THEATRE
The Drowsy Chaperone 
Presented by
ZACH Theatre
at
Zach Scott Kleberg Stage
June 24-August 29, 2010
Avg. Event Rating (4.4 Stars):
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Welcome to the musical comedy with tons of laughs and the most 2006 Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway! Martin Burke stars as The Man in the Chair, a die-hard musical fan who plays his favorite cast album, a 1928 hit called "The Drowsy Chaperone," to lift his spirits. When the musical magically bursts to life in his living room, we are immediately immersed in the glamorous, hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with thrills and surprises that take the cast and the audience soaring to the rafters. You'll leave humming a happy tune long after the final bow!
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At-a-
Glance
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Venue Info
Zach Scott Kleberg Stage
ZACH’s Kleberg Stage
1421 W. Riverside Dr
Austin, TX 78704
Full map and directions
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Admission Info
Regular Ticket Info:
$20-$45
Buy Tickets
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Dates & Times
Dates:
June 24-August 29, 2010
Times:
Wed-Sat 8pm Sun 2pm
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Accessibility Info
Currently, no accessibility information is available for this event.
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Member Reviews
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Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"Very Entertaining, Not "Drowsy" At All!"
Review
posted by:
Pammyla Brooks
from Austin, Texas,
Aug 22, 2010
There are so many great things to say about the “Drowsy Chaperone” – where to start? First, the deep-red stage is very inviting. Second, Martin Burke does an excellent job of hosting the play...
Expand
There are so many great things to say about the “Drowsy Chaperone” – where to start? First, the deep-red stage is very inviting. Second, Martin Burke does an excellent job of hosting the play within the play. His opening line about sitting in the dark before a show begins, praying for a good show, resonated well with me, especially since we were still sitting in the dark! Since he is feeling “blue,” he puts on a record and the musical comes to life in his living room. I do love musicals. And this one does a fantastic job of making fun of itself at the same time that it is taking itself very seriously. How does one do that so well? It must be the ironic songs, such as a song about a dress that is hideous; the “Don’t want to show off” song where the actress cannot stop showing off; and a love song, where everyone comes out and starts dancing in Monkey suits! Be warned: Jamie Goodwin steals the show as Adolfo. The show is complete hilarious fun, and you only have one more week to see it.
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Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"Better then the NYC production!"
Review
posted by:
bas
from Cedar Park TX,
Jul 25, 2010
I don't know if it's the cast or the 'feeling' of this wonderful theater, probably both, but this is way more enjoyable then the Broadway version.
I don't know if it's the cast or the 'feeling' of this wonderful theater, probably both, but this is way more enjoyable then the Broadway version.
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"Run, don't walk to buy tickets!"
Review
posted by:
Michael Meigs Austin Live Theatre
from Austin,
Jul 04, 2010
When I got home, still bubbling from Zach's The Drowsy Chaperone, I was ready to write, "Run, don't walk, to the Zach box office to get your first set of tickets for this sparkling evening of music,...
Expand
When I got home, still bubbling from Zach's The Drowsy Chaperone, I was ready to write, "Run, don't walk, to the Zach box office to get your first set of tickets for this sparkling evening of music, comedy and light-hearted fooling, a clever reincarnation of Broadway at its wonderful beginnings."
That's hyperbole, of course. Because you don't need to run anywhere. You just tap zachtheatre.org into your browser, click a couple of times and give them your payment details.
The Drowsy Chaperone is a zinger because Lambert, Morrison, Martin and McKellar lovingly spoof those energetic, naive and amazing beginnings of what became American musical theatre, admired across the world, while giving us a contemporary moderator and chorus -- in the Greek sense. Martin Burke as the anonymous Man in the Chair hosts us for an evening alone in his apartment with LP recordings of that mythical 1928 musical.
Read full ALT.com review with pix & video at http://tinyurl.com/ALT702
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"A hilarious adventure and the appreciation of theater"
Review
posted by:
Angela Garner - A*Team
from Austin, TX,
Jun 29, 2010
A treat for both the avid theater attendee as well as the novice. Prepare to join the "Man in Chair" who share his laughs, scoffs, and tears over his favorite 1920's play. There is a certain fondness...
Expand
A treat for both the avid theater attendee as well as the novice. Prepare to join the "Man in Chair" who share his laughs, scoffs, and tears over his favorite 1920's play. There is a certain fondness for theater that can be felt among the audience both in comfort of appreciating the more exciting sides to watching a play as well as criticizing the more boorish acts or potentially frustrating audience situations. Over the top antics, hysterical dance numbers, and witty narration serve to rekindle our love of the stage; from the lengths we will go to watch and the risks we will take to settle in our seats unsure of what to expect. This performance filled with an undeniably talented cast is not to be missed!
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"Love Musicals? Run, Don't Walk to the Zach!"
Review
posted by:
Preston Kirk
from Spicewood (Austin) TX, USA,
Jun 29, 2010
"Over the top" is an understatement for "Drowsy Chaperone," but a reflection of the Jazz Age and 1920s musicals can be nothing less than glitzy, glamorous, fun and as usual, frantic. And I love a good...
Expand
"Over the top" is an understatement for "Drowsy Chaperone," but a reflection of the Jazz Age and 1920s musicals can be nothing less than glitzy, glamorous, fun and as usual, frantic. And I love a good "spit-take" . . . spit-take . . .SPIT-TAKE!
Nick Demos, a director with "history" on this show, says it best: TDC is "a love letter to the world of musicals."
Indeed, it is joyful and infectious, with an ensemble cast tighter than a lug nut on a racecar. Martin Burke plays the "gay" card with a tad too much panache, or certainly enough to make a homophobe squirm. But you'll fall in love with Jill Blackwood's stage star Janet, and Jamie Goodwin's lusty homme fatale Adolpho. Meredith McCall, arguably one of Austin's best regional actresses, has a veritable showcase here. Ian Scott as Underling the butler/servant has dead-on comic timing. No talent is wasted;solid performances throughout. The music (too loud),lighting, costumes and proximity of audience and actors are terrific! Go now!
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"Silly, Campy Fun!"
Review
posted by:
Ronda Dale Kirk
from Spicewood (Austin) TX, USA,
Jun 29, 2010
It's easy to see why this show won so many Tony Awards in 2006. Anyone who enjoys musicals can relate to the "man in the chair" narrator who is thrilled to guide the audience through one of his...
Expand
It's easy to see why this show won so many Tony Awards in 2006. Anyone who enjoys musicals can relate to the "man in the chair" narrator who is thrilled to guide the audience through one of his favorite shows. He gives opinions, fills you in on the cast and their back stories as he listens to the score on his phonograph. (Well, it IS a 1928 musical.)
The musical, right there in his living room is the dream of most theatre-goers, just stop and answer the phone, get a snack, go to the bathroom by lifting the needle and freezing the live action. Well, isn't it?
The choreography, cast and costume are outstanding. I totally enjoyed the dancing of Robin Lewis, who also choreographed the show. Austin really has a lot of brilliant local talent . . . and its on display here.
I highly recommend this uproariously funny, clever, brilliantly performed production.
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
""Drowsy" is Anything BUT!"
Review
posted by:
Xaq Webb
from Austin, TX,
Jun 28, 2010
The Drowsy Chaperone is a hilarious modern
musical comedy in which an assumedly confirmed
bachelor (Martin Burke, The Santaland Diaries)
gleefully plays for the audience an LP of his favorite
(but...
Expand
The Drowsy Chaperone is a hilarious modern
musical comedy in which an assumedly confirmed
bachelor (Martin Burke, The Santaland Diaries)
gleefully plays for the audience an LP of his favorite
(but never personally seen) 1928 musical by the
same name. His dreams of what the musical might
have looked like fill his living room with a love story
about a beleaguered actress (played by multi-
talented “show off” Jill Blackwood, Carousel) who is
set to marry her betrothed, despite a frivolous
miscommunication and her meddling Broadway
producer’s best efforts to sabotage the wedding.
While I am admittedly skeptical about most
musicals, this play had me laughing before the
lights even came up! The satirical, campy nature of
the show allowed for some hysterically large
characters to emerge from the tight and talented
ensemble. The drunken titular chaperone (Meredith
McCall, UrineTown) and the swarthy... ( see more at
http://nowplayingaustin.wordpress.com )
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"The Drowsy Chaperone: Boom and Bust"
Review
posted by:
Zelda Austen
from Austin, Texas, USA,
Jun 27, 2010
I know this show won several Tonys, and the technical aspects, lighting, scenery, music, and costumes were superb; all of the performers were obviously talented, especially Jill Blackwood who plays...
Expand
I know this show won several Tonys, and the technical aspects, lighting, scenery, music, and costumes were superb; all of the performers were obviously talented, especially Jill Blackwood who plays the ingenue. So I have to ascribe the failure of this performance to the director. Every number, which should have built to a crescendo, STARTED at crescendo pitch, there was no subtlety or nuance, the amplification was LOUD (unnecessary in the tiny Kleberg Stage)so what should have been a clever parody of a stereotypical 1920's musical comedy was itself a crude stereotype. The acting and singing was so broad it was stupid. Models for this sort of thing are Kander and Ebb's Chicago and Cabaret, and while this play isn't close to the cleverness of music and lyrics of the former two, it could have been fun had it not been so witless, an insult to an intelligent audience. Please, Mr. Steakley, turn down the amplification and let your actors be subtle and build, not screech, their parts.
Collapse
-
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-
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Video
|
Images
Images
-
Member
Reviews
-
Member Reviews
Add review/comment
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"Very Entertaining, Not "Drowsy" At All!"
Review
posted by:
Pammyla Brooks
from Austin, Texas,
Aug 22, 2010
There are so many great things to say about the “Drowsy Chaperone” – where to start? First, the deep-red stage is very inviting. Second, Martin Burke does an excellent job of hosting the play...
Expand
There are so many great things to say about the “Drowsy Chaperone” – where to start? First, the deep-red stage is very inviting. Second, Martin Burke does an excellent job of hosting the play within the play. His opening line about sitting in the dark before a show begins, praying for a good show, resonated well with me, especially since we were still sitting in the dark! Since he is feeling “blue,” he puts on a record and the musical comes to life in his living room. I do love musicals. And this one does a fantastic job of making fun of itself at the same time that it is taking itself very seriously. How does one do that so well? It must be the ironic songs, such as a song about a dress that is hideous; the “Don’t want to show off” song where the actress cannot stop showing off; and a love song, where everyone comes out and starts dancing in Monkey suits! Be warned: Jamie Goodwin steals the show as Adolfo. The show is complete hilarious fun, and you only have one more week to see it.
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"Better then the NYC production!"
Review
posted by:
bas
from Cedar Park TX,
Jul 25, 2010
I don't know if it's the cast or the 'feeling' of this wonderful theater, probably both, but this is way more enjoyable then the Broadway version.
I don't know if it's the cast or the 'feeling' of this wonderful theater, probably both, but this is way more enjoyable then the Broadway version.
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"Run, don't walk to buy tickets!"
Review
posted by:
Michael Meigs Austin Live Theatre
from Austin,
Jul 04, 2010
When I got home, still bubbling from Zach's The Drowsy Chaperone, I was ready to write, "Run, don't walk, to the Zach box office to get your first set of tickets for this sparkling evening of music,...
Expand
When I got home, still bubbling from Zach's The Drowsy Chaperone, I was ready to write, "Run, don't walk, to the Zach box office to get your first set of tickets for this sparkling evening of music, comedy and light-hearted fooling, a clever reincarnation of Broadway at its wonderful beginnings."
That's hyperbole, of course. Because you don't need to run anywhere. You just tap zachtheatre.org into your browser, click a couple of times and give them your payment details.
The Drowsy Chaperone is a zinger because Lambert, Morrison, Martin and McKellar lovingly spoof those energetic, naive and amazing beginnings of what became American musical theatre, admired across the world, while giving us a contemporary moderator and chorus -- in the Greek sense. Martin Burke as the anonymous Man in the Chair hosts us for an evening alone in his apartment with LP recordings of that mythical 1928 musical.
Read full ALT.com review with pix & video at http://tinyurl.com/ALT702
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"A hilarious adventure and the appreciation of theater"
Review
posted by:
Angela Garner - A*Team
from Austin, TX,
Jun 29, 2010
A treat for both the avid theater attendee as well as the novice. Prepare to join the "Man in Chair" who share his laughs, scoffs, and tears over his favorite 1920's play. There is a certain fondness...
Expand
A treat for both the avid theater attendee as well as the novice. Prepare to join the "Man in Chair" who share his laughs, scoffs, and tears over his favorite 1920's play. There is a certain fondness for theater that can be felt among the audience both in comfort of appreciating the more exciting sides to watching a play as well as criticizing the more boorish acts or potentially frustrating audience situations. Over the top antics, hysterical dance numbers, and witty narration serve to rekindle our love of the stage; from the lengths we will go to watch and the risks we will take to settle in our seats unsure of what to expect. This performance filled with an undeniably talented cast is not to be missed!
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"Love Musicals? Run, Don't Walk to the Zach!"
Review
posted by:
Preston Kirk
from Spicewood (Austin) TX, USA,
Jun 29, 2010
"Over the top" is an understatement for "Drowsy Chaperone," but a reflection of the Jazz Age and 1920s musicals can be nothing less than glitzy, glamorous, fun and as usual, frantic. And I love a good...
Expand
"Over the top" is an understatement for "Drowsy Chaperone," but a reflection of the Jazz Age and 1920s musicals can be nothing less than glitzy, glamorous, fun and as usual, frantic. And I love a good "spit-take" . . . spit-take . . .SPIT-TAKE!
Nick Demos, a director with "history" on this show, says it best: TDC is "a love letter to the world of musicals."
Indeed, it is joyful and infectious, with an ensemble cast tighter than a lug nut on a racecar. Martin Burke plays the "gay" card with a tad too much panache, or certainly enough to make a homophobe squirm. But you'll fall in love with Jill Blackwood's stage star Janet, and Jamie Goodwin's lusty homme fatale Adolpho. Meredith McCall, arguably one of Austin's best regional actresses, has a veritable showcase here. Ian Scott as Underling the butler/servant has dead-on comic timing. No talent is wasted;solid performances throughout. The music (too loud),lighting, costumes and proximity of audience and actors are terrific! Go now!
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"Silly, Campy Fun!"
Review
posted by:
Ronda Dale Kirk
from Spicewood (Austin) TX, USA,
Jun 29, 2010
It's easy to see why this show won so many Tony Awards in 2006. Anyone who enjoys musicals can relate to the "man in the chair" narrator who is thrilled to guide the audience through one of his...
Expand
It's easy to see why this show won so many Tony Awards in 2006. Anyone who enjoys musicals can relate to the "man in the chair" narrator who is thrilled to guide the audience through one of his favorite shows. He gives opinions, fills you in on the cast and their back stories as he listens to the score on his phonograph. (Well, it IS a 1928 musical.)
The musical, right there in his living room is the dream of most theatre-goers, just stop and answer the phone, get a snack, go to the bathroom by lifting the needle and freezing the live action. Well, isn't it?
The choreography, cast and costume are outstanding. I totally enjoyed the dancing of Robin Lewis, who also choreographed the show. Austin really has a lot of brilliant local talent . . . and its on display here.
I highly recommend this uproariously funny, clever, brilliantly performed production.
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
""Drowsy" is Anything BUT!"
Review
posted by:
Xaq Webb
from Austin, TX,
Jun 28, 2010
The Drowsy Chaperone is a hilarious modern
musical comedy in which an assumedly confirmed
bachelor (Martin Burke, The Santaland Diaries)
gleefully plays for the audience an LP of his favorite
(but...
Expand
The Drowsy Chaperone is a hilarious modern
musical comedy in which an assumedly confirmed
bachelor (Martin Burke, The Santaland Diaries)
gleefully plays for the audience an LP of his favorite
(but never personally seen) 1928 musical by the
same name. His dreams of what the musical might
have looked like fill his living room with a love story
about a beleaguered actress (played by multi-
talented “show off” Jill Blackwood, Carousel) who is
set to marry her betrothed, despite a frivolous
miscommunication and her meddling Broadway
producer’s best efforts to sabotage the wedding.
While I am admittedly skeptical about most
musicals, this play had me laughing before the
lights even came up! The satirical, campy nature of
the show allowed for some hysterically large
characters to emerge from the tight and talented
ensemble. The drunken titular chaperone (Meredith
McCall, UrineTown) and the swarthy... ( see more at
http://nowplayingaustin.wordpress.com )
Collapse
-
Event Name: The Drowsy Chaperone
"The Drowsy Chaperone: Boom and Bust"
Review
posted by:
Zelda Austen
from Austin, Texas, USA,
Jun 27, 2010
I know this show won several Tonys, and the technical aspects, lighting, scenery, music, and costumes were superb; all of the performers were obviously talented, especially Jill Blackwood who plays...
Expand
I know this show won several Tonys, and the technical aspects, lighting, scenery, music, and costumes were superb; all of the performers were obviously talented, especially Jill Blackwood who plays the ingenue. So I have to ascribe the failure of this performance to the director. Every number, which should have built to a crescendo, STARTED at crescendo pitch, there was no subtlety or nuance, the amplification was LOUD (unnecessary in the tiny Kleberg Stage)so what should have been a clever parody of a stereotypical 1920's musical comedy was itself a crude stereotype. The acting and singing was so broad it was stupid. Models for this sort of thing are Kander and Ebb's Chicago and Cabaret, and while this play isn't close to the cleverness of music and lyrics of the former two, it could have been fun had it not been so witless, an insult to an intelligent audience. Please, Mr. Steakley, turn down the amplification and let your actors be subtle and build, not screech, their parts.
Collapse
-
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