Town and Country Players in Buckingham kicks off season with ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’

Town and Country Players opens its new season April 10 with the musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone.

The play parodies 1920s American musical comedy. It was written by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, with music by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison.

The show is narrated by The Man in the Chair, an agoraphobic Broadway fan, played by David Whiteman. As he listens to a rare, 1920s musical, the characters come to life in his apartment and act out a comedic love story.

The plot incorporates mistaken identities and dream sequences, along with a host of stereotypical characters, including an unflappable English butler, played by Bill Hoblin; an absent-minded dowager, played by Meg Waldowski; a Latin lothario, played by Keith Kirkner; a busy Broadway producer, played by Paul Waldowski; comic gangsters, played by Don Dillon and Greg Davis; a ditzy chorus girl, played by Colby Langweiler; a harried best man, played by Alex Klein; and the “Drowsy” Chaperone, played by Valerie Sharper. And one can’t forget the star-struck lovers, Janet and Robert, played by Carly Price and Patrick West.

Those familiar with this popular Broadway musical know an airplane appears on stage in the final scene. Director Keith Soester was particularly excited about staging this aspect of the show. The theater-in-the-round stage at T&C, along with the theater’s limited backstage, forces directors to find creative and interesting staging.

“Hiding an airplane on stage was something I had to think about, so finding the solution was really exciting for me,” said Soester. “I think audiences will enjoy and be surprised by its big reveal.”

Producer Sharon Rill-Soester said, “The big reveal is a cool magic trick. It’s definitely something audiences can look forward to. But they will also enjoy the music, dance and comedy of this funny show.”

Choreographer Karen Abrams created the jazz, tap and Charleston routines for the 17 members of this cast. The show will have moments where the stage is literally full of dancers.

Said Rill-Soester, “The Drowsy Chaperone is a great kick-off to an exciting season.”

The show runs April 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. There are matinee performances April 12 and 19 at a new time, 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available through T&C’s website, or by calling 1-800-838-3006. T&C is located at 4158 York Road in Buckingham.

Town and Country Players is a non-profit community theater providing the Central Bucks area with quality theatre for the past 68 years. Their goal is to bring the theatrical experience to local residents while personally enjoying the effort to the fullest. Town and Country Players membership is open to anyone with an interest in theater and the desire to help.