Into the Woods

Into the Woods
CU Presents
University Theater
Boulder, CO
February 24, 2019

Into the Woods has become one of the most popular works of Stephen Sondheim in region theatre. Despite it's fairy tale appeal, it is a dark and complex piece to produce. But this has not diminished its popularity. The run at the CU Presents was sold out before it began.

The focus of the production was clearly on the humor. The funny moments stood out although they occasionally went too far and even interfered with characters.

While each role was cast with talented performers, some of the choices were perplexing. It was hard to get around that Little Red looked far older than Jack’s mother. The narrator never found his place in the cast and the princes, while funny, were a bit too foppish to be charming. The use of “dryads” to move set pieces and bring on the cow were alternately clever and annoying.

The set was beautiful to look at with many playing levels to allow for Rapunzel’s tower and climbing a beanstalk. In Act 2 it even lit up for breathtaking atmosphere. It allowed a character to cross the stage above the main action without disturbing it. Unfortunately it wasn’t always used to its full potential. Cinderella’s family was relegated to an awkward staircase for their playing space and it created slow exits at several points.

The costumes were confusing. The main characters were dressed like fairytale characters. However, the two princes had on bland looking smoking jackets while Jack’s mother and Cinderella’s stepmother wore modern couture. And it was disappointing that every ball gown was calf length. Both of Little Red's costumes were fierce (in a good way).

The biggest issue with the production was the pace. Act 1 is the lighter and more entertaining of the two but in this production it dragged. Several of the songs were slower in tempo than usual which added to the feeling that it would never end. The darker Act 2, however, was paced much better. It flew by easily.

The CU Presents production demonstrated how complex this work by Sondheim truly is. The characterizations, the music and the tempo all have to work. 

Cosi Fan Tutti

Cosi Fan Tutti
Loveland Opera Theatre
Rialto Theater
Loveland, CO
February 22 - March 3, 2019

Cosi Fan Tutti is a well-known opera. Like many local productions, Loveland Opera Theatre looked to put their own spin on this classic.

The concept of the production was to incorporate famous works of art into the show. That seems like an odd undertaking, but it actually worked well. Each scene was set with the artwork projected in the background as a recreation formed in front of it. After the initial set up, the scene was allowed to proceed without too much focus on the painting.

The Saturday matinee performances were created especially for families. The understudies played the main roles and the presentation was narrated. Between each scene was a description of what had happened in the previous scene and what was coming up, helping the children follow along. Scene Two even allowed for the children to go onstage and be a part of the opera! Before the third scene there was a demonstration of how lighting adds to the mood of each scene. And at the end was a question and answer period.

The biggest drawback to the format what that the extra features took up so much time that the audience didn’t see a conclusion. Instead the narrator revealed how the story ended.

Because they were copying these famous works, each scene was somewhat dictated to the designer. The larger pieces like trees and fountains, were painted in the style of the artwork. The furniture was more realistic. The space was always colorful and fit the comedic tone of the opera.

The recreation of the painting allowed for fantastic costumes. Most notable were the Seurat Sunday in the Park setting for the second scene of the first act. These costumes were lovely to look at.
The third scene was brilliantly directed. While Dorabella had a rather dull aria, the rest of the characters were all carrying on silly shenanigans which kept the audience fully engaged.

The cast was talented and, since the opera was in English, were easy to understand. Usually operas geared for children do not have full chorus, so it was fun to see that in this production.
Loveland Opera Theatre has put together a comprehensive and entertaining production to introduce children to opera.  It was both education and fun, making opera accessible to those who may think of it as only for the old and stuffy. Bravissimo!

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz
Colorado Ballet
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Denver, CO 
February 1-10, 2019

Colorado Ballet does not always play it safe. Two years ago they presented a new work – Alice in Wonderland. Alice pushed the limits of ballet. This year they presented The Wizard of Oz. The title alone was enough to sell out the run, but it was the production that got people talking.

Colorado Ballet didn’t stray too far from the classic story. The costume for Dorothy was her traditional blue gingham with sparkly red ballet shoes. The witches were spectacular with Glinda in a whimsical pink tutu decorated with silver bubbles and the Wicked Witch wore a skirt of long black ribbons. The munchkins and residents of Emerald City wore creative, crazy costumes. The sinister winged monkeys made the ones in the film seem harmless.

The sets were simple, almost cartoon-like. They were complemented by a screen with graphics to add more depth. A few times the graphics drew too much attention and took away from the live dancers on stage.

One of the most famous aspects of The Wizard of Oz is the memorable songs. The ballet version had its own soundtrack which perfectly caught the spirit of the show. The music was folksy for the scenes in Kansas and whimsical in Oz. The Wicked Witch had brass heavy interludes to announce her presence.

The dancing was an enjoyable blend of traditional ballet with modern additions. The choreography had a playful spirit and never took itself too seriously. The dancing was complimented by special effects. Both witches actually flew – so did the flying monkeys.

Taking on a classic film like The Wizard of Oz was not an easy task, but the Colorado Ballet pulled it off brilliantly.

Sondheim & Lloyd Webber Showcase

Sondheim & Lloyd Webber Showcase
Colorado Symphony
Boettcher Concert Hall
Denver, CO
February 9, 2019

The music of Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber dominated Broadway in the 1980’s. Although these composers have completely different styles of music, they will be forever linked. And a bit of trivia – they share the same birthday.

The Colorado Symphony brought the best known songs of these theatrical giants intone concert. The first section featured quirky selections by Sondheim. Soloist Debbie Gravitte made the most of the material. She created a commanding Mama Rose for “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” a warm Mrs. Lovett in “Not While I’m Around” and a crazed bride to be in “Not Getting Married Today.”  “Send in the Clowns,” beautifully sung by Scarlett Strallen, more resembled the intimate moment in A Little Night Music than the pop song it became.

The second half of the concert showcased the well-known songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber. All three soloists showed incredible vocal skill for these selections. Debbie showed she was more than a  character actress with her rendition of “Memory.” The undeniable highlight of the show was Hugh Panero’s performance of “The Music of the Night” which led to an immediate standing ovation. The night ended with a creative mash up of “Love Changes Everything,” “Unexpected Song” and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”

The Sondheim and Lloyd Webber Showcase not only demonstrated the timeless beauty of the music of these two composers but also gave the symphony and soloists an opportunity to shine. It was a delightful night of magnificent music.

Symphonic Tribute to Comic Con

Symphonic Tribute to Comic Con
Colorado Symphony
Boettcher Concert Hall
Denver, CO
February 8, 2019

The Salute to Comic Con has become a biannual tradition at the Colorado Symphony appealing to cosplayers and pop culture geeks alike. With a wealth of music to choose from, it is never the same concert.

This year, the conducting duties were shared by associate conductor Christopher Dragon and video game composer Austin Wintory. Dragon led the movie and television themes while Wintory appropriately conducted the video game music.

The program began with the theme from Game of Thrones. Christopher Dragon entered dressed as a dragon. It was the first of his four costumes. He also wore costumes for Darth Vader, Harry Potter and Gandolf the wizard.

The video game music was less familiar, but still fascinating to listen to. Soloist Marissa Rudd immaculately performed “I Was Born For This” demonstrating that not only is gaming music beautiful, but also complex.

 Throughout the concert, upcoming movie in concert performances were promoted. Selections from Mary Poppins, The Empire Strikes Back and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince were played with a reminder of these dates coming up.

The concert concluded with a suite from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings. This was a new piece for the symphony and the music shone.

This year the performance did not feature cosplayers as it has it in the past, which was a bit of a disappointment. Not as many audience members were dressed in costume. So the atmosphere was not as festive as in years past. However the music was beautifully played and outside of its original context, it took on a life of its own.