Interview: Jeremy Blaustein of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at the Short North Stage

As he prepares to reprise his role in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, it’s hard to see where Jeremy Blaustein ends and his character, “The Man In The Chair,” begins. Blaustein, who played the same character in a Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre production last July, will be center stage as the Short North Stage presents the 1998 musical May 8-June 1 at the Garden Theatre (1187 N. High Street in downtown Columbus).

“I’m more like my character than I should be willing to admit,” Blaustein said with a laugh. “My character in the show is obsessed with old musicals. It’s his foundation, his touchstone, his joy. That's all that he wants to talk to you about.

“I’m very similar. I love the Golden Age shows. They are not only the foundation of musical theatre but they are something that deserve to be celebrated. They’re called classics for a reason.”

The Man In The Chair plays an instrumental part in making THE DROWSY CHAPERONE work. Blaustein’s character doesn’t just break theatre’s fourth wall; he obliterates it. He invites the audience into his apartment and introduces them to his favorite musical by playing a cast recording of the fictitious THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. As he explains the show and the songs to the audience, the cast of the 1928 musical appears and recreates the performance in the Man In The Chair’s apartment.

The show within a show revolves around a wedding between oil baron Robert Martin (Craig Blake) and Broadway star Janet Van De Graaff (Connor Lyon). The attendees of this madcap wedding include Feldzig (Aaron Natarelli), a Broadway producer who is trying to convince De Graaff to drop her wedding plans so she can continue starring in his musical; Kitty (Lisa Glover), an actress who has waited in the wings to take over De Graaf’s role; George the Best Man (Ari Messeca), Mrs. Tottendale (Julie Russell) and her faithful subordinate known only as “Underling” (Luke Bovenizer); Trix the Aviatrix (Bessie Smith); Adolpho the Latin Lover (Jordan Stocksdale); the Tall Brothers (Cory Schmid and Cory Velazco), two mobsters posing as pastry chefs; and, of course, the Drowsy Chaperone (Nick Hardin).

The show, written by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison (music and lyrics) and Bob Martin and Don McKellar (book) lovingly lampoons the Busby Berkeley style musicals that seem to be fueled more by style than substance.

“It’s full of satire, especially of the musicals of the 1920s before they had figured out story structure, character development, or basically anything else Rodgers and Hammerstein figured out in OKLAHOMA,” Blaustein said. “But, you don’t have to be knowledgeable about theatre to get the jokes in the show. Ninety percent of the comedy is based on zany performances. But if you understand theatre, that extra 10 percent just sweetens the humor.”

And yet, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, according to Blaustein, packs a powerful message about the transformative power of theatre by the time the curtain closes.

Blaustein will never forget the first time he saw the musical.

“I walked into it almost completely blind,” said Blaustein, the producing director for the Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre program. “I didn't know it was going to speak to me the way it has. One of my character’s last speeches is about the role these musicals play. Even when the musical isn't perfect, it did its job -- to entertain you, to take you away from the terrors of the world and to give you a tune to keep in your head as you stumble along through life.

“It's a simple message but, to me, it is a powerful one. It gives you a deeper understanding and appreciation of the musicals from that period.”

The production, directed by Edward Carignan, continues a partnership with Shenandoah University, which did THE DROWSY CHAPERONE last July. Blaustein will be reunited with Bovenizer, Schmid, and Velazco who were in last summer’s production.

In the past, the two companies have shared costumes, set design, props, and actors in productions such as YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and MAMMA MIA. After the curtain closes on THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, Carignan will be headed to Virginia to work in Shenandoah’s production of SINGING IN THE RAIN.

Pooling their resources has been a blessing for both companies, according to Blaustein.

“We’re able to do something that’s a little grander than either of us might normally do because we’re pooling our resources,” he said. “It really has been a wonderful arrangement between the two theatres.

“Having worked on this show with some of the same people has given me a leg up. I’ve been joking when there are changes, I need to delete something from my long term memory and store something new in my short term memory.”

Blaustein, who graduated from Shenandoah with a BFA in Musical Theatre in 2006, is familiar with the struggles and limitations of theatre. Prior to returning to his alma mater Shenandoah, he received a Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Grammy Award for a revival of HAIR. Other credits include BONNIE & CLYDE, MERCHANT OF VENICE with Al Pacino, A LIFE IN THE THEATRE with Patrick Stewart, BLITHE SPIRIT with Angela Lansbury, YOU’RE WELCOME AMERICA with Will Ferrell, and SPEED-THE-PLOW with Jeremy Piven and William H. Macy.

Since he was little, Blaustein has found his home on stage. His first show was a library production of BILLY GOAT GRUFF when he was seven.

“(My love affair with theatre) started with a lack of attention and then someone looked, laughed, and clapped,” he said. “Since then, theatre is all I’ve ever known.

“However, it wasn’t until high school that I understood theatre could be an opportunity for public self-expression. There was a moment in high school where I was able to perform a monologue I wrote about something that was happening to me. I was able to confront something in my own life with art and make some bold declarations about who I thought I was at that time.”

Perhaps that is why Blaustein feels so strongly about THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. Theatre also helps The Man in the Chair break out of his cell of loneliness.

“The audience has this very different relationship with my character by the end of the show,” Blaustein said. “His character is supposed to be lonely, yet he doesn’t feel so alone because of this madcap zaniness that’s happening all around him.

“This is one of those shows you need to see early in the run. When people start talking about it, it’s going to be hard to get a ticket. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll never forget it.”