New Drowsy Cast Members!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 11:53pm

I had the chance to see Drowsy again tonight (love that lotto!), and I was really impressed with the new cast members (it was my 6th time).

John Glover has a slightly different take on Man in Chair, but it's really good. I was a little hesitant about him at first, but by the end of "Fancy Dress" he had me in the palm of his hand. He was great at the stage door and was happy to hear that someone who'd seen both Bob and Jonathan still liked his take on things. Apparently Jonathan was there in a box tonight...I didn't see him though.

Janine LaManna was really good as Janet. No, she's not Sutton, but she brought her own charm to the role and I really enjoyed her. I see her only getting better and better as she goes along. She did come out the stage door, but as she had her baby girl with her and it was chilly, no one asked her to sign. She did say hi to everyone though.

And JoAnne Worley as Mrs. Tottendale is wonderful!! Again, it's her take on the character and some things have been changed slightly to take differences in size and stuff into account. My friend was cold, so we didn't wait for her to come out.

The others were great. Beth, of course, stole the show for me. I'll have to either send her or go back so I can take her a card one of the children I teach made for her. (I've got my Christmas BCEFA picture with her on my desk at school and one of the girls in my class looks at it all the time and made her a card.) I told Beth I'd forgotten it but would mail it or bring it the next time I go and she was really touched. I think it's adorable the little girl decided on her own to make a card for someone she's never met. :) I teach Special Ed.

Overall it's still a great, fun show. I think I will end up surprising my parents with tickets when they're in town (comedy for a Sunday matinee after a Saturday night of the intensity of The Year of Magical Thinking should be good) ~ though the idea of seeing it from anywhere but the front row gives me the willies since I've ONLY seen it via the lotto. But I know they like the music as I took the cast recording home at Christmas, so I think I'll make the "sacrifice". :)

[mint0621]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:14am

thanks for the review! Lovely to hear that Jonathan was at the show...I wish I coulda been there to see him :)

Did Glover do the "$20 bill donation" for the Broadway cares donation speech like Jonathan did?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:51am

I'm glad to hear that the show is in tip top shape with the new cast members!

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:56am

Yay, glad to hear that about Janine.

I personally feel she is more of a triple threat than Sutton. So I definitely think she will grow into role a lot more! Love her.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:59am

thanks. i can't wait to see JoAnne Worley...i may go next week!

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 1:04am

I think Worley may be a little bit more in-your-face in the role (in a good way) than Engel. Engel's voice was a little soft, but Worley's is so IN-YOUR-FACE and SO LOUD that even animals go "Who the heck are you?"

I would really like to see it!

[courtnyj]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 1:51am

I really want to see this show again! It'll be....interesting with the new cast. I saw the original cast seven times. I hope I can adjust.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 2:05am

I want to see it with Janine and Mara Davi. Very interested in seeing their take on the role!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 6:43am

Mint: Yes, he did. He was so cute...apparently someone else has done it at the other shows this week because he was like "This is my first time to do this! It's so exciting!"

I really want to see it again because there were so many new faces, I couldn't watch them AND man in chair at the places I usually switch. So I need to go again and focus on him more the next time. :)

Oh, one thing that was really funny... John apparently does NOT like Power Bars. He made a face with every bite. I wanted to tell him Jonathan used a Nutri-Grain bar but forgot until I was on the subway coming home.

[courtnyj]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 6:58am

Haha! "John apparently does NOT like Power Bars. He made a face with every bite."

What a funny image!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 8:05am

^^ It was hysterical. He was like choking the thing down. I felt kinda bad for him. Especially having seen Jonathan eat a Nutri-Grain (apple cinnamon actually) bar on Saturday.

Josh: I agree. Worley is definitely louder and more "in your face" than Engel was. They changed the costumes for Mrs. Tottendale ~ at least for her (don't know if for understudies they'll change them or keep them as they were) ~ to make them flashier and more...showy. I just take them as two very different takes. I don't know that one's better than the other. I think the ditz part works a little better with the more soft-spoken side, but Worley is amazing in her own right.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 8:29am

If Jonathan was able to eat a Nutri-Grain Bar, why didn't they do the same for John?

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:00am

I don't know. Maybe he didn't think to ask and hasn't said anything about it? Or maybe his take is that Man in Chair eats it but doesn't like it. :)

[mint0621]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:19am

jordangirl, did you know that $20 bill is marked? haha. i received it from jonathan crombie about a week ago...noticed that the bill had "DC 20" written on it in red ink.

i guess they need to fish it out of the donation bucket to be used for the next show.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 10:39am

Mint: I didn't! My friend asked me if it was his last night and I didn't know. I was next to the girl who got it on Saturday, but I didn't look at it. Too funny. But you're right, that's probaby why. And so they know the person doesn't go spend it on merch or something. LOL.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 5:02pm

Has anyone else seen the show since the recent cast change?

[BroadwaySinger2]

Posted: 4/23/07 at 5:11pm

Thanks for the review! It's nice to hear that the new cast is doing well -- this show seems hard to imagine with a different cast.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 7:23am

I bet Jonathan brought in his own Nutri-Grain Bars. Apple is his favorite. Someone forgot to tell John.


I wish I could see it with JoAnne. She has been my favorite since Laff-In. **sigh** It's such a long flight, do you think she will come to SF to play the part? Maybe? I better start begging now!

I flew in to see Jonathan and he was just great, as usual! My Son was sure John Glover would make a **sinister** Man in Chair! That made me laugh! I am happy he is being well received.

Drowsy is just too funny. Adding JoAnne is priceless. How does she handle that Vodka scene though? Drowsy and I say, "Oh the hell with it, just give me the Bottle!"

I think the rest of the Cast is just stellar though too! Kudos to everyone, we were laughing so hard, well, it was just shameful!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 7:35am

tkt2ride: JoAnne is wonderful. She does the vodka scene avout the same...spit takes and all. Her spit takes were larger than Georgia's though. Poor Underling was drenched. During "Love is Always Lovely", the tap dance part is gone...she has a long string of pearls and twirls them around her neck hula hoop style, and they dance a little, then she pushed the cart off-stage and Underling sits on it. I think that was the only significant action change. The costumes for her Mrs. Tottendale are flashier. I think the best way to describe it is her Mrs. Tottendale is just kinda flamboyant-crazy where Georgia was kinda...little girl-crazy. If that makes sense. Words are hard this morning. LOL.

John definitely has a different take on Man in Chair. Not quite as...how to put it...delicate (?) as Bob or even Jonathan. I'm still not sure that's the right word (as i said, worda are hard this morning). But close. John's take does I think make the scene with the Super even funnier. It almost played to me like with Bob and even Jonathan, the Super expected him to love musicals. With John, he seemed a little more surprised. If that makes any sense. He's different, but still really good.

I'm looking forward to seeing it again in a few weeks and see how they've all settled into their roles.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 8:04am

Oh thank you, you did a fine job. Glover is such a ham! So is Worley! What a combination! It sounds like the bottle is still safe for us!

Poor Underling! Would have loved to see JoAnne swinging those pearls, (note: must learn trick for next party!), they are going to need something for projectile spitters who are trying just too hard not to bust out laughing. (shakes head in woe).

I know Glover will only be in the New York showing of Drowsy. I should just download a publicity picture and send that one. It looks great! In true Hannibal Lecture fashion, I gotta say, "love the sweater, John".

Well, have fun! I'd be so broke living in New York. It finally looks like things are brightening up here in the San Francisco Bay. Our Theater has been so drab, I've been high tailin' it up to Toronto lately. Thanks New Yorkers, for finally sending us something worth watching this year, instead of your sloppy seconds!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 8:22am

Oh, I only do lottery with Drowsy. I've never seen it from anywhere BUT the front row. LOL. I know I have to go back because one of the little girls in my class made Beth a card ~ I had my pic taken with her during the Christmas BCEFA fund raiser, and it's on my desk... The little girl is always looking at it, and during choice time the other day, she made Beth a card! :) I forgot it the last time I went, so I said I'd bring it the next time. Hee!

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 8:43am

Beth is wonderful. I felt sorry for the Saturday crowd because I was trying to get them all to belt it out for us. It was wild that night. We had a whole group of High School kids too and they were having too much fun.

It is great to interest children when they are young in the Theater. My 4th grade Teacher was the best. She took us everywhere a BART train will get you from Oakland. I just fell in love with the Theater. My Aunt did some acting and I mostly acted-up in school plays (;p). I am just starting to get back into it more, now that finally, my kiddies have grown-up.

Good for you!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 8:47am

I see John walking down the street every day. He looks odd without the beard.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 4/29/07 at 9:35am

I don't know, just imagining him playing, "the Man" is funny enough for me! I bet he really holds the Audiences attention, when the music stops, huh! Poor John! Thank goodness he doesn't dare go on Tour. Of course, we can do good Man/bad Man?

I was reading one of John's interviews and with all the work he has done, it is difficult not to imagine him a Lionel. Since Jonathan played the character of "Lionel" in Slings and Arrows 2, looking very much like his character in "Drowsy" it would make at least an interesting crossword puzzle I guess?

Though, word was already buzzing that John plays it differently so, he is partly to blame for this dilemma. At least, I hope none of you regulars will be bored. When good ol' Bob takes up the seat, hopefully he won't feel too spooked by ghosts of past chair sitters. Already, it sounds like a weird Documentary in the making.
Updated On: 4/29/07 at 09:35 AM