Did California Critics Cheer the B'way-Bound Drowsy Chaperone?

The Drowsy Chaperone, which was a hit in Toronto, is a musical about musicals, so it is no surprise it has its eyes on the brightest home of the musical: Broadway. Before the Great White Way, Drowsy, featuring Tony winner Sutton Foster, is having a tryout at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre, where it opened on November 18. Did the tuner keep critics awake and cheering?

Here is a sampling of what they had to say:

Steven Oxman of Variety: "The Drowsy Chaperone, an homage to the melodic, slapsticky musicals of the 1920s, emits enough intoxicating charm for just about anyone to get drunk on... This delectable show operates on two planes, as a guided tour of a make-believe musical from the era of pure escapist entertainment--when the gowns were always gorgeous and the plots paper-thin--and as a surprisingly heartfelt tribute to all who find solace in a favorite show when life's troubles are taking their toll. Retro yet original, genuinely funny, performed with near-perfect precision by a grand ensemble, this is a show lover's show, and plenty of its patrons should find it positively inebriating. This is an elaborate show, and first-time director Casey Nicholaw who choreographed Monty Python's Spamalot manages to keep it all crystal clear and humming along. He's helped enormously by David Gallo's ever-inventive set design... The Drowsy Chaperone is a more satisfying show than [Thoroughly Modern] Millie, equally mood-lifting but less problematic. There are, as always, limitations. The one of most concern is the score, from Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. Not that it's bad; it's actually very good. It just never quite soars... There are great numbers--the tap-dancing 'Cold Feets,' Foster's showstopper 'Show Off,' Drowsy's anthem 'As We Stumble Along.' But this is the one element that could use a touch less self-consciousness. We're never quite given the chance to get lost in a song, in part because we're watching the narrator get lost in it, or we're pulled out of any musical reverie with another good gag. But the gags work really well. And the cast is eminently game, each performance topping the next."

James C. Taylor of The Los Angeles Time: "The Drowsy Chaperone is an unabashed love letter not just to musical comedy but to those romantic souls for whom show tunes are a daily form of worship... Director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw of Broadway's Spamalot gives all the performers a long leash when it comes to chewing scenery and winking at the audience, but he rarely allows them to descend into camp. Nicholaw shows a similar tact in regard to the design and movement of the show, which is big when appropriate and intimate when necessary. A perfect example is the finale. The curtain drops as the music and spectacle reach their peak, but at the same time, Martin's character can be seen sitting down in his fraying chair with yet another snifter of brandy, contentedly gazing at his cherished LP. [Co-librettist and star Bob] Martin, Nicolaw and the creative team may not have made a musical that approaches the genius of the shows it pays homage to, but like the record held delicately in Martin's fingers, this is a piece of work that has been handled with care. This consideration, even more than Foster's star turn, may lift the show above its flaws and allow repeat listening, where real-life men and women in chairs can live vicariously through the clichéd but cheerful sounds of The Drowsy Chaperone."