Shrek

Shrek
Boulder Dinner Theater
Boulder, CO
May 17 - September 6, 2014

Boulder Dinner Theater always schedules a kid-friendly show in the summer time and this year, it was Shrek. I had seen the national tour of this show and was intrigued to see it as a regional production.

The story and the characters are pretty much as you remember them from the movie. We do get a glimpse into the childhood of both Shrek and Fiona which helps flesh them out as the adults we see them as.

Most of all, the show is silly and fun. We meet a crazy assortment of fairy tale characters along the way. Donkey is as annoying and lovable as ever. We all know the story, but we love the journey.

The ogre make up is a bit messy and the costumes not always polished, but the charm of the show endures.We're cheering for Shrek to defeat the Lord Farquad (although you have to admire an actor who performs the entire show on his knees.)

The score is full of original songs, which are enjoyable if not memorable. You'll mostly remember the finale "I'm a Believer."  But the songs are funny and well placed throughout the show. As always, the Boulder Dinner Theater provides a talented cast. The sets and costumes never disappoint.

As an additional appeal to the children in the audience, after each performance you can purchase a photograph on the stage with the cast members.

Peter Pan

Peter Pan
Candlelight Dinner Theater
Johnstown, CO
June 19 - August 24, 2014

I'd seen Peter Pan earlier this year and my daughter loved it, so she was happy to see it again. This was our first visit to the Candlelight Dinner Theater. It was quite a drive to Johnstown but the drive was worth it.

The building itself was beautiful. A formal lobby and box office flowed smoothly into the hostess station where we seated quickly. I was glad I checked out the menu ahead of time because it was very hard to see inside the dining room. The menu had a Jamaican influence and unlike other dinner theaters I have visited in the past, the food was very tasty.

The dinner theater is huge and we were fairly far away. With the exception of the table across from us, the sight lines were very good. Our server was Wendy in the production and the service was good. The show, however, was even better.

The performers in many of the roles were very young, yet they were very talented. The audience was encouraged to boo every time Captain Hook walked on stage and he enjoyed every minute of it. It made the show a bit more fun to be interactive like that, especially for the kids. The flying was also delightful to watch the flying sequences, even if you could see the wires.

After the show, all the major characters were available in the lobby for photos. They stayed around for quite a long time, until there was no one left waiting. Such an exciting way to end the experience.