiences frustration. Eddie Korbich really only appears in the beginning of the show, and he does great work here. Beth Leavel, in the title role, is hysterical, but I still think she could have done more with it. Her big diva song is quite entertaining - and you'd swear you were watching Joanna Lumley as Patsy from AB FAB channelling Judy Garland. It's quite the treat - but while her character was a true saving grace in the beginning, her part got smaller and smaller, and it got to the point where I was so sick of what was going on in the show-within-a-show that I was praying for her to come out and do something funny - but she doesn't.
So as I said before, this show is half compelling, half boring. The only time I was truly entertained was when Bob Martin was speaking to the audience - I cannot praise his writing or his performance enough, and I certainly think he will be remembered this award season. The book is half and half. Anything he says is remarkably funny, and very well-written. Anything that happens within the show itself, is less than interesting, rarely funny, and just plain tiresome. Yes, it's in the style of what may be a prohibition era-musical, but so much of it is just wasted time. As I said before, the score is forgettable and there is absolutely nothing redeemable about it.
Just as I thought I couldn't get any more fed up with the show within the show, suddenly all these different people are getting married. Yes, poking fun at whimsical, nonsensical old musicals - but at the same time, they're presenting it to a contemporary audience - and we (atleast myself) don't want to see that. What on earth was with the airplane landing on stage? Why on earth did the pilot marry everyone? I doubt anyone has a sensical answer for this - it just doesn't exist.
To borrow some words from Mama Rose, "Just give them a big strong finish, and they'll forgive you for anything!" That's immediately what popped into my head after this show. For, despite how bored I was during certain parts of this show - and despite how irritating much of the show within is, the ending is quite moving. Slight spoiler, so don't read on if you don't like that sort of thing. When Martin sat on the airplaine and the Chaperone handed him the record that he uses so often to escape his blues - and the airplane takes off with only Martin sitting on the wing (with the rest of the cast knowingly smiling at him from below), it was strangely and interestingly moving. It was a great moment - the best moment in the entire show. So, of course Rose was right. Send the audience out on a good note, and all else is forgotten. Well, of course when you think about it - it's not correct - but leaving the show with a good feeling is certainly a plus.
Of course, all of us have our own Drowsy Chaperone - a musical we listen to over and over to escape the brutalness of the real world - and that makes the audience immediately sympathize and care for The Man in the Chair (Martin).
While it's thrilling to see an entirely original musical on Broadway - one with actual heart (and a fantastic leading male performance), it is deeply flawed and could really use some work. I don't think this show will last very long, unless of course the reviews are raves - which I highly doubt they will be.
The show begins in the dark, with only Bob Martin (also co-writer of the book) on stage speaking to the audience. Literally every word out of his mouth - not only in the beginning of the show, but throughout the entire evening - is wonderfully hysterical. His comic timing is brilliant - think Denis O'Hare in TAKE ME OUT - only not perpetually neurotic - but funnier. Theatre aficionados in particular will get a big kick out of his mini-monologues - although there's something here for everyone. His opening monologue was just so perfect, so funny, and so cleverly written that it immediately raised my expectations for the rest of the show. This most definitely works against the show, in this case. Starting out with a bang is a wonderful thing - but not when all the subsequent material is less than impressive.
As soon as the show-within-a-show "Drowsy Chaperone" cast emerges and starts to act out the store from his apartment (with a few set pieces coming in and out), something just doesn't seem quite right.
The plot of "The Drowsy Chaperone" (the fictional musical, not the actual show on Broadway) is the most uninteresting, generally unfunny material that just doesn't quit. The music is forgettable and lyrics banal, and the story just plain - excuse my bluntness - sucks. Yes, obviously, it's in the style of a musical right out of the 1920's - a musical where the songs do very little, if anything, to advance the plot - full of stereotypes, melodramatic acting, and plenty of slapstick-style comedy. Or, should I say "comedy." While the story they present to us is probably something that might have emerged from the 1920's, it's just not interesting. I didn't care about a single character in "Drowsy", I didn't like a single song, I wasn't impressed by a single dance number, and the more the plot grew tired and rediculous, the more the cast tried so hard to show us that they're funny - the less funny they were.
The show gets away with it here and there, most specifically when Bob Martin stops the action to comment on the show - he'll say something like "These lyrics are really bad," or "This scene is really pointless," etc. Yea, I know it's the point - but why should I have to suffer through it? The only time I was interested in what was going on was when the action stopped and Martin addressed the audience with his brilliantly witty dialogue.
The cast is generally okay, but the only standout, again - is Bob Martin. Several of the performances start off as barely amusing, and quickly do down hill from there - to the point where you swear if they say one more word, you'll run up on stage yourself and remove them from the theatre. Most noteably, Danny Burstein as the over stereotypical, obnoxious, thoroughly unfunny Adolpho, Troy Britton Johnson as the former toothpaste model/fiance whose Gaston-like act is just tired, Garth and Jason Kravits as the bakers/gangsters - pure unfunny slapstick time and time again - they especially grated on my nerves.
On the "upside" of the performances, Georgia Engel is appropriately airheaded and has some thoroughly funny moments, particularly with Edward Hibbert - who have great chemistry together. It's a pleasure to see Sutton Foster back on the stage. After her marvelous performances in MILLIE and LITTLE WOMEN, she set the bar a little too high for her a little too soon. She's fine here - in fine vocal form, but she exerts much of the same charm she used as Millie. Every word out of her mouth is spoken in an overly dramatic, over-acting sort of way. I understand that it's the point - but it just gets annoying. Not only are the lines not interesting or compelling, but the melodrama only adds to the audiences frustration. Eddie Korbich really only appears in the beginning of the show, and he does great work here. Beth Leavel, in the title role, is hysterical, but I still think she could have done more with it. Her big diva song is quite entertaining - and you'd swear you were watching Joanna Lumley as Patsy from AB FAB channelling Judy Garland. It's quite the treat - but while her character was a true saving grace in the beginning, her part got smaller and smaller, and it got to the point where I was so sick of what was going on in the show-within-a-show that I was praying for her to come out and do something funny - but she doesn't.
So as I said before, this show is half compelling, half boring. The only time I was truly entertained was when Bob Martin was speaking to the audience - I cannot praise his writing or his performance enough, and I certainly think he will be remembered this award season. The book is half and half. Anything he says is remarkably funny, and very well-written. Anything that happens within the show itself, is less than interesting, rarely funny, and just plain tiresome. Yes, it's in the style of what may be a prohibition era-musical, but so much of it is just wasted time. As I said before, the score is forgettable and there is absolutely nothing redeemable about it.
Just as I thought I couldn't get any more fed up with the show within the show, suddenly all these different people are getting married. Yes, poking fun at whimsical, nonsensical old musicals - but at the same time, they're presenting it to a contemporary audience - and we (atleast myself) don't want to see that. What on earth was with the airplane landing on stage? Why on earth did the pilot marry everyone? I doubt anyone has a sensical answer for this - it just doesn't exist.
To borrow some words from Mama Rose, "Just give them a big strong finish, and they'll forgive you for anything!" That's immediately what popped into my head after this show. For, despite how bored I was during certain parts of this show - and despite how irritating much of the show within is, the ending is quite moving. Slight spoiler, so don't read on if you don't like that sort of thing. When Martin sat on the airplaine and the Chaperone handed him the record that he uses so often to escape his blues - and the airplane takes off with only Martin sitting on the wing (with the rest of the cast knowingly smiling at him from below), it was strangely and interestingly moving. It was a great moment - the best moment in the entire show. So, of course Rose was right. Send the audience out on a good note, and all else is forgotten. Well, of course when you think about it - it's not correct - but leaving the show with a good feeling is certainly a plus.
Of course, all of us have our own Drowsy Chaperone - a musical we listen to over and over to escape the brutalness of the real world - and that makes the audience immediately sympathize and care for The Man in the Chair (Martin).
While it's thrilling to see an entirely original musical on Broadway - one with actual heart (and a fantastic leading male performance), it is deeply flawed and could really use some work. I don't think this show will last very long, unless of course the reviews are raves - which I highly doubt they will be.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
