Performance Network Theatre Presents THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, 11/11-12/26

Performance Network Theatre announces it's production of "The Drowsy Chaperone" with book by Bob Martin and Don McKeller and musics and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. The musical comedy, which recently received the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score, will run November 11 through December 26, 2010. "The Drowsy Chaperone" is directed by Carla Milarch (Little Shop of Horrors, The Baker's Wife, The Fantasticks) with Musical Direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis (Little Shop of Horrors, The Baker's Wife) and stars Naz Edwards, Scott Crownover, Phil Powers, Andrea Mellos, Mark Hammell, Matt Anderson, Eva Rosenwald, Linda Rabin Hammell, Brian Thibault, Lisa Lauren Smith, Charlie Sutherland, Pete Podolski and Phill Harmer.

This lollapalooza of a musical takes audiences back to the dazzling fantasy of the 1920's - when stars had charisma, Broadway had romance and audiences had the time of their lives. In this hilarious musical comedy, Janet Van de Graaf, star of "Feldzeig's Follies" wants to leave the show because she's fallen for an oil-rich lummox, so the producer hires a gigolo to woo the girl and put the kibosh on the nuptials. A flaky chorine, gangsters posing as pastry chefs, and the titular martini-swilling chaperone round out the cast. Winner of Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.

It took "The Drowsy Chaperone" a decade to evolve from a private entertainment to a Broadway success.  A completely original and unique creation, it began its colorful journey to Broadway in the back room of a Toronto club as the centerpiece entertainment of a bachelor party.  The show was a faux 40-minute musical starring characters Bob Martin and Janet Van De Graaf, created just for the fun of it for the happy couple: Bob Martin and Janet Van De Graaff, both of whom were leading lights in Toronto's Second City comedy troupe.

Lyricist Lisa Lambert and book writer Don McKellar were friends of Bob Martin since high school, and composer Greg Morrison had contributed to a hilarious TV series Martin wrote called "Slings and Arrows." Knowing the couple's love of arcane Jazz Age shows, the creators concocted their own Golden Oldie.

Following a Toronto Fringe Festival staging in which the show's narrator "Man in the Chair" was added, commercial theatre producer David Mirvish financed an expanded production at Toronto's 160-seat, non-profit Theatre Passe Muraille in 1999, with Janet Van De Graaff herself playing the bride.  Box office success and favorable notices led to a full scale version at Toronto's 1000-seat Winter Garden Theatre.

In the fall of 2004, a 45-minute presentation at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival of New Works generated so much laughter that the show ran over its allotted time frame, and had to be stopped before reaching its conclusion. Producer Roy Miller immediately secured financing partners, and got the show booked into the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, where rave reviews during its 2005 engagement led straight to Broadway.

It officially opened on May 1, 2006 where it earned uniformly rhapsodic notices ("The Best New Musical of the Season - Entrancingly clever!" - Wall Street Journal; "Ingenious!" - New York Times; "This is what it means to be Over the Moon for Musical Comedy!" - Associate Press) and earned five Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Score.

Now, Performance Network brings this revival of a show that never was to Michigan audiences, featuring an award-winning Michigan cast and crew.

Weekly performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm, with a 3pm matinee on Saturday November 27 and December 11.

Tickets can be ordered at the Performance Network Box Office at 734-663-0681, online at
www.performancenetwork.org or by coming to the Performance Network Theatre (120 East Huron St., Ann Arbor, 48104) Monday-Saturday 11-6 or one hour before a performance. Tickets are priced at $27 - $46, with discounts available for seniors, members, students, children and groups. An additional pay-what-you-can performance, with a suggested donation of $10, has been added for Friday November 12th, due to the sell out of the November 11th performance.

"The Drowsy Chaperone" features scenic and properties design by Monika Essen, Lights by Justin Lang, and costumes by Suzanne Young.

This production is generously sponsored by The Earle and Zingermans.

Founded in 1981, Performance Network Theatre has grown from a fledgling company to Ann Arbor's only resident, professional theatre. The Network reaches 40,000 theatre patrons and children each year through the year-round Professional Series and The Children's Theatre Network. Performance Network also presents the Fireside Festival of New Works and a series of classes on theatre-related topics. The Network provides uncompromising artistic leadership in the region and produces works that engage, challenge and inspire audiences and artists.

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