Peter Bartlett Joins the Cast of "The Drowsy Chaperone"

Broadway's Tony Award® winning smash hit musical THE DROWSY CHAPERONE welcomes Peter Bartlett to the cast on Tuesday, January 16th at the Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway). Bartlett will take over the role of "Underling" from original cast member Edward Hibbert, who is currently in rehearsals to appear in the upcoming new Kander & Ebb musical Curtains.

Bartlett most recently appeared on Broadway in the Lincoln Center Theater production of Stephen Sondheim's musical The Frogs and has also been featured in the musicals Never Gonna Dance and Beauty in the Beast on Broadway and the City Center Encores! staging of Call Me Madam. His off-Broadway credits include the Paul Rudnick plays Jeffrey, Mr. Charles, Currently of Palm Beach; Rude Entertainment and The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, for which he received a Drama Desk nomination.

The most celebrated musical of last season and the recipient of thirteen major awards, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE received the most 2006 Tony Awards® of any musical -five in total, including Best Book and Best Score, seven Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, four Outer Critic's Circle Awards including Outstanding Score and the Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE toasted the New Year with its best week ever and a new house record at the Marquis Theatre, grossing $1,381,179. for nine performances for the week ending December 31st, 2006. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE recouped its initial investment on Broadway in just thirty weeks and less than seven months following opening to critical acclaim at the Marquis Theatre on May 1, 2006. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE paid back its $8 million capitalization during the week ending November 26, 2006 following 272 performances (240 regular performances and 32 previews).

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is directed and choreographed by Tony Award® nominee Casey Nicholaw (Spamalot), with music and lyrics by Tony Award® winners Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and a book by Tony Award® winners Bob Martin and Don McKellar.

To chase his blues away, a modern day musical theatre addict known simply as "Man in Chair" drops the needle on his favorite LP – the 1928 musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone. From the crackle of his hi-fi, the uproariously funny musical magically bursts to life on stage. Man in Chair's infectious love of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE speaks to anyone who has ever been transported by the theater.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is produced by Kevin McCollum, Roy Miller, Boyett Ostar, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag and Jill Furman.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE plays Tuesday – Saturday at 8:00 p.m. with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m