Production history

The Drowsy Chaperone was originally created as a bachelor party present for comedian Bob Martin and his wife, Janet Van De Graaff, in 1998, performed at The Rivoli. The gift was such a success that all involved decided to rework it for the Toronto Fringe Festival the following year, adding in the part of a droll narrator called Man in Chair for Martin.

A sold-out success, producer John Karastamatis moved the production to Theatre Passe Muraille that fall. A reworked production was amounted commercially by Mirvish Productions at the Winter Garden theatre in 2001.

In 2004, The Drowsy Chaperone was workshopped at New York's National Alliance for Musical Theatre's Festival.

In 2005, The Drowsy Chaperone had a successful pre-Broadway run in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theater produced by Kevin McCollum, Roy Miller, Boyett Ostar Productions, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag and Jill Furman.

The musical began to preview at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway on April 3, 2006. It opened on May 1, 2006.

The only member of the cast to stay the same from the Fringe Festival production to Broadway is Bob Martin as Man in Chair.

Significance to Canadian theatre

The Drowsy Chaperone was first musical written and composed by Canadians to make it to Broadway in 25 years. It has been Canada's only successful Broadway musical.

Previous Canadian musicals to make it to Broadway are:

• Rockabye Hamlet, which lasted 7 performances in 1976.
• Billy Bishop Goes to War, which lasted 12 performances in 1980.

Anne of Green Gables toured to New York's City Center Theatre in 1971, but the two-week run is not considered a Broadway production.

Awards and nominations

• The play was nominated for eight and won five Drama Critics Circle Awards. The wins were for Production, Direction (Casey Nicholaw), Lead Performance (Bob Martin), Featured Performance (Beth Leavel), and Scenic Design (David Gallo)
• It won two 2000 Canadian Comedy Awards, for Pretty Funny Play and Pretty Funny Direction (Steve Morel).
• It was nominated for six and won four Outer Critics Circle Awards. Nominations were: Outstanding Broadway Musical and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Beth Leavel). It won for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Beth Leavel), Outstanding New Score (Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison), Outstanding Set Design (David Gallo), and Outstanding Costume Design (Gregg Barnes)
• It was nominated for fourteen and won seven Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Lyrics, and more.
• In 2006, it was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards and won five: Book-Musical; Original Score (Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison); Featured Actress-Musical (Beth Leavel); Scenic Design-Musical (David Gallo); and Costume Design-Musical, (Gregg Barnes)

Broadway cast

• Bob Martin as Man in Chair
• Georgia Engel as Mrs. Tottendale
• Edward Hibbert as Underling
• Troy Britton Johnson as Robert Martin
• Eddie Korbich as George
• Lenny Wolpe as Feldzieg
• Jennifer Smith as Kitty
• Jason Kravits as Gangster #1
• Garth Kravits as Gangster #2
• Danny Burstein as Aldolpho
• Sutton Foster as Janet Van De Graaff
• Beth Leavel as The Drowsy Chaperone
• Kecia Lewis-Evans as Trix

The ensemble consists of Linda Griffin, Angela Pupello, Joey Sorge, and Patrick Wetzel. The swings are Andrea Chamberlain, Jay Douglas, Stacia Fernandez, and Kilty Reidy. Angela Pupello is the Dance Captain

Musical numbers

• "Overture" — Orchestra
• "Fancy Dress" — Company
• "Cold Feets" — Robert, George
• "Show Off" — Janet, Ensemble
• "As We Stumble Along" — Drowsy Chaperone
• "I Am Aldolpho" — Adolpho, Drowsy Chaperone
• "Accident Waiting to Happen" — Robert, Janet
• "Toledo Surprise" — Gangsters, Kitty, Company
• "Message from a Nightingale" — Kitty, Gangsters, Aldolpho, Drowsy Chaperone
• "Bride's Lament" — Janet, Ensemble
• "Love is Always Lovely" — Mrs. Tottendale, Underling
• "I Do, I Do in the Sky" — Trix and Company
• "As We Stumble Along" (reprise) — Company