Wake up with Barnstormer's Drowsy Chaperone

The JHU Barnstormers put on The Drowsy Chaperone this past Saturday night, Apr. 7, with great success.

The performance ran very smoothly, and it was clear that all of the efforts of the director, Jayme Kilburn (the artistic director of the Strand Theater), the music director, Rodney Long of Columbus State University, the stage manager, freshman Eve Rosekind and the producer, sophomore Julia Flood, were put to good use.

The play presented an interesting idea of attempting to escape reality into an alternate universe. Yet the play itself did not allow its audience to escape into the 1920s because of the interruptions of its narrator.

The lady in the chair, played by freshman Kathleen Lewis, acted as the audience's narrative guide throughout as she played the soundtrack to the popular 1920s musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, and occasionally jumped in to explain the background on the cast.

This gave her the opportunity to make or break the play. If performed badly, her role could have been seen as a constant and irritating interruption, but because of her brilliant acting, her interjections simply added another layer of comedy to the show.

She portrayed the character's neurotic nature while still remaining relatable and threw in bursts of humor throughout.

The play followed the marriage of Janet van de Graaff, played by Peabody junior Justine Icy Moral, and junior Robert Martin, played by Peabody sophomore Zachary Tallman.

The two actors from The Peabody Institute did their parts justice and showcased both their amazing voices and stellar acting skills. It is clear from their performances that the two will go far in this business.

The guests at their wedding were quirky and eclectic, ranging from a drunken chaperone to two gangster brothers.

The gangster brothers, John and Peter Tall, were portrayed by two actresses instead, sophomore Victoria Schroeter and sophomore Beth Flaherty.

The added humor of the absurdity of this decision on top of the two actresses' already humorous portrayals made for two very funny characters.

Although the two gangster brothers were humorous, there is no denying that when the show looked for comedic relief, it turned to sophomore Ian Han, who played the European ladies' man, Aldolpho.

It was not entirely clear what part of Europe Aldolpho was from but it's safe to say the blatant mockery of the European stereotype was hysterical to the audience.

The only mishap took place near the beginning of the play. Han originally ordained an over-the-top stick-on mustache, which was promptly removed after his first scene because of its inability to stay put.

This would have been more acceptable if it had not reappeared on another character he sleeps with later on in the play as a humorous joke. Since he was no longer wearing the mustache during his scenes, the joke no longer made sense.

Even with this slight mishap, Han more than made up for it.

During one number, which explored Asian stereotypes, Han plays an emperor while singing about how Caucasians fascinate Asians and vice versa.

Freshamn Lajari Anne, who played The Drowsy Chaperone, portrayed the Caucasian in this scene and was undeniably hilarious.

During the rest of the play, in her role as the chaperone, Lajari showcased her outstanding voice while still bringing laughs through her portrayal of a woman who loves alcohol just a little too much.

Other guests at the wedding included Mr. Feldzieg, played by Freshman Dave Berenato, and Kitty, played by freshman Rachel Kwolek, a big-time musical producer and his companion; a woman who is trying to break into show business and is failing miserably because of her unintelligent nature.

The two did their parts justice and worked well together, portraying their characters just right.

The best man, George, played by junior Ben Armuth, spent the play juggling his best man duties. During Armuth's song with the groom, played by Tallman, the two sang and danced in a jovial manner. Although Armuth's voice was soft in comparison to Tallman's, who sang with the power of an opera singer, it fit well with the personality of his character.

Mrs. Tottendale, played by Peabody sophomore Katharine Mattie Harris, and her underling, played by sophomore Charlie McGeorge, were a humorous duo.

The two had various excellent scenes together. One in particular resulted in Harris spitting on McGeorge numerous times. The two created an adorable duo, as they danced and sang alone on the stage and the audience ate it up.

The only unfortunate moment was during their final song, which started up after the lights had been turned back on. The two executed the song very well, but it seemed a bit out of place and unnecessary. This was by no actions of the duo, however.

The final character, the aviator, portrayed very well by sophomore Kate Orgera, appeared twice throughout the play, once at the beginning, and again at the end.

Her role seemed a bit random, but her song was very well performed and if anything, was one of the catchiest songs of the play.

All of the cast, the ensemble and everyone behind the scenes, made this play a great success.

Although it was hard to hear some of the dialogue at times because of the volume of the orchestra, the play is still a must-see. If you get a chance, take an hour or two off and go see it this coming weekend.

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