The Drowsy Chaperone celebrates 500th performance on Broadway

The Broadway musical The Drowsy Chaperone celebrates its 500th performance on Broadway this evening (12 Jul 2007).

The Drowsy Chaperone opened at the Marquis Theatre on the 1 May 2006, following previews from the 3 Apr 2006, where it is currently booking through to 2 Dec 2007.

The musical opened to mixed reviews. The New York times said "Small and ingratiating musical" and the New York Post called it a "little, horrifyingly pastiche musical." However, The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "The happiest surprise of the Broadway season� and The Associated Press called it "a disarming, delightful souffl� ." www.newyorktheatreguide.com reviewer, Polly Wittenberg wrote, when the musical finished "I was delighted to be outside in fresh air."

The Drowsy Chaperone won five 2006 Tony Awards: Best Score, Best Book, Best Featured Actress (Beth Leavel), Best Scenic Design and Best Costumes.

The current cast of The Drowsy Chaperone features: Danny Burstein (Adolpho), Jo Anne Worley (Mrs Tottendale), Janine LaManna (Janet Van De Graaff), John Glover (Man in Chair), Peter Bartlett (Underling), Troy Britton Johnson (Robert Martin), Garth Kravits (Gangster 2), Jason Kravits (Gangster 1), Beth Leavel -Tony Award winner (The Drowsy Chaperone), Kecia Lewis-Evans (Trix) and Jennifer Smith (Kitty).

The Drowsy Chaperone features Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. The production is directed and choregraphed by Casey Nicholaw.

To chase his blues away, a modern day musical theatre addict known simply as 'Man in Chair' (Bob Martin) drops the needle on his favorite LP � the 1928 musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone. From the crackle of his hi-fi, the musical magically bursts to life on stage, telling the tale of a pampered Broadway starlet who wants to give up show business to get married, her producer who sets out to sabotage the nuptials, her chaperone, the debonair groom, the dizzy chorine, the Latin lover and a pair of gangsters who double as pastry chefs.

Set design is by David Gallo, with costumes by Gregg Barnes, lighting by Ken Billington and Brian Monahan and sound by Acme Sound Partners.

The London production of the musical, which opened at the Novella Theatre on 6 Jun 2007, following previews from 14 May, has posted early closing notices and will end its run on the 4 Aug 2007, after a run of less than three months

The London show opened to mixed notices from the popular press: "Surprises and delights." (Evening Standard ); "For all the energy of Casey Nicholaw's production, I would readily sacrifice the whole of this glitzy charade for 10 minutes of the real thing by Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter or Jerome Kern." (The Guardian); "Delightful show that has a strong claim to being one of the silliest musicals ever written." (Daily Telegraph); "Affectionate spoof." (The Times); "The piece fails to work on any level." (The Indepentant).

The London production stars Elaine Page as The Drowsy Chaperone, and was promoted with Bob Martin (Who starred in the Broadway production) as 'Man in Chair', but two weeks after the show opened it was announced that Bob Martin was leaving the musical on 10 Jul, just four weeks into its run.