Pennsylvania Playhouses revival of "The Drowsy Chaperone" is a delightful musical confection. Theres lots to love in this joyful musical which continues through June 18 at the playhouse, 390 Illicks Mill Road, Bethlehem.
Brian Houp is irresistible as the Man in Chair, the droll narrator who breaks the fourth wall as he invites the audience to chase away the blues by listening to his favorite record of a fictitious 1928 musical. The Man in Chair is the heart of the show as he gives a playful running commentary on the on-stage actions in this funny and enchanting homage to musical theater.
The plot of the show within the show has a bride who is giving up the stage to marry a man she has just met.
Grace Nyberg is terrific as the glamorous would-be bride and knocks it out of the park with "Show Off" in which she belts and continually changes outfits as she insists she is ready to give up performing. She is also sweet in her scenes with her smitten groom-to-be (an endearing Evan Heger), particularly the charming "Accident Waiting To Happen," which features Heger roller skating blind-folded!
Trish Kane Steele is a hoot as the perpetually tipsy Drowsy Chaperone and delivers a great "As We Stumble Along."
Andrew Maldonado mines the laughs as Aldolpho the overconfident self-proclaimed Latin lover. He is lots of fun in "I am Aldolpho" as he seduces the chaperone (or does she seduce him')
Elizabeth Marsh-Gilkeson is delicately ditzy as hostess Mrs. Tottendale and leads on the enjoyable "Love Is Always Lovely in the End" with her stalwart employee Underling (a stoic Matt Redline).
Providing the conflict is the brides erstwhile producer, his wannabe star girlfriend and two gangsters posing as pastry chefs. Zoli Heft and Daniel VanArsdale provide plenty of food puns as the gangsters while Sean McFarland is a desperate Feldzieg, and Lana Brucker is memorable as the dumb-like-a-fox Kitty. The four are fun in the goofy "Toledo Surprise."
costume changes
The entire cast displays impressive comic timing as the record the Man in the Chair is playing skips and at another point his electric goes out. In one scene, he replays one section of the record several times to decipher what one character says, causing the entire cast to repeatedly repeat the scene. Its all quite clever and very funny. Director John Corl deftly paces the show, hitting all the jokes.
A bold voiced Catina Gordon arrives late in the show as Trix the Aviatrix to save the day in "I Do, I Do in the Sky."
The choreography by Jenn Lagenseipen is crisp, particularly the well-done tap sequence by Heger and Nate Rosario as jittery best man George in "Cold Feets."
The playhouse stage has been transformed by set designer Brett Oliveira into the Man's somewhat shabby apartment with his armchair and an old-fashioned record player on the side. Then the refrigerator becomes the doorway for the wedding guests to enter the apartment. The airplane is simple but effective.
The costumes by Todd Burkel are lovely and numerous.
Tickets are $25 for adults; $22 for seniors and $15 for students. The June 16 performance will be "pay what you can."
Performances are 7:30 p.m. June 9, 10, 16 and 17; and 6 p.m. June 11and 18.
For information, call 610-865-6665, or go to www.paplayhouse.org.