Theatre: The Drowsy Chaperone
My last full night in New York I caught the Drowsy Chaperone. It isn't so much as a musical but more a comedy monologue full of knowing jokes about the state of modern theatre, which just happens to have old-style musical numbers peppered throughout it. How it does this is by getting a single man in a cardigan who happens to like show tunes play an old record that he has from a long forgotten musical called "The Drowsy Chaperone". Then it comes to life and he gives a running commentary on the proceedings full of such knowing things as one actor "died after taking an overdose and was discovered half-eaten by his poodles"… Trust me it was hilarious…
The show has become a hot ticket in New York. It is probably because if you weren't into vampire musicals or crap songs by Phil Collins (oops that's a tautology) there isn't much out there. It is also a comedy and that helps. Also the cast is terrific and inject life into a show which otherwise probably shouldn't be there.
A particular standout in the cast is Sutton Foster. She is fantastic (and rather flexible) in her show stopping number "Show Off". The number goes on, and on and on but it was the best thing in the show so it was quite enjoyable.
Unfortunately the rest of the music was awful (with the exception of the "Show Off" number) would have to be an understatement. I was hoping it would be like Foster's other musical turn "Thoroughly Modern Millie" but alas no. Standing in the back row which several rows of Southern women all in varying shades of green dresses with shoulder pads (I hear there was a reunion show of Dynasty on US television but this was ridiculous) a decent tune would have made the experience more enjoyable. But alas it didn't happen.
And finally on the subject of a narrator and comic who sits in a flat in his cardigan and slippers playing old show tunes… Was I the only one slightly disturbed by this scenario? Well one expects it to win all the Tony's next week so I guess I am a lone voice here…
One other thing, the theatre was the Marquis Theatre in New York (part of the Marriott Hotel chain). It is a large theatre in amongst the concrete pylons built in the early eighties. Apparently it has very comfy seats but I can't comment on that bit. But it was such a hideous building that it is worth mentioning (it is even sent up in this show). Parts of Manhattan are full of awful architecture from the last 30 years. It made sense that Sydney is doubling for New York in films now…
The show has become a hot ticket in New York. It is probably because if you weren't into vampire musicals or crap songs by Phil Collins (oops that's a tautology) there isn't much out there. It is also a comedy and that helps. Also the cast is terrific and inject life into a show which otherwise probably shouldn't be there.
A particular standout in the cast is Sutton Foster. She is fantastic (and rather flexible) in her show stopping number "Show Off". The number goes on, and on and on but it was the best thing in the show so it was quite enjoyable.
Unfortunately the rest of the music was awful (with the exception of the "Show Off" number) would have to be an understatement. I was hoping it would be like Foster's other musical turn "Thoroughly Modern Millie" but alas no. Standing in the back row which several rows of Southern women all in varying shades of green dresses with shoulder pads (I hear there was a reunion show of Dynasty on US television but this was ridiculous) a decent tune would have made the experience more enjoyable. But alas it didn't happen.
And finally on the subject of a narrator and comic who sits in a flat in his cardigan and slippers playing old show tunes… Was I the only one slightly disturbed by this scenario? Well one expects it to win all the Tony's next week so I guess I am a lone voice here…
One other thing, the theatre was the Marquis Theatre in New York (part of the Marriott Hotel chain). It is a large theatre in amongst the concrete pylons built in the early eighties. Apparently it has very comfy seats but I can't comment on that bit. But it was such a hideous building that it is worth mentioning (it is even sent up in this show). Parts of Manhattan are full of awful architecture from the last 30 years. It made sense that Sydney is doubling for New York in films now…
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