As we entered the Livingston High School auditorium last Thursday night, my colleague and I were transported to a lonely man’s apartment, only to be further transported to a 1928 wedding estate. Such is the setting of “The Drowsy Chaperone.”
“The Drowsy Chaperone” begins with Man in Chair (played in the LHS production by Calvin Coakley) as he wanders throughout his dark apartment, listening to an old cast recording of one of his favorite shows, the fictional “Drowsy Chaperone.” As he listens, he imagines the world of the play coming alive, and it does, right before our eyes. The apartment set is transformed into the estate of a grand wedding. He often pauses the vinyl record (complete with the actors freezing in place on stage) to deliver background information about the play’s history, as well as anecdotes and jokes about musical theater.
The musical within the play follows betrothed couple Robert and Janet (played byAditya Mirchandani and Zoe Dee Lento) during their wedding weekend. Robert is joined by his best man, George (played by Matti Stitelman), while Janet is accompanied by the titular Chaperone (played by Gabi Elchoness). The cast also includes two gangsters posing as chefs (played by Jacob Bagolie and Jules Goldstein), an Italian playboy (played by Michael Mintz), the underling (played by Angelo Tsounakis), and Broadway producer Feldzeig (played by Ben Alstadter). As the hijinks and mishaps ensue, the wedding goes haywire, with unexpected couplings, absurdly comedic moments, and songs that poke fun at different elements of the theater.
As I walked out of the auditorium after curtain call, two of the performers really stuck with me. Zoe Dee Lento and Gabi Elchoness both impressed me with their vocal abilities. To me, they seemed to be on an equal playing field with some professional Broadway actors. I would not be at all surprised if one or both of them makes it in the world of professional theater.
The tap dancing duo of Matti Stitelman and Aditya Mirchandani also added a breath of fresh air to the show. I wasn’t expecting such strong dancing, and was totally shocked with how good their “Cold Feet” number was. The whole auditorium erupted with applause as they concluded their number.
In addition to the singing and dancing, the technical elements at play in The Drowsy Chaperone” truly wowed me. Towards the end of the second act, a giant plane flew from the back of the theater and crashed on stage, a far cry from the budget-cut-driven theater of my high school! I can’t help but be in awe of the behind the scenes work at play in the LHS Theater Department. Technical director Brian Megaro and director Scott Patteson deserve considerable praise for their abilities to flawlessly manage so many moving parts to yield this story.
Like all LHS productions, credit needs to be given to the various departments working behind the scenes. Mike Jedwabnik, Daniel King, and Jim Hegedus did a great job with all the music. All the dance numbers, as well as the general stage direction, were choreographed wonderfully byAmanda Bigelow.All the (Continued from Page A-4) costumes, advised by Barbara Geiger and Alyssa LaMedica, felt period appropriate and added to the 1920s feeling of the show-within-a-show.
Coakley’s performance as Man in Chair was awe-inspiring. The play opens and ends with him, and other than a few brief moments, he is on stage for the entire show. In addition to that, he has long monologues and expository information to deliver to the audience, andhe did so flawlessly. Additionally, Coakley was able to add a palpable sense of loss after a lifetime of regrets to his character. It was his earnest but sad reflections that led me to label the show as a farcical musical set within a semidepressing play. The supporting cast and ensemble were all very believable, and I feel this bodes well for the future of LHS theater department. As some Lancers graduate, the theater will be in good hands as these supporting actors begin rising in the ranks to the main roles. I can’t wait to see their growth in next year’s musical!
