Customer Reviews

The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

Each season for the past few years seems to have had a "little musical that could." A few seasons back, it was Urinetown. Two years ago it was Avenue Q. Last year it was Spelling Bee. This season, it's the oddly titled The Drowsy Chaperone.

Well, The Drowsy Chaperone is an unqualified joy. If you haven't heard of it, it basically starts with an aging theater queen who invites the audience to listen to one of his favorite musicals from the 1920s. He puts the record (yes, the record) on the turntable and the musical comes to life in his stuffy little NYC apartment. The musical, of course, is fictitious, but the ensuing hilarity is not.

Much of the fun comes from the aforementioned theater queen, known only as "man in the chair." His comments and asides are priceless. But there's also much fun to be had in the performances by the wonderful cast, led by Tony winner Sutton Foster. It's really unfair to single any one out, because the cast is uniformly hysterical. And just seeing Georgia Engle ("Georgette" from The Mary Tyler Moore Show) on stage is a treat in itself.

The show reminds me a lot of Urinetown, although they couldn't be more dissimilar in subject and tone. The big parallel is that, as with the staff of Urinetown, the creative team on The Drowsy Chaperone are all on the same page. Everything is of a piece: the book, the songs, the choreography, the set, the costumes, etc. They all have the same affectionate edge to them, and that's really what makes the show work.

Go see The Drowsy Chaperone. It's terrific.

Recently, when my choir went to New York to sing at Carnegie Hall as part of a larger group, we unfortunately got our schedule too late to get tickets for some of the "big shows" out there, (Spamalot, Phantom, and Beauty and the Beast to be exact.) Imagine the wonderful surprise when I found out that we would be going to see a relatively new show entitled "The Drowsy Chaperone". After researching the show I further loved that it was a spoof of 20's musicals as told by a theatre fanatic by the name of Man in Chair, who really does steal the show with his asides.(Anyone remember his explanation of aviatrixes?) Then I finally got to see the show, and can't remember the last time I have been so entertained at the theatre. The songs, the actors, the set, all came together for an amazing show, and I was up on my feet applauding by the end.

Now the album is definetely not for everyone. 20's music is not exactly the most popular, and unfortunatly, anyone who doesn't get the joke will undoubtedly thing the lyrics are the inane ravings of an idiot. Anyone who opens their mind will realize that the score really does have its charms.

As for the songs, I find myself bouncing along with all of them, and although I have my personal favorites, Show Off, As We Stumble Along, and I Do, I Do In the Sky, I gladly give every song in this show a relisten just to relieve that zany moment in the show.

One last thing that I do notice about this show, is that it really seems to pull for small, unkown musicals. The Man in Chair is very dismissive of certain composers..."Elton John...must we continue this charade?"...and as the one other real person in this musical, an electrician for the MiC's apartment complex, rattles off a list of current big musicals such as Cats, Phantom, and Les Mis, the MiC seems to really not care to hear about them. It's surprising that he doesn't take a potshot at Andrew Lloyd Webber (whose latest show on B-way, Lady in White, was actually playing in the Marquis Theatre, the theatre that currently houses Drowsy, before it...closed...)
I think the Man in Chair would be most happy if we stopped drooling over the blockbusters, and took some time to find the pleasure in the smaller shows...maybe we could find something that could surprise us.

This CD is amazing if you have seen the show. I am not going to say this is the best score to come around in years, but it is enjoyable and fairly fun to listen to, but like most recordings, it is much better in context.

Not to say that the CD isn't good. A lot of just fun, hillarious (especially if you have seen the show) songs.

"The Drowsy Chaperone," about a man who listens to a musical about a wedding from the 1920s, is not necessarily the most exciting thing to hit Broadway--but it is very good. The songs are both great parodies of the typical traps of Broadway and good, catchy songs within themselves. Supposedly styled after 1920s music, they are melodic and fun to listen to.

In the cast, Sutton Foster stands out with her stunning, soaring voice. Georgia Engel's old woman "Mrs. Tottendale" is a hilarious addition, though she doesn't appear often.

No tracks really stand out--this is more of a CD where the whole thing is very good, but no one thing really great. There are no let downs, though. Highlights are "Show Off" (7), "As We Stumble Along" (9), "Love is Always Lovely In the End" (17) & "I Do, I Do in the Sky" (19). The CD also contains interspersed dialogue and two fabulous bonus tracks at the end--even better than some of the songs on the rest of the CD.

The people who don't like this musical obviously have bad tastes in either jukebox musicals or musicals with unoriginal stories. I was looking forward to seeing this musical the moment that I first heard about it on Playbill.com. Don't get me wrong, I like the cast album of Jersey Boys, but it is still a jukebox musical. Which is why I prefer musicals with ORIGINALITY, PEOPLE!!! The songs are very catchy and the cast is excellently cast. So just ignore the one-star reviews. This album rules and I hope the show wins the Tony.

Just fun. I must admit something though; I saw the Broadway musical first (hilarious, by the way) and the soundtrack doesn't completely do the show justice. The dancing is just as important as the music in some of the songs. The "Toledo Surprise" bit when the record in the show skips is HILARIOUS in person (the dancing makes it seem a little epileptic), and even though it's still fun in the soundtrack, it just doesn't have the same "umph."

But still, "Brides Lament" is one of the funniest songs I've ever heard. "Monkey monkey monkey..."

Excellent soundtrack. You'll find yourself humming a lot of these tunes, especially with showstopping numbers such as "Show Off," "As We Stumble Along," and "Toledo Surprise." Buy it now! You won't regret it.

If you had the chance to see this show, then when you listen to this recording you will be doing the same thing as "Man in Chair": reliving the show. From the opening prayer (not heard on the recording-unfortunately) until the end, you can relive every hilarious moment of the show. Everyone who has ever put in a recording of ANY broadway show and acted out scenes or relived the performance in their mind will be able to understand the brilliance of the show. Perhaps those who have given negative reviews of this recording have not seen the show, or don't understand the point. It's a musical for those who love musicals. My best advice, try to see the show. I was lucky enough to win the lottery draw and was able to see the show in the front row. Even if i had sat way in back, it would still make me laugh. Bottom line, Go see it, and then you will "get" the recording more

I had the pleasure of seeing the show in May and went in with a completely blank slate and no idea what was in store for me. I was completely floored by the show and found myself laughing straight through the entire production. On stage, Bob Martin's turn as "Man in Chair" steals the show from everyone around him. However, while some of his dialogue is included, this is a show that must be seen to be completely appreciated. The songs, while strong alone, are made complete when viewed on stage. If you are buying this recording, I would recommend catching the show in NY or on the forthcoming tour to complete the experience.

I think that people that are giving this score one or two stars might now be understanding what they are listening to. This is a very fun and witty look back at the musicals of the 1920s. So the songs are going to have that feel, and not advance the plot as they never did in that time. The Man In The Chair is a riot, and his shortened intros to the songs helps. This is one of the few Broadway recordings that I can put on and not have to skip a track or jump around. It is just a smile a mile CD with really hum able tunes. It harkens back to the time when shows made you feel good, and not examine the depths of a tortured soul.

This is a wonderful delightful show. It is a "must-see" when you are in NYC or another in which it is playing, and the cd is a delight ---- a faithful recording of a bouncy, bubbly score. Treat yourself and listen to this great cd. Every vocal track is a gem and the cast is superb! Broadway at its current best!