The hilarious madcap comedy, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, has charmed Australia! In the Melbourne Theatre Company's production, Tony Award winner Geoffrey Rush is Man in Chair, a Broadway aficionado who turns to his record collection when he needs a break from life.  As he takes the audience through a recording of one of his favorites, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, he causes audience members to fall in love with the 1920s comedy - and helps them fall in love with musical theatre all over again.

Winner of 5 Tony Awards in 2006, including Best Book and Best Score, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE  is generating much critical success in Australia.  The Sunday-Herald Sun raves, this "heart-felt homage" to musical theatre a "slick, witty, affectionate and very funny musical parodying musicals is a joy in every way...The smart dialogue and sprightly musical numbers are entertaining in their own right, but lovers of musicals will benefit so much more."

The Age explains what's so unique about THE DROWSY CHAPERONE:

"THE DROWSY CHAPERONE was a runaway Broadway smash in 2006 . On paper, its success seems unlikely.  The show started small - it was originally written for a bachelor party - and there's nothing novel about the content. ..Part of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE's appeal lies in an ingenious framing device...Regarding the show within a show, there isn't much plot to give away...But the story doesn't matter, being a thin excuse for an assortment of deliriously catchy songs inspired by the golden age of vaudeville and jazz."

The review adds that "Rush is perfect for the role.  He's an actor whose flair for comedy is always in service to drama, or the suggestion of it.  Here he provides a brilliantly observed portrait of of an aging New York theatre queen, peppering the show with mordant wit and gentle clowning in a way that tempers (and occasionally accentuates) the burgeoning inanity of the musical itself.  It's a performance that celebrates escapism and the solace of obsessive enthusiasm, though not without ambivalence and a whiff of sadness."

"Disliking THE DROWSY CHAPERONE," declares the Australian, "would be like disliking kittens: pointless and somehow inhuman. This is a preposterous cocktail of a show, delivered with just enough lemon to cut against the syrup, and Melbourne Theatre Company artistic director Simon Phillips has given it a superb production...The musical itself is a ludicrous parody, performed by an outstanding cast...It's wittily annotated by the lugubrious Man in Chair...A sure-fire crowd pleaser."

According to the Herald Sun, "THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is a pleasing, cheesy musical...The show, directed snappily by Simon Phillips, is riddled with smart, modern references and tightly written, impeccably timed gags. "

Click here for more information about Melbourne Theatre Company.

To license THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, visit its MTI show page. View production photos of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE and discuss the show on its MTI ShowSpace page.