Broadway in Orange County
Broadway in Orange County

Tesoro’s “The Drowsy Chaperone” Leaves you Feeling Anything But

Date:

DSC_0402Tesoro High School opened their spring musical The Drowsy Chaperone, directed by Theatre teacher Cheryl Des Palmes last week to great success. The 2006 broadway musical is a comical and witty parody of the 1920s musical. The show runs April 20-22 and 27-29.

 

The Drowsy Chaperone is not your typical theatre experience…well, actually it is… let me explain:

 

Written as an homage to early musical comedy, the story is presented to us by our narrator, an eccentric theatre geek known as Man in Chair, who guides us through a playing of his favorite musical concerning one Drowsy Chaperone and the hilarity that ensues around her. As we listen to the overture play, the lights come up and we see a real production of the fictitious 1928 musical unfold right in his apartment. “This musical is packed full of every gimmick, bit, cliche, and gag from musical theatre’s golden age,” Director Des Palmes writes, “It’s a love note that gives thanks to theatre’s way of transporting us into another world, a better world, a world where it all works out in the end and love is always restored.”

 

 

Eve DeVault, Matt Davis-Morris

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The plot of The Drowsy Chaperone itself is not a complicated one, as explained by the Man in Chair who frequently stops the record to give his personal commentary about the show and sometimes just personal commentary. It’s a story of love in jeopardy, gangsters, latin lovers, and spit takes. The mix of contemporary humor and classic vaudeville theatre is new and refreshing.

 

Matt Davis-Morris’ portrayal of Man in Chair kept audiences engaged and laughing. In a musical with larger than life characters, Davis-Morris gave theatre goers a real and relatable character to connect to. Effortlessly weaving in and out of dialogue about the musical and his personal life, we develop a connection with the Man in Chair and are left wondering whose story we are really listening to.

 

Tristan Zadravecz, Julia Pacific

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Eve DeVault amazed as Janet Van De Graaff. She showed impressive vocal and dance abilities in numbers such as “Show Off” and Bride’s Lament”. DeVault’s exaggerated performance fit the character of the over the top broadway star perfectly. Her frequent scene partner, Megan Kerrigan, also provided an outstanding and hilarious portrayal of the title character The Drowsy Chaperone. She held her own in comedy and talent in numbers such as “As We Stumble Along”, a rousing and morally questionable ballad.

 

Michal Bogucki and Carson Preusse played the parts of Robert Martin and his friend George. Both expressed clear vocal power and presence, Bogucki as the absent-minded but lovable fiance and Preusse as the worried best man. Their duo tap number “Cold Feets” amazed and entertained.

 

Twin Gangsters Britain Hope and Michael Kline kept the audience in stitches with their comedic timing and food based wordplay. As gangsters posing as pastry chefs sent to make sure Janet stays in show business, the two lanky actors played with verbal and physical comedy to kept audiences entertained.

 

Alexander Trevisan shined as the character of Adolpho, a hilarious stereotype of the 1920s Spanish lover character. Trevisan swirled and danced his way expertly through his title song “I Am Adolpho” and kept the audience laughing with every sung and spoken line.

 

Alexander Trevisan, Nick Garabedian

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Duo Nick Garabedian and Chelsea McCormick charmed in the roles of desperate and panicked director Mr. Feldzieg and ditzy chorus girl Kitty.  Watching the show, we assume somehow Kitty is going to pull off something big, but the Man in Chair says that she’s just as dumb as she seems…McCormick does play this up and her talent shines through as her character helps pull things together towards the end.

 

Tristan Zadravecz is appropriately stiff and hilarious in his role as The Underling, a majordomo type character, who on stage is paired with Julia Pacific, who is also hilarious as the widowed matriarch of the Tottendale family, seemingly suffering from bouts of senility.
The Drowsy Chaperone is a personal favorite of mine and I think everyone should see Tesoro’s production while they have the chance!

Tickets can be purchased online (https://search.seatyourself.biz/webstore/webstore.html?domain=tesorohighschool&date=2015-11-18&event=)  or at the door.

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*photography by Joy Lee

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