Hamilton

Hamilton
National Tour
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
February 24 - April 1, 2018

It’s hard to think of a show that has received more hype than Hamilton – An American Musical. Once the hype gets going it’s difficult for the material to live up to.  But this show delivered.
The pace of Hamilton was lightning fast. The dialogue was minimal between the catchy songs. The hip hop soundtrack appealed to a much wider audience than you would expect. “My Shot,” “Helpless,” “The Room Where it Happened” and “The Story of Tonight” already have a life outside the show.

The story was the epic journey of Alexander Hamilton from poor immigrant to founding father to his early death. The narrator was Aaron Burr, the man most famous for killing Hamilton in a duel. The character development throughout the show was impressive. Not only did we get to know Hamilton, his friends and family, we also got familiar the villain Burr. The interesting part was that the audience didn’t hate Burr at any time in the story. The short appearances of King George were the shots of comic relief the audience needed.

The performances throughout the show were engaging. Each actor created appealing characters. The songs were immaculately performed. The harmonies were beautifully put together and most of the lyrics were easily understood. And in a show that is mostly sung, that was vital.

The set appeared plain, but it was well used throughout the show. The dual rotating floor was not over used but was effective when it was. But the star of the technical side was the lighting. It created texture, movement and focus throughout.

Hamilton may not be for everyone, but it does have a wide appeal with great music, likable characters and an inspiring story with genuine emotion. Expect to see the Hamilton machine steaming along for years to come.

Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd
CU Presents
Macky Auditorium
Boulder, CO
March 16-18, 2018

Sweeney Todd is a monumental task for any theatre company to take on. For a program like Eklund Opera, it’s even more challenging. To have budding opera singers perform music that is meant to sound discordant must have felt counter intuitive.

Wisely, they cast a professor in the title role and brought an alumnus of the program back for the role of Judge Turpin. The students rounding out the cast did a remarkable job rounding out the cast. While the experienced performers shone, the student singers more than held their own.

The steampunk costumes and set worked well with the storyline of the show. The set was simple yet effective. It gave the players many levels which they utilized throughout. The barber chair worked perfectly throughout and sets changed easily.

Overall, this performance had the feeling of a professional company rather than a student production, an impressive feat for a difficult show.

Jotunheim

Jotunheim
Bitsy Stage
Denver, CO
February 22 – April 8, 2018


The Bitsy Stage has made its name presenting folk tales from around the world in format that is easily accessible for audiences of all ages. While their latest show Jotunheim is advised for ages eight and older, it did not change that focus.

Billed as a heavy metal musical, Jotunheim presented Nordic tales of Thor and his Hammer. The costumes were dark with a decidedly steampunk influence. Aside from the well-known Beatles song “Blackbird,” the music was original to the show. With a live electric guitar, the audience could feel the music just as much as they heard it.

The characters were the strength of the show. Thor was not a blonde Adonis but an arrogant and often confused figure. Odin was strong and unapproachable while Loki was goofy and tricky, but certainly not a villain. Freya was the most enjoyable character as a strong woman who wanted to be known for her brains more than her beauty.

The script was simple but fun. It brought a loft myth to a realistic level. Once again, the Bitsy Stage has highlighted how people are more similar than we are different.

Video Games Live

Video Games Live
Colorado Symphony
Boettcher Concert Hall
Denver, CO
March 9-10, 2018

In past concerts, the Colorado Symphony has presented the music of video games as part of the Geek and Pops Series. Video Games Live was a show made up completely with this music. The audience this performance attracted was enthusiastic about this concept.

The show began with composer and guitarist Tommy Tallarico performing the music of Castlevania with the symphony. While he came across more as a rock star, his passion for the music was contagious. Other composers Emmanuel Fratianni and Austin Wintory joined him at various times in the show.

The musical selections included Mario, Skyrim, Street Fighter II, Kingdom Hearts, and each was accompanied by graphics from the games. The experience effectively set up the artistry that goes onto each of these games. And, as one who is not a “gamer,” the music was enjoyable on its own.

After the performance, all the guest artists stayed for a meet and greet with the many attendees who wanted to see them. They were all gracious and spent quality time with each fan. The whole experience built a sense of community with the varied people who share a love of video games.

How I Became A Pirate

How I Became A Pirate
Inspire Creative
PACE Center
Parker, CO 
March 9, 2018

While not a classic musical, How I Became a Pirate is a show many parents chose to introduce their children to live theatre. It was set up perfectly for that - the subject matter was definitely kid-friendly, the run time was only and hour and there was a question and answer session afterwards. So the audience was filled with young families.

The story followed the adventures of Jeremy Jacob after a chance meeting with the pirate Braid Beard. He quickly found himself as a valuable member of the crew as they searched for buried treasure.

It was unfortunate that the cast did not contain any female characters. After all, there were female pirates. The only female onstage was portraying Jeremy Jacob. She did a convincing job of portraying a boy. The rest of the cast were enjoyable to watch with all their quirks.

The storyline was easy to follow, however the song lyrics did tend to contain more robust language that smaller children might have had trouble understanding.

The set seemed amateurishly simple until the curtain opened to reveal an impressive pirate ship. Even more enjoyable was hearing the cast discuss how they assemble and reassemble it on every stop on their tour.

While not the perfect show for little ones, How I Became a Pirate, was a fun show for families.