Porgy and Bess

Porgy and Bess
Aurora Fox Theater
Aurora, CO
November 25, 2016 - January 1, 2017

Porgy and Bess is an icon in American musical theater. George and Ira Gershwin’s 1934 opera was the first to feature and entirely African American cast. It was an important step in theater as well as in American society. Despite the importance of the piece, it is rarely performed.

The script the Fox team used is a 2011 adaptation by Suzan-Lori Parks, which transformed the opera into a musical and widened the scope of characters. Despite the adaptation, the story is full of stereotype characters: crippled beggar, drug addicted floozy, criminal kingpin, religious zealot, bossy wife, flashy drug dealer. However, the performances from this incredibly talented cast bring a realism to these roles that overcomes the caricature roots.

In the hands of the Fox creative team, Porgy and Bess is not a racial story. It's a human story. Race does have a place in the story in a few places when the white police officers show up. In those few scenes a real tension is on display. But for the rest of the show, the characters are just people living their lives.

The costumes only enhance the realism of these characters. They could wear the same outfits for the entire show, but they don’t. At the community picnic everyone wears their Sunday best, and it’s a delight to see. And after the picnic they returned to everyday clothes, but not the ones from the day before – just as real people do.

The set is more suggestive than realistic, but it takes the audience into Catfish Row – a simple community. Porgy’s home is completely closed to us – highlighting this private man. The lighting and sound crew are able to transport us to the ocean.

In the center of all this phenomenal staging is the music. The Gershwin score is amazing to begin with. But in the hands of the Fox’ music director it soars to heights even the composers would love. Each performers voice was strong and up to the challenging music. The harmonies created by this team were beautiful. The duets between Porgy and Bess are not traditional – they usually end up singing separately in time and those parts were in perfect balance.

Porgy and Bess will likely never escape the controversy that has always surrounded it. Some audience members may be bothered by the stereotypical nature of the characters, the drug use or the violence. Despite these concerns, the Fox has created a valuable theatrical experience – both socially and artistically.

Godspell

Godspell
Jester's Dinner Theater
Longmont, CO
October 7, 2016 - January 29, 2017

Jester’s Dinner Theatre is an intimate theater nestled on Main Street in Longmont. It has been around for 17 years but it is likely unfamiliar to most residents of the Denver Metro area. The space is small, the menu is simple and the staff is incredibly friendly.

Godspell was a good fit for the intimate space. The set was very simple – on stage were a piano, a ladder and an array of props and costume pieces used throughout the show. The costumes were modern. The Hawaiian shirt on John the Baptist and the smiley face t-shirt on Jesus were fun.

The script for Godspell is a loose one with plenty of openings for improv. The cast made great use of these moments to represent them as millennials. The show didn’t feel like a relic from the early 1970’s – if came across as a modern telling of the Christian Gospels. Godspell is more like a series of sermons and hymns than a musical. The cast didn’t shy away from this concept.

Overall the show was well staged. The occasional use of the aisles gave it a sense of unpredictability. While much of it was humorous, the treatment of the Last Supper and Crucifixion scenes were given the seriousness they deserve. Godspell was widely criticized for featuring the Crucifixion without the Resurrection. The cast cleverly addressed this by suggesting it during the curtain call.

The biggest flaw in the production was the acoustics. Many of the female actors’ voices were not strong enough to carry without amplification. Their voices would occasionally be drowned out by the chorus or even the piano. Despite that, the cast seemed to enjoy performing and it was contagious.

As a side note, after the show my daughter asked a group of actors to have her photo taken with them. They responded by gathering the entire cast for the photo. We all left feeling appreciated as new audience members. The hometown feel of this theater will certainly bring us back!

Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys
National Tour
Buell Theater
Denver, CO
November 9-13, 2016

Broadway has been filled with autobiographical musicals over the years. So Jersey Boys, the story of the Four Seasons, doesn’t seem to be much different. However, the way that the story is told is what makes it special. That is why after eleven years it is still playing on Broadway and touring the US.


The story started in “Spring,” a chapter narrated by bad boy member Tommy De Vito. It got off to a fast start and kept a breathtaking pace throughout. The simple set changed from city streets, restaurants, jail houses and stages quickly thanks to the effective lighting and screen displays.

When the season switched to “Summer,” and Bob Gaudio took over the narration the mood changed. And when the group broke into “Sherry” the energy in the building exploded. The band’s rise to the top was swift and the audience was transported to a 1960’s concert.

Just when we thought we knew everything, Nick Massey took over the “Fall” narration. Suddenly we got another side of the story. And in final season, “Winter” our hearts broke as we heard Frankie Valli’s tragedies behind the scenes.


Between the Jersey accents and the fast pace we really entered the world around the band as they evolved. The story was filled with intelligent humor and the music that everybody knows.

The performers told the story with impeccable timing and the songs were a walk down memory lane. At times the actor portraying Frankie was a bit shrill and "My Boyfriend's Back" didn't really sound anything like the original recording. But that didn't any of the joy out of hearing these classics live.

At curtain call I was amazed to see all the women in the show were played by three actresses - an impressive feat. All the characters were somewhat exaggerated and yet still believable. I see a lot of theater, but I have never been to a performance where the audience was on their feet before the first actors arrived for the curtain call. The standing ovation was well deserved. Jersey Boys was one of the most enjoyable nights of theater I have had.