Wheaton Drama Launches Season with 'The Drowsy Chaperone'

 Wheaton Drama launches its 2010-2011 season tonight, Sept. 17, with an uproariously funny musical, The Drowsy Chaperone.

The Drowsy Chaperone is a comedic spoof of Jazz Age musicals. The show takes place in the apartment of an agoraphobic New Yorker who also happens to be a Broadway fanatic. As the apartment owner listens to a 1928 fictional recording of The Drowsy Chaperone, the performance comes to life in his apartment.

In 2006 The Drowsy Chaperone debuted on Broadway and won the Tony Award for best book and best score. Following the North American tour of the Broadway production, the rights to the show were opened up to community theater productions. When the play became available Wheaton Drama snatched it up. Wheaton Drama's performance of The Drowsy Chaperone will be the first by a community theater company in Illinois.

"We wanted this play for several reasons," said play director Craig Gustafson. "First, it's hysterically funny and second, not everyone has seen this play. It's something new for community theater."

"All of the characters are typical stereotypes of the '20s," Gustafson said. "There are gangsters; there are showgirls; there are bimbos; there's a dim-witted hero and all the other stock comic characters from the 1920s."

There are 17 members of the cast who have rehearsed for eight weeks, four nights a week. The majority of the cast commutes from towns outside Wheaton. Gustafson, a Lombard resident, has been directing plays in the Chicago area for 24 years. Gustafson last's directorial experience for Wheaton Drama was the 2009-2010 season ending run of Chicago. He said he was pleased to be asked back to direct for Wheaton Drama so soon.

"It's unusual to direct two straight years, let alone in back-to-back musicals. I love it," he said.

He said people are drawn from all over suburban Chicago to participate in Wheaton Drama productions. He said the strength of performances such as Chicago gives people a desire to try out for a community theater production.

When Wheaton Drama put out a casting call for The Drowsy Chaperone, he said they had actors showing up from the northern-most parts of the area. Gustafson said actors have a desire to perform, considering the commutes some make to perform in an unpaid role.

While the actors are not professionals, the response from the community has been overwhelming, he said. During the run of Chicago last season, Gustafson said 95 percent of the performances were sold out.

Gustafson said the musical has been fun to work on and he's pleased with the performances his cast is giving him.

"It looks like it's a deceptively simple show, but it's really not. It's a difficult performance because of the dancing and harmonies," Gustafson said.

In particular, Gustafson cited the performance by Andrew Dameron, who plays Robert Martin. Dameron's character has to tap dance. However, Gustafson said Dameron had no tap-dancing experience.

"He's done a remarkable job. The actors I'm working with are so dedicated and they are rising to the demands of the show," Gustafson said.

The Drowsy Chaperone will run for four weekends at Wheaton Drama, 111 N. Hale St. Tickets range from $18 - $21.

"If you love any anything-goes style and things that are so stupid they're funny, then this show is for you," Gustafson said.

Wheaton Drama's next show is a performance of Little Women. Auditions begin Sept. 19.