If you’re looking for a light-hearted, irresistible comedy that’s fast-paced and funny, look no further than “The Drowsy Chaperone” at the Coronado Playhouse. It’s a little nostalgic, very playful, and always silly, in all the best ways. If that doesn’t make for a good show, I’m not sure what does.
Billed as a “wildly inventive” and “joyfully self-aware” musical comedy, “The Drowsy Chaperone” is a Tony Award-winning production that blends Jazz Age glamour with sharp comedic wit.
Audiences are in for a treat from the moment the character known as the “man in the chair” invites us into his modest apartment. With the help of his turntable, this self-proclaimed theatre buff takes us on a tour of his favorite musical, all while offering clever commentary ranging from bodacious backstories to newfangled observations.
As the record spins, guests are transported into a musical packed with tap-dancing, acrobatics, and rollerskating, bursting with performances from a starlet bride, a toothpaste-snorting groom, a conspiring producer, a winsome butler, and even gangsters…disguised as caterers. (You biscotti be kidding me!)
Standouts include the best man, who wows with spunky singing and dancing, and the drowsy chaperone herself, who becomes entangled in a case of mistaken identity with a hilariously capricious Casanova.
And it’s hard not to relate to the “man in the chair,” who oscillates from joy and glee to a sadness-tinged sarcasm. But when it’s all said and done, the musical will shine for anyone who’s found comfort, beauty, and escape through the arts.
“The show is a love letter to anyone who has ever found solace in theatre; reminding us all that even in our most ordinary or isolating moments, storytelling has the power to transport, connect, and heal,” according to the production’s news release.
The Coronado Playhouse theatre itself is an untraditional space, with casual tables of four filling most of the room, instead of rows and rows of seats. It makes for an inviting, more intimate setting perfect for being welcomed into someone’s living room. And in case you were wondering, the Coronado Playhouse is the oldest arts organization in Coronado, the oldest community theatre in San Diego County, and according to the Los Angeles Times, the longest continuously running playhouse on the West Coast.
“The Drowsy Chaperone” will be performed at Coronado Playhouse (1835 Strand Way,
Coronado) April 10 – May 10, Friday and Saturday at 7 pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm.
Tickets available at CoronadoPlayhouse.org.
