Friday evening, I had the opportunity to attend the first performance of The Drowsy Chaperone play. The Drowsy Chaperone features main & supporting roles Josh Zielke as the Man in the Chair, Emma Brockman as Janet van de Graaff, Calvin Carmony as Robert Martin, Eric Ramos as Feldzieg, Grace Ramsden as the drowsy chaperone herself, Ian Frisch, and of course Charlie Jazwiecki and Brandon Balke as the two gangsters disguised as pastry chefs, as well as many more supporting actors and dancers.
Personally, I thought that this was a great show with a wonderful array of characters and musical numbers. The pit band was fantastic as well, they really contributed a lot to the show. I think that the addition of the band really helps to establish the mood and emotions that the characters are feeling to make you emphasize with them. Throughout the show, you really get to feel for the narrator, the Man in the Chair. In a play/musical, you wouldn’t necessarily expect to have the narrator be characterized in this way, let alone give any care to them at all. I think that having the narrator as an actual character with emotions really brings out the best in this play, as well as incorporating comedy into his story and the play itself.
The fact that The Drowsy Chaperone plays on the concept of theater as a satire really brings out the play’s overall comedy and its plain absurdity. The play exploring strange and stereotypical characters, and how they all interact with one another all together, and how all of their fates tie together at the end.
Today, I had the chance to interview my friend Emily Kampstra, who is part of the play as a featured dancer. My questions are denoted in bold. Emily’s responses will be in standard typeface.
What do you enjoy about performing this show?
I really enjoy the energy and individuality that every single person brings to this musical. It is just so incredibly fun I can’t even begin to explain it!
How hard was it to memorize your choreography?
I used to dance competitively so it was not very difficult for me to learn the choreography. But I did help many of the other cast members with the choreography which was very fun!
Why do you enjoy performing on stage?
I love how expressive and confident I can be on the stage. When I am up there there is no stress or judgment and the whole world seems to fall away. It is extremely rewarding when the audience is engaged and clapping or laughing. I suppose it is sort of an escape from reality and I love it!
What was, overall, the hardest part of preparing for your show?
The hardest part was learning my vocal parts. This show is so intricate and complex that some of the parts were quite tricky but after lots of hard work we were able to master it!
Do you think it is worth it to attend this play? Why?
It is absolutely worth it to attend this play! This show is so engaging and mysterious because no one really knows what it is. But once you become engrossed it is such an amazing production. Everyone involved has worked so hard on this performance and it is absolutely worth it to see it!
That concludes my interview and my review of The Drowsy Chaperone. I really don’t want to spoil it for you all. You really should see how the cast and crew of The Drowsy Chaperone‘s work has paid off. And a big thank you for Emily Kampstra for agreeing to interview me on such a short notice, big kudos to you!
There are two more chances to see The Drowsy Chaperone this Friday and Saturday at 7:00. Make sure to buy tickets on the Franklin Saber Center webpage linked here. Ticket Prices are 10$ for adults, 8$ for students, and 6$ for seniors. Online ticket sales will terminate three hours before each performance. The Box Office will be open on evenings for pre-show ticket sales. The $1.00/ticket online service charge does not apply to Box Office walk-up ticket sales.