'The Drowsy Chaperone' Stumbles Off Broadway 12/30/07

The five-time Tony Award winning hit musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone will play its final performance on Broadway at The Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway) on Sunday evening, December 30, 2007 at 7PM following 674 performances and 32 previews.

Producer Kevin McCollum said "The show was pure joy and we were a hit. To have had both the artistic and financial success realized is the miracle of The Drowsy Chaperone."

Producer Roy Miller said "We are grateful to everyone who took a chance on this completely original musical. To begin as a wedding gift 10 years ago and then emerge an award-winning Broadway hit is a tribute to our authors, creative team, cast, and the audiences who embraced The Drowsy Chaperone."

Following a celebrated U.S. premiere engagement in 2005 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, The Drowsy Chaperone began previews on Broadway on April 3, 2006 and opened to critical acclaim on May 1, 2006 at the Marquis Theatre.

The sleeper hit became the most celebrated musical of the 2006 season and garnered thirteen major awards, thirteen Tony Award nominations and the most Tonys of any musical - five in total, including Best Book and Best Score. The Drowsy Chaperone was also honored with 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 recouped its initial investment on Broadway in only thirty weeks and in less than seven months, paying back its $8 million capitalization during the week ending November 26, 2006.

The U.S. national tour of The Drowsy Chaperone debuted in Toronto in September with a homecoming to the city where the show was born as a wedding gift to its Tony Award winning creator Bob Martin. The tour next plays Ft Lauderdale, Florida's Broward Center for the Performing Arts from January 1 through January 13, 2008 and will play over 30 cities across the country including Tampa, Atlanta, Naples, Orlando, Raleigh, Hartford, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, St. Paul, Boston, Providence, Greenville, Houston, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Francisco

The Drowsy Chaperone currently stars Bob Saget ("Full House," NBC's "1 vs. 100"),  Peter Bartlett, Tony Award nominee Danny Burstein, Mara Davi, Troy Britton Johnson, Garth Kravits, Jason Kravits, Tony Award winner Beth Leavel, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Jennifer Smith, Gerry Vichi, Patrick Wetzel, Cindy Williams ("Laverne & Shirley"), Linda Gabler, Dale Hensley, Joey Sorge, Joanna Young, Jay Douglas, Stacia Fernandez, Mamie Parris and Kilty Reidy.

To chase his blues away, a modern day musical theatre addict known simply as "Man in Chair" (Saget) drops the needle on his favorite cast album – the 1928 musical comedy "The Drowsy Chaperone." From the crackle of his hi-fi, the uproariously funny musical magically bursts to life on stage. We are instantly immersed in the hilarious tale of a glamorous bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with thrills and surprises that take both the cast (literally) and the audience (metaphorically) soaring into the heavens. 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 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. The Drowsy Chaperone is produced by Kevin McCollum, Roy Miller, Boyett Ostar, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag and Jill Furman.

The Drowsy Chaperone plays Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. with matinees on Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

The Drowsy Chaperone will play the following HOLIDAY SCHEDULE: Wednesday - Saturday at 8 p.m., matinees at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday & 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and Sunday evening, December 30 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets prices range from $26.25 - $111.25 (including $1.25 facility fee) and are available through Ticketmaster (212-307-4100), online at www.ticketmaster.com or in person at The Marquis Theatre box office (1535 Broadway).