“Would you indulge me? Would you let me play the record for you now? I was hoping you would say yes.”
A Broadway fanatic, alone in his armchair, pulls out his favourite record: a full-length live recording of the 1920s Broadway hit “The Drowsy Chaperone”, an old-school laugh-a-minute, sparkles and sequins, everyone falls in love kind of musical. The needle drops. The overture picks up. And the musical – quite literally – comes to life.
Created in Toronto in 1999, The Drowsy Chaperone is Canada’s first Broadway hit musical. It charted a path from the Toronto Fringe, to its professional debut at Theatre Passe Muraille, to Toronto’s Winter Garden, all the way to New York City and the rest of the world. And now, for the first time in 27 years, Shifting Ground Collective brings Drowsy home to TPM!
A loving send-up of 1920s musical comedy that offers glamorous showgirls, dancing mobsters, multiple weddings, and more: The Drowsy Chaperone is a gut-busting celebration of the art we call our favourite – and how the love of a special something makes dealing with life a little easier.
Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
Content Warnings: Sexual Content, Strong Language
