The Drowsy Chaperone

In our efforts to pack as much theater into our lives as possible (!), we went to see "The Drowsy Chaperone" at Jesuit High School on Sunday. I'd never heard of this play. Local news station KATU calls it "probably the best little musical you've never heard of."

Jesuit's plays are always absolutely top notch--the costumes, sets, production values, and talent are truly astounding for a high school production. At $10/person, this is high-value theater!!

The play is billed as a "musical within a comedy" and has won five Tony awards. When I read the plot on Wikipedia, I wasn't too sure whether I would like it...but our whole family enjoyed it, including Nicholas. (Chris pronounced it to be the best play he'd seen yet at Jesuit.)

The narrator, a quirky musical theater lover, puts his favorite album on the turntable and begins explaining the play to the audience. The play is a 1928 musical about a Broadway star who plans to give up her life on the stage to get married and features a full cast of her fiance, the best man, her producer, her "drowsy" (tipsy) chaperone, a Latin lover, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, and an aviatrix (with full airplane, which comes down from the rafters!).

We enjoyed seeing some familiar faces from other Jesuit shows (including the daughter of some old friends from Precious Beginnings and NICU days). Upon reading the program, Kieran recognized the name of one of the actors, who was "Worm" in "Diary of a Worm, a Spider, and a Fly." How on earth he recognized that name is beyond me!


The play runs through March 6 and tickets can be bought here. I heartily recommend it!

The next play on the docket is "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" at Portland Center Stage.