The Drowsy Chaperone

Home » The Drowsy Chaperone

March 6 – April 26, 2026

Previews: March 6-March 13, 2026
Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sunday at 6:00pm

Run: March 15-April 26, 2026 (recently extended!)
Thursday-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 6:00pm

Music & Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar

Directed by L. Walter Stearns
Music Direction by Eugene Dizon
Choreographed by Jenna Schoppe

Escape into the glitz and glamour of ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’, the (fictitious) 1928 musical comedy brought to life in Theo’s intimate cabaret space. As a die-hard musical fan drops the needle on his favorite cast album, the show bursts into hilarious chaos—complete with showgirls, gangsters, mistaken identities, and one very tipsy chaperone.

Winner of five Tony Awards, this madcap love letter to Jazz Age musicals is packed with laughs, catchy tunes, and nonstop fun. Don’t miss the musical comedy event of the season!

Buy Tickets Now!

To be added to a performance waitlist, please contact the Box Office.

We will also welcome guests in person beginning 1 hour prior to each performance to add their names to the waitlist. Ticket availability will be on a first-come, first-served basis based on no-shows and cancellations. We thank you for your understanding and appreciate the enthusiastic support of our audiences!

Original Broadway production of The Drowsy Chaperone produced by Kevin McCollum, Roy Miller, Bob Boyett, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag and Jill Furman. The Drowsy Chaperone is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

View The Drowsy Chaperone Program

Photo Credit Brett Beiner Photography

Production Team

Director - L. Walter Stearns

(he/him: Director) THEO: A Little Night Music (Jeff nom.). Walter is a champion for Chicago artists and has overseen the physical and cultural revival of the beautiful Mercury Theater Chicago. He has directed over 50 musicals including his Jeff Award-winning productions of Jersey Boys (co-director with Brenda Didier), Spamalot, The Addams Family and Ragtime as well as the Jeff Award nominated productions of Mary Poppins, The Producers, The Addams Family, Avenue Q, The Color Purple, Barnum-The Circus Musical, The Christmas Schooner, Nine the Musical, Ragtime, Gypsy, The Secret Garden, Sweeney Todd, Company, A New Brain, Into the Woods, Merrily We Roll Along and Falsettos. He was pleased to produce The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes, which was awarded the Jeff Award for New Work. He opened the new Venus Cabaret Theater with Stephen Sondheim’s Company and Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin. Stearns has received Jeff Awards, BroadwayWorld Awards, After Dark Awards, the Larry Sloan Advocate Award (for his support of Season of Concern), the first Guy Adkins award for his contributions to the art of musical theatre and the Franny Award as a distinguished alumnus of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Music Director - Eugene Dizon

(he/him, Music Director) THEO: A Little Night Music (Jeff nom.), Starting Here, Starting Now. CHICAGO: 6 Jeff Awards (Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, Amadeus, Company, Into the Woods, Merrily We Roll Along), Jeff nominations (Jersey Boys, A Grand Night for Singing, Candide, Nine the Musical, Closer Than Ever, A Little Night Music, Passion, Colette Collage, Falsettos); 4 After Dark Awards (Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, A New Brain, Merrily We Roll Along), a BroadwayWorld Award for Mercury’s Avenue Q. With Walter, Eugene has been Executive Producer at Mercury Theater Chicago since 2010. Recent projects include: Jersey Boys and Young Frankenstein (Mercury); Fiddler on the Roof, The Producers and Avenue Q (Music Theater Works); TO BE (Chicago Shakespeare), Mr. Burns – a post-electric play (Theater Wit). Thanks to this amazing cast and crew for sharing their talents on this show. Special thanks to Walter for continuing to be his husband in life and partner in art. For Fred.

Choreographer - Jenna Schoppe

(she/her; Choreographer) THEO: Tell Me on a Sunday, Sondheim Tribute Revue, Threepenny Opera, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Godspell and Once Upon a Mattress. CHICAGO: 9 to 5 (Metropolis), The SpongeBob Musical (Kokandy), Call Me Madam (Porchlight). REGIONAL: Rock of Ages, We Will Rock You, Joseph…Dreamcoat, Addams Family (Clinton Showboat). Jenna is a proud recipient of a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Choreography and is an adjunct professor of tap dance at Roosevelt University.

Assistant Choreographer - Britta Schied

(she/her; Assistant Choreographer) THEO: Sentinels (Associate Director/Choreographer/Swing). Favorite choreographic and associate direction credentials include CHICAGO: [title of show], A New Brain, Gay Card (PrideArts); Disaster! (Big Noise); Godspell (Beverly Theatre Guild); Two Hours In A Bar (City Lit); The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Spring Awakening (Blank Theatre). Up next, Britta joins the South Pacific team at Paramount Theatre this spring (Associate Director). Experience Britta’s choreography through Porchlight Music Theatre’s MT dance series. Thanks for tapping along with us! choreobybritta.com

Associate Director - Becca Holloway

(she/her; Associate Director) THEO: Debut. CHICAGO: Godspell (Associate Director, Music Theater Works) Wise Guys, Die Hard 4 Your Luv, Louis Le Prince (Factory Theater), Muted., DOGS (Red Theater), Disaster! The Musical (Big Noise Theater). Becca is the resident casting director for Red Theater and Midsommer Flight, and is also the curator of the monthly Readings at Red series to help support and develop new plays written by Chicago local playwrights. Much love as always to CWW. IG: @bwaybexy

Scenic Designer - Bob Knuth

Bio coming soon!

Lighting Designer - Ellie Fey

(she/her; Lighting Designer) THEO: Urinetown, TL;DR, Tell Me On a Sunday. CHICAGO: Lobby Hero (Shattered Globe Theater), Turn of the Screw (The Music School at DePaul University), Superior Donuts, By the Way Meet Vera Stark, & Witch (The Artistic Home), The Unknown Variable (Momentary Theatre), MedeaMedeaMedea(Theatre Evolve), Fizz and Ginger (Chicago Fringe Opera), Side by Side by Sondheim & The Lifespan of a Fact (Oil Lamp Theater), The Cottage (Citadel Theatre), Prelude to a Kiss (Theater Above the Law). Ellie graduated from The Theatre School at DePaul University in 2023 with a BFA in lighting design. She has received two Jeff Award nominations for Outstanding Lighting Design for Lobby Hero and Witch. Upcoming designs include The Sugar Wife (The Artistic Home) and Here Be Sirens (Chicago Fringe Opera). www.elliemfeydesigns.com

Costume Designer - Nick Cochran

Bio coming soon!

Properties Designer - Ab Rieve

(they/them; Properties Designer) THEO: Tell Me on a Sunday, TL;DR, Urinetown. CHICAGO: Veal, Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin (props, A Red Orchid Theatre), A Tale of Two Cities (props, Shattered Globe Theatre), Fiddler on the Roof, Legally Blonde, Carousel (props), Annie, Guys and Dolls, Little Shop of Horrors (wardrobe, run crew; Music Theater Works), Time is a Color and the Color is Blue (co-scenic design, Avalanche Theatre). Ab is originally from Maryland and graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2023 with a double major in Illustration and Theater Design and Technology. They can be found throughout Chicagoland stitching, painting, building sets, creating props, and running around backstage.

Sound Designer - Anna Jackson

Bio coming soon!

Stage Manager - Mags Sowell

(she/her; Stage Manager) THEO: Urinetown & Diana the Musical (ASM) CHICAGO: Tuck Everlasting (SM, Actors Training Center), Lobster & A Tale of Peter Rabbit (SM, Northwestern University), Blood at the Root (ASM, ETA Creative Arts), HAIR! & Feathers & Teeth (PSM, Columbia College Chicago) REGIONAL: Footloose the Musical (PSM, Robertson Country Players). Mags graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2024 with a Major in Stage Management. When not doing stage management, you can find her stitching/sewing, writing, or [often] at home spoiling her cats: Wallace, Melvin, & Root-Beer! She couldn’t do this without the love and support of friends, so sends love and support back out to them! IG: @melodious.mags

Assistant Stage Manager - Camille Foss

(they/she/any; Assistant Stage Manager) THEO: Diana, Secret Garden, Never Better. Camille is excited to work with Theo again. When not doing theatre you can find her creating and running escape rooms here in Chicago. She wants to give a huge thank you to her family for always supporting her.

Director of Production - Carl Herzog

Bio coming soon!

Audio Engineer - Harrison Hunt

(he/him; Audio Engineer) is an experienced audio engineer and live sound technician specializing in mixing, in-ear monitoring, and production for Chicago-area musicians and events. He began his musical journey in high school writing metal riffs before expanding into jazz bands, hip-hop productions, and pop act performances—playing nearly every instrument imaginable. Today, he combines a deep musical foundation with technical precision to craft dynamic, high-quality sound experiences that bring artists’ visions to life.

Technical Director - Josiah Tennent

Bio coming soon!

Production Electrician - Jackson Mikkelsen

(he/him; Production Electrician) THEO: Diana the Musical (Ensemble), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Swing), and season production electrician since Fall 2023. CHICAGO/Performer: Into the Woods (Kokandy), The Snow Queen (Marriott), Ragtime (Metropolis), and The Wild Party (Blank). Represented by Talent X Alexander. Catch him hanging lights, singing lil diddies, and queening out in a storefront near you. www.jacksonmikkelsen.com

Fight & Intimacy Director - Katherine Coyl

Bio coming soon!

Wig Designer - Mark Park

Bio coming soon!

Cast

Kevin Chlapecka

(he/him; George) THEO: Urinetown. CHICAGO: A New Brain (Pride Arts). REGIONAL: Sister Act and Ghost the Musical (Lake Dillon Theatre Co.), Footloose (Kincaid Regional Theatre), Ordinary Days (Steel Beam Theatre). Graduate of CCM Musical Theatre. Kevin is also a director, choreographer, and a breathwork/yoga instructor. @kevin.chlapecka

Genevieve Corkery

(she/her; u/s Tottendale, Drowsy, Trix )THEO: Debut. She is thrilled to be working with Theo for the first time. Since graduating, she's been lucky to work with The Marriott Theatre, Impostors Theatre Co., Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, YPT of Chicago, and Trap Door Theatre, where she is an associate ensemble member. Genevieve is a co-Artistic Director of No Dogs in the Kitchen Theatre Company. She is proudly represented by Gray Talent Group.

Cameron Graber

(he/him; u/s Man in Chair, Feldzieg) is a big fan of this show and this incredible cast & crew, and he couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of it! His recent credits include You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Charlie Brown) and Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour) with ECC Musical Theatre. Big thanks to the entire Theo team and lots of love to his family and friends, all of whom make his life beautiful!

Darian Goulding

(he/him; Aldolpho) THEO: Debut. CHICAGO: Titanic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Music Man (Marriott), White Christmas, Disney’s Frozen, Little Shop Of Horrors, Into The Woods (Paramount), Sinister (Chicago Shakes), Alice by Heart (Kokandy), Children of Eden (Broadway in Chicago). Darian is also the founder of DKG Productions, a company dedicated to uplifting new works. BFA MT: Belmont University. Darian would like to thank his family, friends, Em and the cast and crew of The Drowsy Chaperone. www.dariangoulding.com @dariangoulding

Reginald Hemphill

(He/Him/His; Feldzeig) is a Chicago based actor excited to work with Theo Ubique on their production of The Drowsy Chaperone. THEO: Urinetown (Ensemble/Lockstock US). CHICAGO: Muffed (Company leader, Factory Theatre), Kitty James and Destiny’s trail to Oregon (Wyatt, Factory Theater), Hamlet (Horatio, Red Theatre), Promises, Promises (Mr. Vanderhoff, Blank Theatre), The Mousetrap (Mr. Paravicini, Citadel Theater), House Musical (Johnny, Campfire productions), and The HOA (Patrick, Factory Theatre). Reggie is excited to work with this wonderful cast and crew to tell such a goofy, yet heartwarming story. Reggie is proud to be represented by Actors Talent Group. www.actorstalentgroup.com

Jimmy Hogan

(he/him; Gangster 1,u/s Robert) is so excited to be making his Theo debut! CHICAGO: Music Theatre Works: Avenue Q (Princeton), White Christmas (Phil), and Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour). Surging Films and Theatrics: Urinetown (Bobby) Citadel Theatre: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Schroeder); Metropolis Center for the Performing Arts: A Christmas Carol (Jacob Marley). Jimmy received a BFA in Musical Theatre from Indiana University and is from Chicago, IL.

Kelsey MacDonald

(she/her; Janet Van de Graaff) THEO: Debut! Kelsey was last seen in Porchlight Music Theatre’s Anything Goes. Kelsey is thrilled to join Water and Eugene for yet another super-serious musical. She previously worked with the pair as Ulla in The Producers. Proud Boston Conservatory Alumni. Songwriter and NYC based artist. Stream her music on all platforms. Love to her family, her support system in NYC, and to her Alex. @kelsonstage

Chase Wheaton-Werle

(he/him, Gangster #2/George U.S.) Chicago based actor of ten years and Jeff-nominated playwright. THEO: Debut. CHICAGO: It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (Freddie Filmore, Oil Lamp Theater), Disaster (Ted Scheider, Big Noise), Die Hard For Your Luv (Todd, Factory Theater), Last Night in Karaoke Town (Kenny, The Factory), The Kelly Girls (Brendan U/S, The Factory), Flanagan’s Wake (Brian, Chicago Theater Works). Chase sends all his love to his parents and especially to his wife Becca and also to Britta. He literally wouldn’t be on this stage right now if it weren’t for them. Chase is represented by Big Mouth talent. IG: @chase-wheaton-werle

Steve McDonagh

(he/him; Man in Chair) THEO: Debut. CHICAGO: Anything Goes (Porchlight Theatre; Jeff Nomination); Judgment Day, Comedy of Errors (Chicago Shakespeare); The Music Man (Goodman); Henry Johnson (Victory Gardens); The Producers (Music Theatre Works); Arsenic and Old Lace (Court Theatre); Dames at Sea (Citadel). REGIONAL: Every Brilliant Thing (Farmer’s Alley; Wilde Award); A Christmas Story (MGM Beau Rivage); Wizard of Oz (Alabama Shakespeare); All That Beauty (CATF); The Elephant Man, Native Gardens (Williams Street Rep); Shear Madness (Kennedy Center). FILM: Lifetime’s Twisted Little Lies and the upcoming Sundance Festival premiere; Night Nurse. TV: Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, American Greed and many ‘exasperated dad’ commercials. As celebrity chef, Steve is season one winner of Next Food Network Star, co-host of Party Line with The Hearty Boys and co-author of “Talk With Your Mouth Full” and “The New Old Bar.”

Trey Plutnicki

(he/him, Robert Martin) THEO: Debut. CHICAGO: Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Drury Lane) Twihard! The Twilight Parody Musical (Otherworld Theater) REGIONAL: Much Ado About Nothing, Ragtime (Utah Shakespeare Festival) Pirates of Penzance, Something Rotten! (Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre). Trey can also be seen as a contestant on Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge. As always, thanks to Cecilia.

Jenny Rudnick

(she/her; Mrs. Tottendale) THEO: A Little Night Music, Grey Gardens. CHICAGO: Addams Family (Metropolis), Fiddler on the Roof, Carousel, Pippin (Music Theater Works), Sister Act (Mercury Theater), Bright Star (Boho Theater), 1776 (Porchlight Revisits), Little Women (Brown Paper Box). REGIONAL: Sister Act (Skylight Theater), Full Monty (Theater Nebula), Follies (Devonshire Playhouse), Music Man (Glenview Theater Guild), Billy Elliot (Highland Park Players), Into the Woods (Deerfield Theater). She is a CPA by day and enjoys working with non-profits and world travel (P.S. Looking for representation)

Peter Ruger

(he/him; Underling) THEO: Once Upon a Mattress, Baked!, A Little Night Music CHICAGO: Annie, Guys and Dolls, Shrek, Billy Elliott, Mamma Mia! (Music Theater Works),1776 (Porchlight Music Theatre), Anything Goes, The Rocky Horror Picture Show in Concert (Metropolis). He sends hugs and high-fives to his family and friends, especially his Magic the Gathering playgroup that forgave him for missing so many games due to rehearsals.

Lena Simone

(she/her; Trix), THEO debut! CHICAGO: A New Brain (PrideArts), Warm on the Coolin’ Board (MPAACT), Twihard! A Twilight Musical Parody (Otherworld Theatre Company), Is You Is (Chicago Musical Theatre Festival), My Life is a Country Song (New American Folk Theatre), Mother of the Dark Water (MPAACT: Nights Out in the Parks). Lena is a graduate of Northwestern University’s theatre program and is proudly represented by BMG Talent. Thanks to Jonah and family and friends for all of your support! @itslenasimone

Colette Todd

(she/her; Drowsy Chaperone) THEO: A Little Night Music, Diana The Musical, Passion, Aspects of Love, Honky Tonk Angels. CHICAGO: Next to Normal (Boho Theater), Annie Get Your Gun, Man of La Mancha, Oliver! (Light Opera Works), Parade (Writers Theater), Shrek (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Mamma Mia, Seussical (Marriott Theater). REGIONAL: Big Fish, Spamalot, Dames at Sea (Theater at the Center), The Addams Family (Williams Street Repertory). When offstage, she offers voice training at Star Music Studio in Skokie or can be found hiking on an adventure.

Chloe Venner

(she/her; u/s Janet, u/s Kitty) is from Chicago IL and thrilled to be making her THEO debut! Her most recent credits include Columbia College Chicago: Grease (Marty) Hair (Sheila) Rent (u/s Maureen, u/s Marks Mom). She is a junior at Columbia College Chicago and is planning to receive her BFA in Musical Theatre Performance in Spring 2027. A huge thank you to loved ones for their unwavering support!!! @chloemmarie

Luiza Vitucci

THEO: Tell Me on a Sunday, The Threepenny Opera. CHICAGO: New Faces Sing Broadway 1984 (Porchlight Music Theatre). REGIONAL: Come from Away (Henry Award Recipient for Outstanding Lead Performer), Desperate Measures, Something Rotten, Pirates of Penzance, Kinky Boots, Beautiful, Beehive (Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre). Disaster!, Sweeney Todd, Mamma Mia, Big: The Musical (The Barn Theatre). Graduate of Ball State University. She sends all her love to Mom, Melina, her precious niblings, and her fiancé Matt. Represented by Big Mouth Talent. IG: @luiza.vitucci

Eldon Warner-Soriano

(he/him; Aldolpho U/S and Gangsters U/S) THEO: Debut. He has been seen playing such roles as Jesus in Godspell with Music Theater Works and Vittorio Vidal in Sweet Charity with Blank Theatre.

Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know when tickets go on sale.

SUBSCRIBE NOW!