Shrek

Shrek
National Touring Company
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
November 16-28, 2010

Like most people, I've seen the movie Shrek many times. I must admit I was surprised to hear it was made into a Broadway musical. When it came to town, I decided to give it a try.

The movie version relied heavily on familiar pop songs for its soundtrack. The stage production has a soundtrack consisting entirely of original music (with the exception of "I'm a Believer" for the bows). The new songs add a depth to the story which didn't exist in the original.

The show begins with "Big Bright Beautiful World" where we get some much needed background on both Shrek and Fiona. It's followed up by "The Story of My Life" which gives Shrek a deeper personality.  The script changes and songs allow us to see the layers he refers to.

The show is still just as silly as the movie. Dulac is much like Disneyland on steriods. Fiona's song "Morning Person" brings her character a humorous side we haven't seen before.

Lord Farquaad is still the man you love to hate. But you have to respect the actor who plays the character on his knees for the whole show. 

Personally, I think Shrek the musical is an improvement on the movie.  

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins
National Touring Company
Buell Theater
Denver, CO
March 4 - April 4, 2010

I must admit, Mary Poppins is a not a movie I have seen much. In fact, I'm not sure I've seen the movie all the way through. But I am more than familiar with the songs from the movie and the basic storyline.

Despite my unfamiliarity to the specifics, I could tell that changes have been made from the movie version to this stage production. It 's darker and Mary Poppins is less perfect.

Throughout the show the audience is treated to the familiar songs fro the film. The context for "A Spoonful of Sugar" is not what the audience is familiar with, but we're glad it's there.

The song "Step In Time" was particularly entertaining. Not only did it contain an energetic dance sequence, but we saw Bert tap dance around the entire proscenium arch.

The new songs added for the stage show are mostly forgettable. They just don't have the pop of the original Sherman brothers score. But the charm of the story remains. 

The highlight of the night came during the finale where Mary Poppins opened her umbrella and floated over the audience. No wires were visible from where I was sitting, which left me with a child-like sense of wonder at the end.

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast
Colorado Ballet
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Denver, CO 
February 19-28, 2010

I've never been to the ballet, but the Colorado Ballet's advertising campaign for Beauty and the Beast caught my daughter's eye and convinced me to buy tickets.

Since I'd never been to a ballet before, I was surprised at the elaborate sets used in the production. The seats also each had a small screen which occasionally brought up a plot description which was very helpful for following along.

Anyone expecting the Disney version would likely be disappointed. The heroine was named Belle, but other than that it was a completely different version, much more like the Grimm Brothers story. The dancing was lovely and very expressive. And the effect of a fairy flying at the end created a spectacular tableau.

The ballet was set in three acts and two intermissions. The second act was very short so it seemed silly to take another intermission.

The loveliness of the dancing and costumes and scale of the production impressed me. I'm sure I will be back to see another one soon.