“The Drowsy Chaperone” is a 1920s musical following a man in a chair who puts on a recording of the musical. The musical comes to life on the stage through songs, dances, drama, love and comedy. This famous and unique performance has been selected as Woodside’s 2026 Spring Musical. After months of practicing, the musical took place on May 20, 21 and 22, as well as on May 27, 28 and 29.
“The Drowsy Chaperone”, directed by drama teacher, Ms. Borthwick, is a comedic, unique and entertaining show. The story starts off with a man in a chair talking about his favorite musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The man in the chair talks a lot throughout the show, but he never bores the audience. He helps them understand what is happening by adding backstory and making the audience laugh with his personality and comedic remarks.
The man in the chair plays the record, and the show starts off the night before a wedding between a rich businessman and a Broadway star who met very recently. This surprising love story between two very different people makes the performance chaotic, hilarious and fun to watch.
Although the musical’s plot is interesting as is, the most unique and clever part of the performance is how the man in the chair manipulates it. The man stops the musical, and it freezes in time. When he plays it again, the characters and music immediately start up again. Not only are there pauses, but the man also reverses and speeds up the show. This is the most interesting and clever element of the performance as the musical almost breaks the fourth wall. It really feels like the show is being manipulated by the man, which is very original and unlike anything I’ve seen before.
The rest of the performance is a mix of drama, singing, dancing and comedy. The characters are so different from one another that their interactions with others are funny and chaotic. There is the care-free and drunk chaperone, showgirls, a dumb blonde, gangsters disguised as chefs, an arrogant magician, a brave aviator and so much more. These characters bring the show to life with their comedic lines and intriguing dances. The dances were fun to watch as there were various themes that went along with the character’s personalities in the scene. Also, many of the dances include tap, which was interesting to see, as it is less often included in modern-day performances.
Overall, the entire show was amazing. Not only did the characters bring the performance to life, but the props, costumes and especially the backdrops really felt like I was looking into the world of the “Drowsy Chaperone”. The thing that also surprised me was that a high school theater program had such professional and talented actors, amazing sets and technical elements. There are so many good things to say about this musical, making it one of my favorite shows here, and making me proud to attend a school with such an amazing theater program.
