The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew
Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Mary Rippon Theater
Boulder, CO
June 11 - August 13, 2017

Like many people, my best understanding of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew came from an episode of Moonlighting from 1986. However, the original play is not quite what I was led to expect.

The play was basically what the audience expected - an out of control woman in a world controlled by men. But there were elements not as well known, such as how Petrucio starved and tormented Kate until she was too weak, and broken, to argue with him. It was not the romantic "love conquers all" notion, it is in fact quite cruel.

The Shakespeare Festival's interpretation did nothing to frame this mistreatment in a better light. Setting the show in post World War II Little Italy added no depth to the story. In fact, the idea of a man starving his wife in the 1940's brought a sadistic bent to Petrucio's character.

The character of Bianca added to the mean bent of the story. While Kate was outspoken and often over the top, it is Bianca who often provokes this behavior to present herself as the more obedient daughter, when in fact, she was manipulating everyone for her own devices.


The set was well designed and functioned well to frame the action of the play. The costumes ran the gamut from military dress to Petrucio's gaudy purple suit. They were interesting but didn't always make sense.

The outdated story line was not made more acceptable by this production. If anything, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival shone a spotlight on the inappropriateness of the action.

The Oddest Sea: Greek Gods and Giggles

The Oddest Sea: Greek Gods and Giggles

Arts in the Open
Chautauqua State Park
Boulder, CO
June 2 - July 30, 2017

The Odyssey is a tough work to perform on stage. Creating a comedic script that can be performed on a hiking trail seems impossible. And yet, Arts in the Open has accomplished just this feat.

Each actor wore a simple costume - a plain chiton in various colors. Throughout the performance each actor (with the exception of Odysseus) each actor donned hats and masks to create many characters. Beyond that, each actor's impressive skills transformed them into gods, seamen, sirens, cyclops and animals.

The Odyssey covers 10 years and even though the play didn't feel that long, it managed to capture the essence of Odysseus' many perils. And despite the tragic feel of the epic poem by Homer, this play found the humor in the endless series of misadventures.

The brilliance of the script and the talent of the cast brought this ancient text into real life. The people and the situations were no longer words on a page but real flesh and blood. And presenting it on the glorious backdrop of Chautauqua Park made for a perfect setting for a story of man versus nature.

Hairspray

Hairspray
Town Hall Arts Center
Littleton, CO 
May 19 - June 18, 2017

In 2003, Hairspray was the darling of Broadway, winning eight Tonys that year, including Best Musical. This popular show has been produced numerous times locally in recent years, the current production at the Town Hall Arts Center seemed to have captured some of that magic.

The focus of the show seemed to be on the humorous parts of the script. The audience laughed so often that it was like a comedy show. However, that didn't result in a loss of the serious message about racial inequality at all. Instead, it intensified it.

The cast of the show was strong. It was led by their Edna, who was a very convincing in the matronly role. And even though Edna and Wilbur were played by two men, the chemistry between them dominated the show. Tracy was a convincing dreamer with the right charisma to hold up the story. And Link was charming in his self-absorbed character arc.

The music of the show was the highlight. "Good Morning Baltimore" hooked the audience from the beginning  But the crescendo came during "I Know Where I've Been" by Motormouth Maybelle. This anthem was stunning in it's power.

While the set is not elaborate, it holds up well to the action. The costumes shone throughout. The show was fun with a powerful message.

I have seen many musicals in the Denver area this season. Hairspray is easily one of the best.