The 1920s was the Golden Age of Broadway. Musicals introduced American audiences to songwriters and composers that are stil considered master of American pop music: Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Richard Rogers, Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II and Cole Porter. Yet the style of the musical was only nominally dependent upon the plot. The musical comedy had evolved to showcase various performers who just got up and performed the act or characterization that they specialized in. You didn't really ask the Marx Brothers to be anything else but themselves. The same could be said for W.C. Field, Fanny Brice and Fred Astaire (who was dancing with this sister Adele).
The plot of the musical is well-worn: A theatrical star (Sutton Foster) is giving up the stage to marry a handsome and rich young man (Troy Britton Johnson) after a brief courtship. His best man, George (Eddie Korbich), well-practiced at this role. The star's producer (Lenny Wolpe) with a chorus girl hoping to take the star billing (Jennifer Smith) has some to thwart the marriage. Two gangsters (Jason and Garth Kravits) are there to help, representing backers of his shows. They encourage the stereotypical Latin lover, Aldolpho (Danny Burstein) to seduce the star. In a case of mistaken, Aldopho seduces the eponyous drowsy chaperone (Beth Leavel). There's also the ditzy, senile Mrs. Tottendale (Georgia Engel) and her butler (Edward Hibbert).
A lot of the comedy comes from the side bits. Our narrator tells us that the star is played by a rising young actress while the chaperone is played by an established actress. When the meta-play continues we see the chaperone continually attempting to upstage our ingenue.
This production, under the direction and choreography of Casey Nicholaw, moves swiftly and remains as light and airy as French pastry. This musical won't make you think, it doesn't make a statement. It's more like a sweet valetine to the musicals of yesteryear. It only means to entertain and make you laugh--two things this production does quite successfully.
For ticket information, go to www.taperahmanson.com
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