Shaken, not stirred: Bartending competition mixes fun, theatre

 

The Lexington Opera House is going to have a good buzz this month.

Bartenders at six area restaurants and bars will offer up their best brews in a competition to see who can make the best “Drowsy Chaperone” cocktail, a fictional drink in the upcoming Broadway show of the same name visiting the Lexington Opera House this month.

“We wanted to do something that would portray the fun and flavor of this show,” said Lexington Center marketing director Sheila Kenny.

There is no such thing as a “Drowsy Chaperone” cocktail yet, but bartenders can mix anything they desire with brandy or champagne to create the drink and willing taste-testers from all over Lexington can stop in any of the participating challenge locations and sip original creations of freshly-made and comedy-inspired drinks.

Concoctions will be made by bartenders from Baker’s 360, Bigg Blue Martini, deSha’s, The Julep Cup, Mia’s and Portofino and presented to the volunteer taste-testers at booths set up inside. The only rule is champagne or brandy must be used. Everything else is left up to the mixers – and they’re all battling for bragging rights.

“It’s kind of like the People’s Choice Awards, the one with the most votes wins,” Kenny said.

Participants are then encouraged to go online to vote for their favorites and doing so automatically enters participants in a drawing for two free tickets to the performance itself, which will be at the Lexington Opera House Jan. 22 – 24.

“The Drowsy Chaperone,” which won five Tony Awards in 2006 after premiering on Broadway, is a comedic play set in the 1920’s about a depressed man who takes a trip through his record player into another world. There’s romance, humor, flashy artwork and plenty of singing and dancing.

“It’s a fun, upbeat musical,” Kenny said.

The show pokes fun at musicals and their over-the-top nature while still maintaining the look and feel of one itself for a majority of the performance.

The characters are quirky and unexpected. Even the main character doesn’t have a name. He goes by “Man in Chair.” Two gangster thugs show up disguised as pastry chefs and drop hysterical puns like you wouldn’t believe. An actual “Drowsy Chaperone” springs into action.

Both the bartender of the winning creation and the randomly-selected voter will receive tickets to a performance and the winning drink will be sold at the shows and drank onstage by the performers.

To taste something farcical and adventurous, visit any of the participating locations between 7 and 10 pm, Jan. 8 – 15. Just ask for the “Drowsy Chaperone” cocktail and let the games begin.