The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon
National Tour
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Denver, CO 
June 13 - July 1, 2018

The musical The Book of Mormon took Broadway by storm in 2011. In that time, the appeal of this satirical show has not died down. Even on its third trip to Denver the tickets sold quickly.

The show started quickly with “Hello,” showing a group of young men training to go door to door. From there the story took off running. The songs were full of energy and the choreography added to the humor.

The main characters of Elder Price and Elder Cunningham were fun to watch. They had good chemistry between them. Nabulungi was charming but when she sang it was difficult to understand the words. On a song like “Sal Tlay Ka Siti" it was unfortunate because much of the humor was lost.

The brief bits from the actually Book of Mormon helped put the show in context. The “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” served as a psychological analysis as well as a production number. Songs like "I Believe" and "Baptize Me" showed relatable sides of the characters.

The show was funny, often vulgar and never took anything seriously. It pushed the limits of good taste and the comfort level of the audience. The result was a hilarious presentation that somehow managed to show the human side of all the characters involved.

The Commedia of Robin Hood

The Commedia of Robin Hood

Arts in the Open
Chautauqua State Park
Boulder, CO
June 2 - July 1, 2018

Robin Hood seems like a natural fit for a theatre hike from Arts in the Open. The natural setting at Chautauqua State Park can easily stand in for Sherwood Forest.

The Commedia of Robin Hood was presented as a play within a play. The first scene introduced the audience to the actors - a pretentious Shakespearean, a young narcissist, an exasperated director. Once the parts were assigned, the action of the story began. Occasionally we would see the actor behind the character. It was impressive to see each actor playing two characters at once.

All the familiar characters were part of the show: Robin Hood, Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The introduction of each one brought on tales that some audiences may not have been familiar with, but each was memorable.

The story contained plenty of action. The actors (aside from Robin Hood) switched from character to character to tell the story. At times the portrayal was quite silly, but it was all in good fun.

The limited props and simple costumes were brought alive by the talented cast and clever directing. The weather changed during the performance I attended and the actors persevered through it. Even a rainstorm couldn't stop the famous Robin Hood!

School of Rock

School of Rock
National Tour
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
May 29 - June 10, 2018

The movie School of Rock wasn’t the most obvious choice to become a musical, especially on written by superstar composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. But that is the journey this show took.

The show was exactly what audiences wanted. The music was not-too-heavy rock and roll. The story was fun and inspiring. The script was funny and the pace was quick and the characters were relatable.
The cast carried the show. It was often difficult to understand the lyrics when Dewey was singing, but his portrayal of the character was spot on. The children’s performances were also very enjoyable, particularly the know-it-all Summer. The announcement before the show that the children actually play the instruments during the performance only increased the appreciation of their performance
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The songs are not reminiscent of past Andrew Lloyd Webber scores. However, there are two soaring ballads that he is known for: “Where Did the Rock Go?” and “If Only You Would Listen.” Other songs like “You’re In the Band” and “Stick It to the Man” are very different than what we would expect.

The set for the show seemed simple. Most only took up a portion of the stage giving them an intimate feel. The technology used made each scene flow seamlessly into the next.

The show was a real crowd pleaser. It was the perfect show to introduce children to live theatre, especially teens and tweens.