Summer doldrums got you down? Looking for some indoor fun to beat the heat? Sunset Playhouse has just the solution with its very entertaining production of The Drowsy Chaperone.
Set in the Prohibition era, this new musical is a delightful romantic romp. An onstage narrator takes the audience through the double-disc album of a show, which comes to life in his living room. The titular Drowsy Chaperone must watch over her ward prior to the actual nuptials, but her love of “ice water” (read: vodka) more than makes her drowsy and inattentive, to say the least.
The musical numbers are charming, the staging all the more impressive given the talented 20-member ensemble, which dances with fine precision thanks to Reginald Kurschner's choreography. Director Tommy Lueck deserves much credit for making this show great fun. And the cast is a delight from start to finish. As the narrator—the Man in the Chair—Ben George is perfectly cast. He keeps the audience engaged with his dry wit and natural onstage presence while love finds its way home for a number of couples.
And just in case you're wondering—yes, there's plenty of air conditioning.
The Drowsy Chaperone runs through Aug. 7 at Sunset Playhouse, 800 Elm Grove Rd., Elm Grove. For more information, call the Sunset Playhouse box office, 262-782-4430, or visit www.sunsetplayhouse.com.
