The Wiz

The Wiz
Ignite Theatre
Aurora Fox Arts Center
Aurora, CO
January 7-29, 2017

Earlier this month, Ignite Theatre announced that their January run of The Wiz would be their last. After seven years, the company will be shutting its doors. It made attending the show bittersweet.

Before the show began, one of Ignite’s board members pointed out that the set was composed of pieces from the previous 30 productions by the company. It was interesting, however, sentimental collection did little to set the scene for The Wiz.

The story for The Wiz is familiar even if many of the songs are not. The script seemed choppy and the band usually overpowered the vocalists. All these elements made the story hard to follow – it’s fortunate that most of us already know it.

The cast was young – overall the singing was stronger than the acting. A high point was the song “Lion,” by the Cowardly Lion. His performance was over the top and fun. Dorothy and her other friends were more generic.

The costumes for the show were well thought out as modern clothing and yet relating to the traditional characterizations. The Tin Man’s silver jeans and shirt were perfect for him and Dorothy’s silver sneakers were sparkly enough to make traditionalists happy.

After the show the majority of main characters circulated with the audience still in their costumes. Dorothy, in particular, made herself available to meet the children and take photos.  It's these special moments that make local theaters special for patrons.

The Wiz was not Ignite’s strongest production. But it is an enjoyable way to say goodbye to a talented member of Denver’s theatre community.

Dreamgirls

Dreamgirls
Ignite Theater
Aurora Fox Theater
Aurora, CO
December 27, 2014 - January 18, 2015

After seeing Ignite Theater's impressive production of Into the Woods, I was excited to check out Dreamgirls. But before my review of the show, I have to give Ignite Theater props for their customer service. I had an issue with the date I purchased tickets for. I called their box office and my tickets were changed quickly and easily with no issue. They even did their best to get me seats as close to my original ones. This is a great perk for any theater goer who worried when purchasing theater tickets in advance.

That being said, it was only the first delight in my experience seeing Dreamgirls. I had only seen the movie prior to this and, as expected, there were differences. The director did not shy away from turning Deena into a full blown diva, not an innocent victim like the movie. Curtis is less charming and more conniving. Michelle is a full fledged character, not an afterthought. Effie is also not perfect, but no one here is.

The vocal performances are strong and the music is infectious. Even "Stepping to the Bad Side," my least favorite song in the movie, is powerful and showstopping. And then there is Effie's voice, which will blow you away in "And I'm Telling You, I'm Not Going" and "I Am Changing," just as they are supposed to. And at the end, the Dreams move into place as Effie's backup singers and you see what should have been. It's breathtaking.

The sets are not complex, but the use of every inch of the stage is impressive to give you a feel of different places. The costume and wigs are fantastic, changing the decades by themselves.

This is one show I feel bad for people who have missed it. This was one of those rare life-changing performances.

Into the Woods

Into the Woods
Ignite Theater
Aurora Fox Theater
Aurora, CO
October 17 - November 9, 2014

Into the Woods was my first chance to see a production by the Ignite Theater. They perform at the Aurora Fox Theater, where I learned of this production. My daughter loves this show, but had never seen a full scale performance of it.

The show did not disappoint. The sets for this show can be complex - needing to show several spaces at the same time. The simple, yet descriptive, backdrops gave the audience enough to see the various location without being burdensome. The characters also spend most of their time delving deeper and deeper into the forest and I was impressed with the simplistic "trees" which moved around throughout the production to simulate different places in the woods. It definitely gave the audience the feeling of movement.

However, it was the strong performances that carried the production. The beautiful voices of Cinderella and Rapunzel were a delight. Equally impressive was the performance of the young lady playing Red Riding Hood. The score was difficult, yet she handled it with great skill. It was refreshing to see the role played by an actual child (which removed much of the sexual tension that often takes over "Hello Little Girl" when Red is played by an adult.)


In this show, Act One is the easy part. The key is to build momentum to carry the audience through the dark and potentially depressing Act Two. This production accomplishes this difficult feat. While the songs are less hummable, "The Last Midnight" accomplishes the menace it needs and "You are Not Alone" will touch your heart.

This show is not for everyone. Due to the fairy tale theme, patrons might assume it is for small children. However, this show contains the death of several major characters, adultery and child abuse, so it is best left to older children and adults.