The Drowsy Chaperone at Eli and Edythe Broad Stage

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE Brings Hi-Jinx and Hilarity to Musical Theatre Guild’s 2024-2025 Season of Award-Winning Music!

A man in a chair appears on stage to share his favorite record album: the cast recording of a fictitious 1928 musical, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. The recording unaccountably comes to life, and the cast invades the stage as the Man in Chair watches, comments, and offers inside information about the show.  Musical Theatre Guild, a Southern California theatre institution that has distinguished itself by focusing on the story, script, and music of lesser-known musicals, presents THE DROWSY CHAPERONE for one night only – Sunday, March 23rd, 2025, 7:00 PM – at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA. Tickets are available at musicaltheatreguild.com.

The zany minds behind THE DROWSY CHAPERONE – composers/lyricists Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, and book writers Bob Martin and Don McKellar – have crafted a valentine to musicals past, viewed with a contemporary perspective and a wild, wacky comic zest.  With two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not-so-bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan, and an intoxicated chaperone, you have the ingredients for an evening of madcap delight. The winner of five 2006 Tony® Awards – including Best Music & Lyrics and Best Book, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is both a wild musical farce and a sentimental reflection about the role of music and theatre in our lives.

Musical Theatre Guild provides a unique perspective on musicals, focusing their concert productions on the material, presenting the music and stories as simply as possible, performed by some of the finest musical theatre performers in the area - which makes the company uniquely positioned to bring this challenging musical to life.  “Musical Theatre Guild has always been about getting to the core of the material - telling the story and presenting the music, in order to show what’s special about the work,” says Melissa Lyons Caldretti, Guild member who serves as the show’s Production Coordinator. “We do it script-in-hand, stripping away production elements so that the audience can really get a sense of the shows themselves. With THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, we have a show that features a variety of comic styles and a winning musical score that charms audiences.” Adds Lyons Caldretti, “Our talented Guild members love sinking their teeth into comedy roles, and they can’t wait to put this show in front of our audience.”

The cast of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE includes Guild members Michael Kostroff (Man in Chair), Ashley Moniz (Janet), Matthew Patrick Davis (Robert), Diane Vincent (Drowsy), Trance Thompson (Aldolpho), Kevin Symons (Feldzieg), Jasmine Ejan (Kitty), Joshua Finkel (George), Will Collyer and Leslie Stevens (Gangsters), Barbara Carlton Heart (Mrs. Tottendale), Robert Yacko (Underling), Domonique Paton (Trix) and Gabriel Navarro (The Super). This talented company will come together for a 25-hour rehearsal period to bring to life Broadway’s forgotten gems, lesser-known shows, and musicals rarely performed in the community.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE will be directed by Lewis Wilkenfeld, with Musical Direction by Brad Ellis and Musical Staging by Heather Castillo, Guild veterans all.  Leesa Freed serves as the Production Manager.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE will perform at the beautiful Eli and Edythe Broad Stage, part of the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, in Santa Monica. The venue is a modern, state-of-the-art theatre, with plentiful free parking right outside the theatre. 

Musical Theatre Guild will once again partner with Tectonic Coffee, which will provide coffee and goodies for purchase before the show and at intermission.  Co-owned by Guild member Chelsea Morgan Stock and located in West Hollywood, Tectonic Coffee uses direct trade and long-standing partnerships to ensure that every bean is ethically sourced and meticulously selected for its flavor. They pay above fair-trade prices, guaranteeing sustainable relationships with their growers. Audience members who arrive early can share an upscale coffee experience with their friends.

In addition to its productions, Musical Theatre Guild is committed to inspiring and developing the next generations of theatre artists and audiences. To that end, the Guild’s Youth Outreach Programs will continue, expanding into the Westside community, bringing local high school students to the live theatre performances, as well as offering mentorship to theatre students who shadow theatre professionals behind the scenes of the productions. As a non-profit organization, Musical Theatre Guild relies on donations and community support, and will soon announce other performance and fundraising events for the 2024-2025 season, to complement the mainstage season.

Let the Man in Chair be your guide to a comically romantic, irreverent, and delightful musical journey.  THE DROWSY CHAPERONE concludes Musical Theatre Guild’s 2024-2025 season of award-winning music on March 23rd, and musical theatre will never look quite the same again. 

 THE DROWSY CHAPERONE performs on Sunday, March 23rd, 2025 at 7:00 PM, at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, Eli and Edythe Broad Stage, located at 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica, CA. Ticket prices range from $39-$69. Ticket information is available online at www.musicaltheatreguild.com. Both productions will feature ASL access for deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons. Student Rush and Actors’ Equity member discounts will be available at the box office on show day with appropriate ID. Additional productions and performance events will take place throughout the year.  Go to www.musicaltheatreguild.com to learn more, and to sign up for the Guild’s email list.

Your ticket purchase and donation help Musical Theatre Guild to continue producing the rarely seen Broadway works you love to see year after year.

Musical Theatre Guild is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership company of theatre professionals, devoted to preserving the unique American art form of musical theatre by presenting seldom-seen musicals in a staged reading concert format. MTG’s Youth Outreach Program takes specially prepared live performances into Southern California schools, brings hundreds of local high school students to live theatre performances and offers mentorships to theatre students who shadow our professionals behind the scenes of mainstage productions. All Musical Theatre Guild mainstage productions are signed for deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons.

Authors

• Bob Martin
• Don McKellar
• Greg Morrison
• Lisa Lambert

Tony Awards and Nominations for The Drowsy Chaperone