And the unexpected but obvious casting of 'The Man in the Chair'
For an audience, the level of thought, detail and coordination that goes into a theatre production may sometimes be underappreciated. From casting, costuming, designing and building a set to stage lighting and, of course, the weeks of rehearsals, having a great team helps the whole process flow more easily and ensures a tighter, better, more entertaining performance.
That was the expectation for the winter musical and it did not disappoint! The Drowsy Chaperone, directed and choreographed by Granada Artist-in-Residence Rhett Guter, received rave reviews from audiences as well as local media.
Ready to step back in time to 1928 and laugh your socks off? Then come see UC Davis Theatre and Dance latest musical comedy production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.”
— Jennifer Goldman, The Davis Enterprise
The first full musical presented by the Department of Theatre and Dance since 2020, The Drowsy Chaperone tells the story of a man, portrayed by UC Davis staff member Michael French, looking back on his life via his relationship to an audio recording of an old musical from 1928. Using his imagination only, "the Man in the Chair," drawing from old Hollywood and musical theatre tropes and stereotypes, sends the stars of the musical into a mash-up performance wherein hilarity, beauty and chaos ensue.
The satire, a winner of five Tony Awards, has been called a “love letter to theatre.”
But it’s more than that.
“For me, it's more about the act of sharing art that is meaningful to us and why it’s meaningful to us,” Guter said ahead of the show's February opening. “That's something that's really unique and special about theatre, is that you experience theatre with other people — it’s a shared experience and it's actually necessary to the experience.”
Over the course of the musical, the audience learns why "the Man in the Chair" is sharing this recording with them, often breaking the fourth wall and even interacting with his imagined characters: two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a scatterbrained hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, an egotistical (and hilarious!) Don Juan and an intoxicated chaperone.
Director, choreographer known for national role in 'Annie'
The department’s search for the right director for the musical comedy was still ongoing when longtime arts marketer French, always the problem-solver, suggested Guter for the role. Though they had never worked directly together, French knew Guter and knew he was the right fit. French had just recently seen the award-winning actor and director a few months prior in Folsom, playing the role of “Rooster” in a touring production of Annie.
Guter portrayed the role opposite Whoopi Goldberg at Madison Square Garden, eliciting praise from critics and The New York Times, which noted he was “oozing with charm” and described him as “a terrific dancer.”
As a director, Guter has created groundbreaking theatrical experiences across multiple venues and formats, including a musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol co-created with composer Adam Record. His directing portfolio includes the critically acclaimed Hadestown Teen Edition, I Left My Dignity in My Other Purse starring Joyce DeWitt (Three’s Company), and the immersive musical Take Me Away. His extensive choreography credits include West Side Story, Cabaret, The Music Man, Anything Goes, and Peter and the Starcatcher at the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival.
In October, after Guter was selected as the director and winter 2026 Granada-Artist-in-Residence, he flew out from Cedar City, Utah, to Davis for 10 days to teach a workshop to students and hold auditions for The Drowsy Chaperone.
Two days in, he asked French if he’d be willing to play “the Man in the Chair,” the only role in the show that requires no big song and dance, and seemingly appealed less to students.
“He phrased it as a question,” French said, “is there a history of ever having to cast faculty or staff? And it turned out, yes.”
But French insisted the role should be played by a student. By the end of auditions, however, no one else had been cast. And the determined director didn’t give up.
Michael French is 'the Man in the Chair'
As Guter put it, French is “the Man in the Chair.” He wasn’t the only one to have this opinion. Even before Guter was hired, the stage manager and production manager both said the same, and Department Chair Margaret Kemp agreed.
Though Guter and French have known each other since 2011, Guter didn’t accept the role with the intent of casting French. He was initially looking to cast a student, but he knew it would be a challenge when conveying the generational divide.
French happens to be five decades older than the rest of the cast but, Guter said, he shares other commonalities with the character.
“Michael is ‘the Man in the Chair’ in many ways — there's a deep love and appreciation for theatre that he loves to share and talk about,” he said.
French, who has also worked as a theatre publicist, is known for his passion for both education and the arts. He is an arts marketing specialist in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, and is always working to help make sure student work is seen and appreciated by as many people as possible.
The role marks French’s return to the stage after more than 40 years. The acting credits from his former life include Evelyn Oakleigh in Anything Goes, Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Brinsley Miller in Black Comedy. He has also directed productions of Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, Crimes of the Heart, and Bad Habits.
Collaboration across teams brings success
The cast and crew went through six weeks of rehearsals, staying late nearly every weeknight and spending their Saturdays with Guter.
“They're all really terrific and committed to it and my biggest challenge is keeping up with them,” French said of the students while they were still in rehearsals. From the audience's perspective, though, French had no trouble keeping up with them. Instead, he was witty and steadfast, nailing his comedic timing and, as "the Man in the Chair," kept theatre goers engaged in the delightful yet erratic storyline.
The musical was accompanied by a live orchestra and it, along with the cast, included undergraduate and graduate students from across disciplines. The cast included Savannah Steffens (Janet Van Der Graffin), Timothy Austin (Robert) — a wonder on roller skates! — Nitin Ramesh (Feldzeig), Gary Engstrom and Joseph Fitzgerald (pastry chefs/gangsters), Liam Yao (George), Seona Sherman (the tipsy chaperone) and Matthew Rivera (Adolpho).
As for the actors, they gave it their all. French was especially well received for his ability to communicate with the audience his love of theatre, his loneliness, and excitement narrating as the recording ensued. Also a standout, Rivera had such bravado, talent, and comic charisma. Sherman had a matching strong voice and delicious appeal.
— Jennifer Goldman, The Davis Enterprise
Susie Owens was the production manager, lecturer Ian Wallace was the scenery designer, Assistant Professor Ethan Hollinger was the lighting designer, Megan Kimura was the sound designer and Patrick Burns was the music director. Mario Sandoval was the stage manager and the assistant choreographer was Mikayla Freeman, both undergraduate students. Alum Taśa Gleason, M.F.A. ‘20, returned to UC Davis as the production’s costume designer.
“There's a great attention to detail. The collaboration with all of the other teams has been really awesome,” Guter said. “The creative problem-solving across everyone and the communication — I've been super, super impressed.”
A musical comedy with a bit of an edge
The story of the musical comedy and the man’s life are told through movement and choreography, while the setting, primarily, is his cramped New York City apartment. With the progression of the story, the scene transforms into something more fantastical.
“We’re inside this person’s imagination,” Guter said.
And, while it is a comedy, there are a few dark elements, including one edgier, chaotic number, which even French called “whack.”
“There’s definitely that humor, there’s definitely that joy,” Guter said, “but something I feel strongly about is dark pieces have to have lightness to them for them to feel dark, and light pieces have to have darkness in them for them to feel light. It needs a contrast."
As some of the production's material has been altered from the original The Drowsy Chaperone, Professor Jon Rossini and his students created a website for the show which gives additional background on the plot, characters and original context the musical.
"As it unfolds, in a very light-handed way, which I think is brilliant, you start to realize that this person isn't just sharing this arbitrarily, he's sharing it because he has a really deep connection with it and it's helped him through some really painful times," Guter said. "It has brought up questions for him in his own life that he is still battling with, which is what art should do — it should both comfort us and challenge us."
Editor's note: This story was first published Feb. 23, 2026, opening week. Performances were held at the Main Theatre, Wright Hall Feb. 26 - Feb. 28, and March 5 - March 8. As the production has since passed, this article has been updated. And, yes, it was ridiculously funny — we hope you caught it.
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