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Sachem East Performs The Drowsy Chaperone

Drama club delivers laughs along with show-stopping musical numbers.

The unique and uproariously funny musical within a comedy, , was performed with subtle poignancy and irreverence this week at .

The show, produced and directed by Ken Dobbins, was a hilarious homage to musicals of the jazz age.  It was a true ensemble performance which gave many talented students the chance to shine.

In the darkness of the theater, before the curtain rose and the lights turned on, the voice of the modern-day musical theatre fanatic known only as "Man in Chair" called out from the darkness, expressing his hopes that this be a good show to chase away his vague sense of melancholy.

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The Broadway buff, and narrator, played by the talented Kyle Berube acted as the heart and soul of the show.  He was eager to clue the audience in on obscure theatre "facts" and critique his favorite (fictitious) Broadway musical, The Drowsy Chaperone.

As the Man in Chair sits alone in his shabby, New York apartment surrounded by posters of Broadway musicals, he puts on a rare cast recording of the show.

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Suddenly, as art so often does, the characters from the 1928 musical comedy began to come to life around him.

The frumpily flamboyant Man in Chair's name isn't important,  what is, is that the audience couldn't help but forget their troubles for a couple of hours and be transported along with him as his fantasy ignited, and the sound of the full orchestra resounded with precision and panache courtesy of conductor Dorie Downes and the Sachem East Orchestra.

The narrator peppered the performance with laugh out loud, over the top commentary and info on what became of the actors after the performance in memorable lines such as, "In that day theatre was the only place stupid people could make a living — that was before TV, of course."

The snarky, but never mean-spirited everyman warned the audience of the musical's "well-worn plot."  It's predictability being a key component to its enduring appeal in a volatile world.

The Man in Chair led the audience into the show-within-a show where, despite prohibition, "the champagne flowed and the caviar was chilled."

In the story, the regal Mrs. Tottendale, acted with sweetness and charm by Emma Debono, is set to host a wedding.  At her side is her devoted butler, the aptly named Underling, played by Angelo Valega.

The two had a delightful chemistry as they played off one another in flirtatiously witty banter, generating many of the night's laughs.

The duo managed to make several "spit takes", the old gag where characters essentially spit drinks in each other's faces over and over again, truly hilarious each time.

Actor Casey keenan, as the bumbling but endearing groom, Robert Martin, and his best man George played by Robert Downes, were featured in one of the show's most spectacular musical numbers, the jazzy "Cold Feets."  In it they sang and tap danced the groom's "cold feets hot."

The glamorous, pampered starlet, Janet Van De Graaff was portrayed by the adorable and charismatic Katelyn Onufrey, a petite young woman with a big and impressive vocal range.

In the song, "Show Off," Janet explained to reporters played by Meerah Shah and Logan Farrell that her days on the stage and in the spotlight were over.  She, of course, conveyed her sincerity by sashaying, cartwheeling, doing a split, twirling batons and signing autographs for her adoring fans.

This circus-like scene not only gave Onufrey a chance to well, show off, but also highlighted the boundless energy and skill of the ensemble cast, dressed in their best roaring '20s raiment.

In order to avoid any bad luck, George already harried with wedding details, foolishly gave the daunting task of making sure the bride didn't see the groom before the wedding to the always tipsy, (i.e. drowsy) chaperone played with gusto by the commanding Melanie Morin.

The Broadway producer Mr. Feldzieg, acted by a dashing Ryan Fazziola, was distraught over losing Janet, his leading lady to the quiet life of a good wife after the wedding.  He bemoaned his fate to the kooky chorus girl, Kitty acted by Dina Caldararo, who saw in this turn of events, her big break to snag a starring role.

The plot thickened as Feldzieg was threatened with bodily harm to keep Janet in the show by two goofball gangsters disguised as chefs with a penchant for culinary puns.

Gangsters, Matt salerno and Catherine Torlentino, delivered corny lines such as, "We're on the lamb" with impeccable comedic "chops."

The characters came to a literal standstill, as the Man in Chair gave the audience random tidbits, such as the fact that the actor who portrayed the dim-witted Latin lothario, Aldolpho, who was sought out by Feldzieg to stop the wedding by seducing Janet, but accidentally set his sights on the chaperone, "later drank himself to death in a chateau in Nice, and was found five days later partially consumed by poodles."

Dylan Gafarian as Aldolpho had the audience in stitches as he executed exaggerated hip gyrations that would have made Elvis blush. 

While Janet pondered the eternal question:  "Is love ever enough?"  The Man in Chair articulated the timeless appeal of musical theater, "When a character is in crisis they sing and dance about it instead of whining about it, which is a lot more interesting."

By the time Mrs. Tottendale and Underling performed the duet, "Love is Always Lovely in the End," the stage was set for the inevitable outcome of this old-fashioned, but never hackneyed, yet thoroughly modern performance.

Brittney Kelly "soared" in her pivotal cameo as Trix the Aviatrix during the penultimate song, "I Do, I Do in the Sky."

Felling Blue?  You still have one more chance to get carried away with The Drowsy Chaperone tonight.

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