Alex Newell, Laverne Cox, Betty Who, And More to Star In One-Night-Only Carnegie Hall Concert of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
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We’re “stumbling along” to Carnegie Hall! To kick off the fourth annual Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival, Alex Newell, Laverne Cox, Betty Who, and more will take the stage in a one-night-only concert of The Drowsy Chaperone at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 20, 2025. The concert will be directed by Tony Award nominee L Morgan Lee.
Cox will play the titular Chaperone, Newell will play Janet Van De Graaf, with Jonathan Van Ness as Man In Chair, and Betty Who as Robert Martin. Actress and trans activist Joslyn Defreece will play Underling, and RuPaul’s Drag Race icon Peppermint will play Mrs. Tottendale. The entire cast will be comprised of transgender and non-binary performers.
The Drowsy Chaperone features music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. This concert marks the title’s first major New York presentation since the original 2006 Tony Award-winning Broadway production.
The musical tells the story of a Broadway fanatic — Man In Chair — who plays his favorite record of a 1920s musical in his living room. He brings the show to life in his apartment, providing commentary on its often-outrageous plot and revealing his personal insights. The show-within-a-show centers on the wedding of a showgirl, Janet Van de Graaff, to Robert Martin. Along the way, they face silly obstacles by a producer, gangsters, and, well, a drowsy chaperone.
Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival launched in July 2022. Its aim is to produce work created and developed by trans, non-binary, and Two-Spirit+ theatre artists. This year’s festival will take place Oct. 20 to Oct. 26, 2025.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d make it to Carnegie Hall, especially on this timeline,” festival founder George Strus said in a statement.
Tickets for The Drowsy Chaperone go on sale in August. The one-night-only concert will take place at Carnegie Hall will take place Oct. 20, 2025. For more information, visit here.
