Bay Street goes Broadway

Bay Street is getting a taste of Broadway this week.

Applauze Productions is taking over the Finlandia with their performance of the Drowsy Chaperone from Aug. 22 to 25.

The musical centres around a reclusive gentleman who likes to listen to his favourite musicals on a record player, said Denise Krawczuk, owner of Applauze Productions.

“He imagines he has an audience in front of him as he’s introducing one of his favourite musicals, the Drowsy Chaperone, the whole musical comes to life on stage,” she said, adding the play is full of melodramatic characters and slapstick humour.

The Drowsy Chaperoned was penned by Bob Martin and Don McKellar with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. It debuted in Toronto in 1998 and opened on Broadway in 2006.

It won the Tony Award in 2006 for best book and best score.

The company has previously done productions of Rent and Cabaret in Thunder Bay and Krawczuk said director Spencer Hari suggested the Drowsy Chaperone as something a little lighter they could tackle.

The musical also features a lot of the talent in Thunder Bay like Jordan Wyllie, who competed for the role of Dorothy in CBC’s Over the Rainbow talent contest earlier this year, and Thunder Bay Television’s Matt Skube, who will show off his tap skills in the show.

The show also has Robert Perrier who has been in all three of Applauze’s productions and the role of the Drowsy Chaperone will be played by both Nancy McNabb and Paula DiGiuseppe on alternating evenings.
Krawczuk said by having two actresses tackle the role, the audience gets to see different perspectives on the character.

“They both have their different elements to them. They take the character in a different direction, each one of them,” she said. “It’s interesting to see how they do that and intertwine with the musical. It’s magic on stage with both of them.”

Tickets are $20 and available at the Hoito, Colosimo’s Music Store and Steepers.

For more information visit www.applauzeproductions.com.