Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Drowsy Chaperone: This Musical Delivers!

I just did a quick brain-rack to see if I could pull a dusty memory out of my mental attic of a time when I laughed so hard during a musical. Though it was a quick skimming of my memories and not a cerebral spring cleaning, I doubt that any more time would have come up with any instance. The Drowsy Chaperone, currently on the main stage at Boulder's Dinner Theater, was witty, creative, and all-around entertaining.

It calls itself a "musical within a comedy" which makes sense in that it is a play within a play, but I think a more appropirate description would be a comedy within a comedy, as both plot lines were gut-bustingly hilarious. Many of the jokes bordered on offensive, but in a way that did not cross the line, and therefore worked wonderously. I mean, who doesn't love a good joke about Mormons? Or about cocaine in toothpaste? I guess you have to see it for that second one to make sense. The way that the story is structured is comedic in itself as well- the story is told from the mouth of a middle-aged man telling us about the musical The Drowsy Chaperone and he is occasionally interrupted by things like his phone ringing or the power going out. This method allows for constant creative humor and gives the audience something refreshingly different than what they expect from a theater experience.

The characters were vivid and charming thanks to a stunning cast composed primarily of Boulder Dinner Theater regulars. Among the many players contributing to the story are gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a melodramatic and alcoholic chaperone, a dumb blonde, and Adolpho. Never before has a character in a musical been so fantastically portrayed in my eyes as Adolpho, the stereotypical European womanizer who is instructed to seduce the female lead and prevent her wedding. Seth Caikowski got the character down pat, using a thick accent and clumsy movements that truly emphasized this hilarous role. My favorite scene hands-down was Adolpho's number with the drowsy chaperone. I would see it again just to watch that scene.

Though majorly unheard of, this musical is sure to please everyone as it is engaging and fun, not too long, and with lighthearted and catchy tunes. Bring your friends and your family, as long as they are old enough to hear jokes about cocaine and pornography- I promise that this musical will not disappoint!

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