Manatee Players glories of musical theater with ‘Drowsy Chaperone’
Rodd Dyer has starred in a lot of shows at the Manatee Players over the years and he thought he might get to take it a little easier with the leading role of Man in Chair in “The Drowsy Chaperone.”
After all, the character name gives a clue to what he does. He’s a nameless man who talks to the audience from a comfy arm chair while he shares the joy of one of his favorite musical comedies.
Everybody else has to learn all the songs and dances, but Dyer gets to mostly sit and talk. It has turned out to be more challenging than he expected.
“I’m usually in big musicals doing a song, learning a dance routine, but this one I get a little break, but I have to know all this dialogue,” Dyer said. “It appears to be innocent enough, but when you really look at the script, this thing is not as easy as it looks.”
As the host and narrator, Man in Chair introduces the audience to his love of musical theater and particularly to the fictional 1928 musical “The Drowsy Chaperone.” He shares tidbits about the actors and the roles they’re playing and how the songs were created to highlight their specific talents and types.
And as the record plays, the show comes to life right inside his living room, with big production numbers seeming to pop out of the walls.
The musical within the musical begins on the day of the wedding between oil tycoon Robert Martin (played by Todd Colbert) and Broadway star Janet Van De Graaff (Sarah Yonko), who plans to give up her career. Her producer, Feldzieg (James Thaggard), wants to change her mind, and there are some gangsters (disguised as pastry chefs) who are hired by an investor who are on hand to make sure Janet will star in Feldzieg's next show.
The wedding is being held at the estate of the slightly daffy Mrs. Tottendale (Ellen Kleinschmidt), who is kept in check by her butler, Underling (Mark Eichorn). Also along are Coral Furtado as the drunken chaperone who is tasked with keeping Janet away from Robert until the wedding; Brittney Klepper as a chorus girl with dreams of stardom; Dale “DJ” Schuett as Adolpho, who is hired by the producer to seduce Janet and break up the wedding; Joe Eckstein as the best man and Danielle Snelling as Trix, an aviatrix.
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Cory Boyas is directing and choreographing the production.
The score by Lisa Lambert and Greg Marrison (set to a book by Bob Martin and Dan McKellar) is filled with numbers that recall the style of the 1920s.
“I like that it’s set in the 20s,” Dyer said. “I like the campy vaudeville-style shows and that’s what this is, very vaudeville, like slapstick humor. I like to call it brain-dead humor, because it’s just silly and funny and you don’t have to think hard about it.”
Dyer said he can relate to the character, who speaks directly to the audience throughout the show.
“I live alone, so it’s easy for me to relate to this character. You don’t have anybody to talk to, so you talk to the audience,” he said.
‘The Drowsy Chaperone’
Book by Bog Martin and Don McKellar, music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. Directed by Cory Boyas. Runs Oct. 26-Nov. 5, Manatee Performing Arts Center Stone Hall, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton. $38. 941-748-5875; manateeperformingartscenter.com
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee Players books a wedding for musical ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’
