"The Drowsy Chaperone" Is a Vaudeville Extravaganza with a Modernist Flair

The Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club’s production of  “The Drowsy Chaperone,” set to run April 25 to May 4, is a vaudeville extravaganza with a modernist flair. A show-within-a-show, the musical focuses on the ensuing escapades before the wedding of diva Janet van de Graaf (Tess V. Davison ’16)—all accompanied by commentary from the mysterious narrator Man in Chair (Andy J. Boyd ’14).

The musical’s set-up allows the cast and crew to create a fun but intelligent production. “It has a good mix of post-modern ‘knowingness’ and old musical fun,” Boyd says. Rather than shying away from the more escapist elements of slapstick comedy, the production aims to highlight the ridiculous aspects of this particular style of humor with a cynical tinge. Morgan E. Henry ’14, who plays the titular The Drowsy Chaperone, agrees that the format allows the audience to enjoy Golden Age musicals while remaining critical of its more saccharine tendencies. “It’s good for theater cynics and theater lovers,” she says.

Striking a balance between humor and introspection can be a challenge, especially for a script with heavy doses of unabashed absurdity. Director Allen J. MacLeod ’14 plans to maintain the script’s character by not straying too far from the material; though he says the Harvard production will be unique, this is more a result of the people who are involved rather than of any sweeping change to the narrative. “I’m trying to make [the production] very genuine both with the narrator’s perspective on things and the scene themselves, so you could see why [the show is] endearing to the [Man in Chair],” MacLeod says.

The show’s vibrancy is maintained in part through its large dance sequences and tap numbers. According to Davison, “The Drowsy Chaperone” is one of the few Harvard productions to focus so heavily on choreography that embraces the physicality and technique of the dancers, including one piece where Davison does splits and cartwheels.

With an appreciation of the hilarious source material, the cast and crew hope to produce a show that will leave the audience laughing and enjoying it as much as they themselves do. “[Sometimes] something catches me by surprise in rehearsal,  and I just laugh for a minute straight,” MacLeod says. “That’s when you know you have something special.”