The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast) [EXTRA TRACKS]

Sutton Foster (Artist), Bob Martin (Artist), Danny Burstein (Artist), Beth Leavel (Artist), Lisa Lambert (Composer), Greg Morrison (Composer)

Product Details

• Composer: Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison
• Audio CD (June 6, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Ghostlight
• ASIN: B000FJA9YI
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,974 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Under its enigmatic title lurks a remarkably entertaining little show. The Drowsy Chaperone is a droll Canadian import that's part homage to the musical theater, part spoof. Narrated by the unnamed Man in Chair (Bob Martin), the show basically reenacts a 1920s musical named "The Drowsy Chaperone." This allows the creative team to match an inspired collection of familiar 1920s types---the flapper (Sutton Foster), the cad (Troy Britton Johnson), the zinger-slinging diva (Beth Leavel), the Latin lothario (Danny Burstein), the zany character actors (Georgia Engel, Edward Hibbert)---with witty, well-crafted pastiches of songs of that era. Penned by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, the tunes are instantly hummable, while the ensemble cast is uniformly superb---you know the standard is high when the awesome Sutton Foster doesn't even stand out that much. Thankfully, the "meta" concept doesn't lead to arch-irony and detachment. A genuine affection for what makes musicals so fun shines throughout, making this a real keeper of an album. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drowsy Chaperone is Terrific, June 11, 2006

By	E. Chris Caggiano (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Do I Do...over and over again!, July 22, 2006

By	Julius Andrews "Isacc" (Searcy, Arkansas) - See all my reviews

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.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not complete without the show., June 17, 2006

By	Ruth Cook (Redlands, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.