Anansi

Anansi
The Bitsy Stage
Denver, CO
October 27 - December 17, 2017

The Bitsy Stage’s commitment to sharing folk tales from around the world continued with their newest show Anansi. The intimate theater transformed into a dark jungle with thoughtful decorations. Foliage was draped over the entire room and the stage line was marked with a web pattern.

Anansi was a collection of folk tales and each one was told through a different form of theater. One story was a radio play, another a puppet show – other forms included ensemble acting and dance.

The cast of the show was top notch. Each actor morphed into various character before our eyes with only slight costume changes. The skits were funny and intriguing, keeping even the youngest members of the audience engaged.

The set was truly remarkable in this tiny space. Webs raised and lowered, creating swings and ladders. The lights created the time of day and showed the passage of time and change of scenery.
The Bitsy Stage is considered to be children’s theater but there was plenty for adults to enjoy. The quality of the performances, the writing and the presentation created a theatrical experience that everyone will love.

Rent

Rent

National Tour
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
November 14-19, 2017

It’s hard to believe that the groundbreaking musical Rent is celebrating its 20th anniversary. After all this time, the storyline has begun to show its age, although it is nostalgic to see phone booths in New York City! The storyline has become a time capsule for the 1990’s, much like South Pacific is for the 1940’s.

The music of Rent, however, is timeless. The humor of “The Tango Maureen” hasn’t diminished a bit. “Will I? is still heartbreakingly beautiful.

The cast of the tour is a strong one. Marc was the glue holding the whole story together and he did it perfectly. While Roger’s singing was a bit of a disappointment. He handled the crescendos of “One Song Glory” with style but the quieter parts were underwhelming. The duet between the two “What You Own,” however, was spectacular.

The supporting cast brought much to the show. Angel was charismatic and engaging, making her death even more devastating. Maureen was a force to be reckoned with. Her character is larger than life and the actress delivered a performance that lived up to her own hype.

The multi-level set continued to set the standard of how to use all the theater space you can. It gave many playing spaces and took the audience to the cold and poor side of New York.

The brilliance of Rent always makes me sad in a way. The show’s author Jonathan Larson dies shortly before its Broadway debut. I wonder what other amazing shows he would have written if he had the chance.

Cinderella

Cinderella
Opera Colorado
PACE Center
Parker, CO 
November 11, 2017

Opera Colorado’s touring production of Cinderella created the perfect opportunity to introduce children to opera. The show was performed by the young artists program in an abridged format especially for children.

The sets for the show were simple but effective. The cast moved furniture quietly and effectively and the backdrop opened up to reveal the prince’s castle. The costumes communicated each character’s position and Cinderella’s ball gown was as beautiful as each child imagined.

The performances of each singer were impressive. The singing and the acting were equally strong, making each character believable. The songs were sung in English, allowing the audience to follow along easily.

The one hour running time was just right for the young audience and there were no obvious gaps in the story. At the end of the show was a question and answer period which was painfully short for such a large audience. It would have been better to eliminate that portion than disappoint most of the children who wanted to ask questions.

La Boheme

La Boheme
Opera Colorado
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Denver, CO 
November 7-15, 2017

Operas are known for depicting glamorous lives with complex music. However, La Boheme is a departure from this formula. The main characters of this opera are starving artists whose dedication to their craft has left them in dire straits. These characters are much easier for the average person to identify with.

The characters are fairly two-dimensional. This cast had the acting abilities to flesh them out into more realistic people. They were likeable and appealing – even at their worst.

Even the love stories were believable. The actors had enough on-stage chemistry to invest the audience in their relationships.

The score of La Boheme is not the most familiar in opera. While the music is beautiful, aside from “Musetta’s Waltz,” it is not memorable.

The sets for the show were indicative of the poverty the characters lived in. While the apartment of Rodolpho and Marcello was sparse, there was a poetry to the scene. The audience was able to see into the hallway outside their door, giving the audience a preview of what may be coming.

In such a setting, the costumes could have been overly plain. However, each man had his own style and even Mimi’s dress was pretty if plain. It only made her special pink bonnet stand out even more. However, during crowd scenes if was difficult to pick out the main characters.

One character who did not blend in was Musetta. She was the wealthiest of the main characters. However, it was unclear why her clothing was so tacky, especially considering so many of the men were supposed to be attracted to her.

For opera  lovers, La Boheme is everything they could ask for – a high quality production with excellent performances.