BUCKINGHAM – Town and Country Players opens its 68th season with the musical comedy, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. Audiences can look forward to good belly-laughs and great music in this entertaining parody.
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE parodies 1920s American musical comedy. It was written by Bob Martin and Don McKellar with music by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison.
The show is narrated by The Man in the Chair, an agoraphobic Broadway fan, played by David Whiteman. As he listens to a rare, (fictional), 1928 musical the characters come to life in his apartment. These characters act out a comedic love story.
The plot incorporates mistaken identities and dream sequences, along with a host of stereotypical characters, including: an unflappable English butler, played by Bill Hoblin, an absent-minded dowager, played by Meg Waldowski; a Latin lothario, played by Keith Kirkner; a Broadway harried producer, played by Paul Waldowski; comic gangsters, played by Don Dillon and Greg Davis; a ditzy chorus girl, played by Colby Langweiler; a harried best man, played by Alex Klein; and the “Drowsy” Chaperone, played by Valerie Sharper. One can’t forget the star-struck lovers, Janet and Robert, played by Carly Price and Patrick West.
Those who are familiar with this popular Broadway musical know that there is an airplane on stage in the final scene. Director, Keith Soester, was excited about staging this aspect of the show. The theater-in-the-round stage at T&C along with the theater’s limited backstage forces directors to find creative and interesting staging. “Hiding an airplane on stage was something I had to think about so finding the solution was really exciting for me,” says Soester. “I think audiences will enjoy and be surprised by its big reveal.”
Producer, Sharon Rill-Soester, says, “The big reveal is a cool magic trick. It is definitely something audiences can look forward to. But they will also enjoy the music, dance and comedy of this funny show.”
Choreographer, Karen Abrams, had fun creating the jazz, tap and Charleston routines for the 17 members of this cast. The show will have moments where the stage is full of dancers.
Says Rill-Soester, “THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is a great kick-off to an exciting season.”
The show runs April 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 8:00 pm. There are matinee performances April 12 and 19 at a new time, 2:00 pm. Tickets are $20 and are available through T&C’s website, http://www.townandcountryplayers.org, or by calling 1-800-838-3006. T&C is located at 4158 York Rd in Buckingham.
Picture: (from right to left): Valerie Sharper as The Drowsy Chaperone and Meg Waldowski as Mrs Tottendale
Theater/Organization Town and Country Players
Theater/Organization Website: http://www.townandcountryplayers.org
Theater/Organization Address: 4158 York Rd Buckingham, Pennsylvania 18901 (Map It)
Theater/Organization Phone: (215) 348-7566
