Stumble On In: The Drowsy Chaperone is a Toast-Worthy Treat at Burlington County Footlighters
by Piper Byrne
We all have one. It’s the cast album we put on after a long day, the overture that makes us sit up a little straighter, the show we know every beat of and still can’t stop loving. For me, it’s Guys and Dolls. For the Man in Chair, it’s a long-forgotten 1928 musical comedy called The Drowsy Chaperone. And at Burlington County Footlighters, he invites all of us into his apartment to love it right along with him.
The Drowsy Chaperone, with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, is a big-hearted valentine to musical theatre. In his Director’s Note, Edwin Howard calls it a joyous homage full of comic tropes and absurd situations. He also calls it the story of a man who leans on his love of musicals to get through everyday life. Howard’s approach is that the show-within-the-show plays out exactly the way the Man in Chair imagines it, and that choice gives the whole evening its warmth. It’s a reminder, as Howard puts it, that sometimes it’s okay to “Stumble Along” through life.
The Man drops the needle on his treasured record, and the Tottendale estate comes roaring to life. Broadway star, Janet Van De Graaf, is giving up the stage to marry oil heir Robert Martin. Her producer, Feldzieg, is desperate to stop the wedding, a pair of gangsters disguised as pastry chefs are leaning on him to do it, a self-proclaimed Latin lover is hired to sabotage it, and Janet’s perpetually tipsy chaperone is supposed to be keeping an eye on everything. It’s silly, it’s sweet, and it’s an absolute blast.
Howard’s biggest win is the concept itself. Staging the show-within-the-show exactly as the Man in Chair imagines it gives every gag, dance break, and over-the-top entrance a reason to be over the top. These are characters seen through the eyes of their biggest fan. Howard balances the Man’s quiet, funny asides with the bigger-than-life world of 1928 musical comedy, and the handoffs between the two feel seamless. He also makes incredible use of the space. The clever curtain pull-downs turn the Man’s kitchen into a “stage,” letting the apartment and the musical live side by side. The result is a production that stays playful from start to finish without ever losing sight of its heart. Howard’s strong casting deserves credit too: there isn’t a weak link on the stage.
At the center of it all, Tim Herman’s Man in Chair is simply phenomenal. Herman has some of the most perfect comedic delivery I have ever heard and seen. Every aside, pause, and wistful sigh lands exactly where it should, and Herman makes the character’s loneliness just as real as his joy. Caroline Quattro (Janet Van De Graaff) is a dazzling leading lady with all the star wattage the role demands. Tim Catrino (Robert Martin) is the perfect person for this role, and the tap dancing in “Cold Feets” with Andrew Donachie (George) is a delight. Mark Rebilas’ Aldolpho is another of the production’s strongest performances, playing every ridiculous ounce of the character for maximum laughs. Kaitlyn Delengowski (The Chaperone) brings a wonderfully woozy charm to “As We Stumble Along,” and Dana Masterman Weiss (Trix the Aviatrix) has a beautiful voice that soars in the show’s final moments.
The supporting cast is full of comedic gems. Theresa Perri (Mrs. Tottendale) is delightfully daffy as the forgetful hostess, and Al Krier (Underling) is the perfect dry, long-suffering counterpart. Together they make “Love is Always Lovely” a charming highlight. Rick Williams (Feldzieg) brings fantastic, scheming energy as the producer desperate to stop the wedding, and Kayleigh La Grutta (Kitty) steals scene after scene as the chorus girl angling for her big break. Alex Davis-Dell’Olio and Kori Rife (Pastry Chef/Gangsters) are an absolute hoot in their disguises, landing every pun with perfect timing. They were definitely one of my favorite parts and always got me giggling. Gina Petti (Superintendent) adds a great final touch to the Man in Chair’s world.
The ensemble of Shelley Bromberg, Evan Long, Lexi Mignogna, Shannon Rizzo, and Jocelyn Williams brings bright energy and big smiles to every number, filling the Tottendale Estate with life. Kudos as well to the understudies, Jocelyn Williams, Lexi Mignogna, and Gina Petti for being ready to step in at a moment’s notice.
Brenda Kelly Bacon’s choreography is packed with fun. A few of the pattern changes in “Toledo Surprise” could use some tightening, but the number never loses its energy or its laughs. Music Director Peg Smith has the company sounding great, and once a few early mic hiccups settled, the balance between the music and the voices was excellent.
Jim Frazer’s set makes incredible use of the space. I especially loved how curtain pull-downs transform the Man’s kitchen into a “stage,” a clever detail that captures the whole concept of the show. Lighting by Frazer and Heidi Kleber keeps the stage bright and clear. A few more shifts in color and mood between the apartment and the musical-within-a-musical could add even more magic to those transitions. Kleber also handles sound design.
A big shoutout to Costumer Jackie Reinhart and Assistants Cess Driscoll and Dot Berenbrok. I loved Janet’s clothes, her wig is fabulous, and the gangsters’ pastry-chef costumes are a delightful touch. Prop Master Nanci Cope fills the world with fun details, and Intimacy Choreographer Jonathan Edmondson helps every comic romance land safely and with style.
Kudos to Stage Manager Anna Egan, Producer Alexis Romeo, Stage Crew Matt Maerten, and Light Board Operator Charlotte Dranchak for keeping the record spinning smoothly. Thanks also go to the set construction team of Jim Frazer, Larry Driscoll, Ray Rebilas, Alexis Romeo, and Bill Shaughnessy for building the Man’s world from the ground up.
By the time the record ends, the Man in Chair is alone in his apartment again, but not really. Because that’s the magic of a musical you love: it never leaves you. Burlington County Footlighters’ The Drowsy Chaperone is a love letter to every one of us who has ever been saved by a show tune.
The Drowsy Chaperone runs at Burlington County Footlighters through November 21. Get your tickets here: https://tickets.bcfootlighters.com/show/drowsy
