The acting, lines and lyrics are all intentionally (and doubly) over-the-top, while the Man in Chair interrupts the musical constantly (and causes the actors to freeze in mid-air) in order to poke fun of the very same musical he claims to adore. What’s funny is that the entire musical is itself a parody of musicals. He then proceeds to play his favorite musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a fictional musical from the 1920s, as audience members watch the musical unfold before their eyes (while the Man in Chair pauses to comment on the acting and lyrics and to share random bits of trivia about musical theatre).

When the lights go up, he asks, “How are we today?” before going on to explain that he feels blue, and when he feels blue, he likes to escape to the glamorous, carefree era of the 1920s – which he does by listening to his music. Here’s how the show works: The main character, known to the audience as Man in Chair, speaks directly to the audience throughout the entire show. It’s the show’s entire premise, to poke fun at the classic 1920s musical and its over-the-top acting and go-to character types. Why all the laughs? Because “The Drowsy Chaperone” was written with both musical lovers and haters in mind.

Both nights, the audience roared with laughter. The second time was here in Tuscaloosa, at Shelton State’s Bean-Brown last Saturday night. The first time I saw “The Drowsy Chaperone” was in New York City in 2007, its opening year on Broadway and my junior year of high school. Yes, this is the main character of a musical talking. Well, it’s so disappointing, isn’t it? You know what I do when I’m sitting in a darkened theatre waiting for the curtain to rise? I pray.

Drowsy chaperone youtube