The drowsy chaperone: Enthusiastic production ultimately misses the mark

The back-story has all the charm of a fairy tale. But, the Rural Root Theatre Company’s rendering of The Drowsy Chaperone gives no indication of awareness of its history. (A note in the program would be appreciated, as would a more coherent organization of the cast and crew bios.)

Almost 16 years ago, friends celebrated the engagement of Bob and Janet in Toronto by putting together a collection of songs, entitled The Wedding Gift.

The private event was such a success that, renamed The Drowsy Chaperone, it became a popular show at the Toronto Fringe, was then presented in a lengthened format with Bob Martin (the Bob of the engagement party) now involved, in larger houses in Toronto, courtesy of top Toronto producer David Mirvish. From here, the Canadian musical became a Tony-award winner on Broadway with numerous productions in London’s West End, Los Angeles, Australia and Japan, as well as touring across Canada. It became available for community theatre production only recently.

The names of the bride and groom in the show are constant reminders of its origins, while the intentionally slight plot combines a gentle spoof of the musicals of the 1920s with a celebration of the genre.

The good news about the RRTC production is the obvious enthusiasm and hard work that went into mounting the show, despite the patchiness of the result. Some good performances and singing voices, together with a live nine-piece band help to create the right ambience, but a lack of attention to detail periodically brings it crashing down. Such apparently minor poor visuals as a large hole in a dancer’s stocking or a ring held in place by white tape become major distractions under bright stage lights, for example. In addition, the mix of miking some singers and not using microphones for others may have been a financial consideration but it increases the unevenness among performances. While Lee Powell — a solid characterization as producer Feldzeig — can handle being unmiked, the gangsters could have sounded more menacing if their voices had been magnified, for instance.

A strong performance from Donna Balkan as the woman in the chair, describing her love of old musicals, helps to keep Drowsy on track. But, as the role was originally written for an effeminate male, the director would have been wise to cut inappropriate lines (specifically the sequence about marital status).

Casting difficulties also mean that some performers — particularly Nathan Dufresne as the aging Latin lover and Tara Smith and Judy Puritt as the gangsters — are too young or the wrong gender for their roles. (This would not have been an issue in a high school production in which all the cast would be in the same age range, and the three at least have a clear idea of characterization.)

In general, the main characters deliver the main characteristic of their slightly written roles — kudos to Lisa Maranta as the bubble-headed Kitty in particular — but they periodically appear hampered by budget and stage limitations, despite some ingenious touches in Simon Wellman’s set. Too little directorial control, too much mugging, especially from Kirsten Carroll Somoza in the title role, various awkward pauses and weak choreography add to the choppiness of a production that nevertheless has a number of punchy moments.

The Drowsy Chaperone, like many comedies, is deceptive in its apparent simplicity. A strong, even production is more than just having a go at putting on a show.

The Rural Root Theatre Company production of The Drowsy Chaperone completed its run at the Constance Bay and Buckham Bay Community Centre on May 11.

 

The Drowsy Chaperone

Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar

Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison

Rural Root Theatre Company

Director/musical director: Matthew Dufresne

Choreography: Sarah Nagy and Kenzie Tompkins

Set: Simon Wellman

Lighting: Roy Ballantine

Sound: Stewart Zeyl

Costumes: Pat Weir

Cast:

Woman in Chair: Donna Balkan

Underling: Bruce Buie

Tottendale: Karen Germundson

Robert: Stefan Kohut

George: Paul LeDuc

Feldzeig: Lee Powell

Kitty: Lisa Maranta

Gangsters: Tara Smith, Judy Puritt

Adolpho: Nathan Dufresne

Janet: Jennifer Boucher

Drowsy: Kirsten Carroll Somoza

Trix: Nicole Bureau

Super: Curtis Blair

Chorus: Norma-Jean Chapman, Ruth Knapp, Morgan O’Dell, Alicia Puritt, Mandy Sauve, Kellie Shrimpton, Tracy Trottier