Feature: THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at Urbandale Community Theatre

Being involved in theatre takes both the audience and those on stage and backstage on a journey with each show. With each show, the journey is different. The best journeys are when the show leaves a little something with you that you carry with you for the rest of your life. One show has taken me on what so far has been a 17-year journey. That show is "The Drowsy Chaperone."

From the time I fell in love with theatre as a kid, I dreamed of someday being able to go to New York. Growing up, I lived that fantasy of going and seeing a Broadway show through the Tony Awards and numbers from shows being done on daily talk shows. 

When I went to college, I got a step closer when I started seeing shows at the Civic Center in Des Moines. I was talking with a friend in A Capella Choir with me, who was surprised I hadn't seen a show at the Civic Center. That fall in 2004, we went to Desmoin to see my first show there was "Thoroughly Modern Mille." While I didn't see the original cast, I remember watching the Tony Awards that year and seeing Sutton Foster earn her first Tony Award. What I didn't know what that being part of the Central College A Capella Choir would make that dream come true. I still remember the day I learned our yearly tour would stop in New York City.

When planning for the trip, I knew one thing: while in NYC, I had to see a Broadway show. There were a few shows that we could go to that anyone who wanted to attend could afford. The show we went to was "The Drowsy Chaperone," which was just opening on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre. I knew a couple of things going into the show, it was a new show, so we could get cheaper tickets, and it featured a Tony-winning performer in one of the roles. That Tony-winning performer was Sutton Foster as Jane Roberts/Janet Van De Graff. A fun little tidbit, I would later get to see her twice in concert and in two more Broadway shows, including her Tony-winning performance in "Anything Goes" and another Tony-nominated performance as Marian Paroo in "The Music Man."

Sitting in the theatre, watching the show, I quickly became aware that the main character shared something with me. He had a love for musicals and could tell you everything he knew about a show. He was obsessed with a musical he had never seen, something I could relate to at the time. The other thing he loved was sitting and relaxing while listening to his favorite albums, another thing I could relate to. After seeing the show, I knew I needed to play that role. I didn't know when, but I knew it needed to happen someday.

There isn't much with the show that happened in the next few years, so let's skip ahead to the summer of 2011. I was talking with a teacher who was looking for a musical to do with her students. As she told me about her students, it quickly became apparent that there was a show that would be perfect for them. That show was "The Drowsy Chaperone." So I started talking about the show with her, and a few months later, after she had perused the script, her students began working on the show. It was such a thrill for me to be able to go and see her students put on the show. It was the first time seeing it since I saw it on Broadway. After a few people from the theatre I was participating in at the time went to see the production, it quickly became the show we would do the following summer. Would this be my chance to take on that role I had been dreaming about?

I did everything I could to prepare for the audition. Do I remember what song I sang at that audition? No, but I remember reading for Man in Chair, the role I had dreamed about. Waiting to find out if I had been cast seemed like an eternity. When the phone rang, I found out I got the role of George, the best man. Was I disappointed I didn't get the role I had hoped for and dreamed of? Yes, but overall, I was excited to be part of this show I had seen and fallen in love with. The Man in Chair for the production did a fantastic job in the role.

The journey with the show takes another short break in the summer of 2022, what I like to call the summer of dreams. Not only did I help backstage on another dream show, but I also got to go back to NYC after a 9-year wait. My friends and I stayed at the same hotel the Marquis Theatre was in. While there, we saw "Beetlejuice: The Musical" at the Marquis Theatre. The same theatre I had attended my first show. I didn't know then that Urbandale Community Theatre was about to announce in the next few months that their summer 2023 show would be "The Drowsy Chaperone."

The next few months were spent talking with people who had done shows with Urbandale Community Theatre about their experience. After speaking with them, I made the decision that I would audition for the show. As I waited for auditions, I switched audition songs 5 times before settling on the song I did at auditions. As soon as auditions were over, doubt started setting in. That doubt continued through callbacks. That night after callbacks, I got the call that I had been dreaming of for 17 years, asking if I would play the Man in Chair. I told a few friends, but it took seeing the cast list online before it started sinking in.  

As this production of "The Drowsy Chaperone" nears its opening date, it seems the right time to reflect on my journey with this show. Each chapter has brought its own flare. The one thing that remains consistent is that those who see "The Drowsy Chaperone" or are in the show leave with an appreciation for the show. I hope audiences will find the joy I did with this show and will leave with a little something to carry with them back into the real world. Performances of "The Drowsy Chaperone start on July 21 and runs through July 30. To support the fantastic production team, cast members, crew, and live orchestra I've had the honor to spend my summer with, visit the link below.

Find tickets from Urbandale Community Theatre (midwestix.com)

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