The students are in different stages, so the level of experience changes. “My duty is to make sure that everybody is on the same page. With a play of this size, rehearsing the production was the most important part of the planning process. Though he saw the original Broadway production of The Drowsy Chaperone in 2007, it didn’t offer much in the way of advance planning, Lemay admitted. Lemay brings a vast array of artistic-director experience to the project, from being part of the team at six Royal visits held throughout Canada to staging several Olympic and Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies. That is the character - you can’t stray away from that.” If you are going to do Evita, you are going to have Eva Perón on a balcony waving her hand. “If you do West Side Story, for instance, you are going to have the Jets and the Sharks snapping their fingers that is iconic. That said, Lemay was careful not to veer too far from what was on the printed page for what is one of the most beloved main characters in Canadian theatre. Drowsy chaperone broadway full#“You can do an Oklahoma as realistically as possible, with a full set, or you can do it very stylistically with a wagon wheel and a bale of hay. The elaborate set was complex, as it needed to accommodate the fanciful world of the Man’s favourite musical from 1928 - The Drowsy Chaperone - along with a real-life Broadway stage. The story takes place in an imaginary world envisioned by the lead character, known as Man in Chair. The Drowsy Chaperone is a frothy musical with a never-ending string of production numbers. “This is not Jacques Brel, where you’ve got one set and four singers in front of a microphone. “I know this is a big Broadway show, but I didn’t expect this would be a big Broadway crew,” Lemay said with a laugh. Director and choreographer Jacques Lemay said he remembers an early production meeting where he expected to greet a dozen attendees and had 40 people in attendance. More than 100 participants are reportedly taking part, including a cast of 19. The Drowsy Chaperone represents the biggest Phoenix Theatre production since the University of Victoria theatre company staged Guys and Dolls in 2004. But with the Phoenix Theatre’s upcoming production of the Broadway musical - with a book by co-writers Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison - the real story is what’s happening both on and off stage. Press about any production of The Drowsy Chaperone normally points to the finer points of this Canadian classic, from its top-flight writing to its five Tony Award wins. Tickets: $30 ($25 for seniors, $16 for students) through the Phoenix Theatre box office (25) or online at phoenixtheatres.ca Where: Phoenix Theatre, 3800 Finnerty Rd., University of Victoria
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