La Traviata

La Traviata
Central City Opera
Central City, CO
July 11 - August 9, 2015

I should begin by saying that I attended the Central City Opera’s production of La Traviata as part of the Take a Child to the Opera event.  It was a well-planned day of activities cultivating the children’s interest in opera and theater, but also featured history lessons about Central City. The added activities also included a craft table and time set aside to watch the ushers sing their famous song before opening the theater for seating. It was a fun day without being overwhelming and it made the long drive from the Denver area seem more worthwhile.

Since this was a special family-friendly production, we did not see the actors who have been playing the roles throughout the festival. These were the young artists. However, the sets and costumes from the regular production were used. The opera was sung in the original Italian with the translation on a small screen on the proscenium. That helped everyone keep up with the story.

The transition to the young artists wasn’t entirely smooth. Alfredo’s voice was not as clear and strong as we are used to in a leading man and Georges was clearly too young for the part he was playing. But their parts were well-acted and enjoyable. The chorus was strong and polished. By far, the brightest light was on their Violetta who performed the role flawlessly. She took control of the music and her presence was felt in every scene.

The production of La Traviata as a whole left little to be desired. The transformation for scene to scene was complete and the few furniture pieces were enough to indicate the surroundings. The transformation of the party scene in Act 2, scene 2 from a festive party to a somber almost funerary feel was stunning, setting the scene for the tragic end. And the bright light that engulfed Violetta at the end put the scene into focus and added a starkness to her death.

After the opera, the young artists arrived in the courtyard for meet and greets with the children. The event put a friendly end on the day’s activities. Central City Opera offers the Take A Child event every year and I am already looking forward to next summer!

West Side Story

West Side Story
Inspire Creative
PACE Center
Parker, CO
July 17 - August 2, 2015

West Side Story is an undeniable classic in American musical theater.  Apparently many theaters around Denver feel it is timely for this show since I have seen it on the schedule for at least three different companies this season. The first production was at the PACE Center.

In the beginning the street set was impressive. It lent itself well to the street scenes, giving ample places for gang members to hide and emerge from. It was not as successful for the other scenes. It was awkward for Tony to call to Marina from downstage, then disappear only to emerge center stage onto Maria’s balcony. I felt the absence of watching Tony climb to Maria and the space used for those scenes was way too large for a New York fire escape. The set pieces for Doc’ shop and the dress store were effective but Maria’s room and the gym were less convincing.

The biggest challenge of this show is getting two rival gangs to dance. The choreography in this production was clunky. It seemed more like a series of steps with no development of story or character. The ballet for “Somewhere” has always been strange for me, but the massive production number of the entire cast, featuring the recently deceased Bernardo and Riff was particularly perplexing. While the trio of blonde singers in white gowns were lovely to listen to in that song, I was confused as to what it all meant.

The director clearly created this as a modern story. Many elements of the show were more sexualized than they needed to be. The strange production number for “Somewhere” was shown as nothing more than foreplay for the consummation of Tony and Maria’s relationship. Considering the close proximity to her brother’s murder by Tony, the graphic nature of it seemed distasteful. The attack on Anita was also more detail that was necessary. While her ordeal must be awful to forward the story, watching the gang members force their youngest member on top of her was a bit much.

The strength of the production was clearly its cast. Anita was appropriately sassy and Maria equally innocent. I’m not sure the intimate theater was large enough to contain Tony’s rich operatic voice. The supporting players were strong, if not spectacular. Some gang members, however, seemed very young and others way too old for their roles. Almost every song is familiar and they were performed beautifully.

The material stands up to the test of time. The coarse language only highlights the continued struggle between races which still exists today.  It is a difficult show to produce and overall, this was a solid effort.

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins
BDT Stage
Boulder, CO
May 16 - September 5, 2015

I have seen the national Mary Poppins tour twice and I was interested in how a regional company would produce the show. So, when BDT Stage announced the show this season, I was very interested to see it.

The sets for the show were well done. The noise they made while they rolled onto the stage was distracting from the action taking place, but the audience was effectively taken from the Banks’ home to the park and even the rooftops.

The costumes were wonderfully transforming into Edwardian England. While the dialects were inconsistent throughout the show, the audience didn’t seem to mind.

The performances by the cast were strong. Even the children were impressive. But the real stand out was the choreography. During “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” the complex moves were performed quickly and in sync by the entire cast. It was an impressive feat. “Step In Time” was also a highlight with energetic dance moves to go with the peppy song.

The special effects weren’t seamless. The wires creating the flying sequences were always visible, but given the difficulty of the production it’s a flaw we are willing to accept.

I also appreciated the British slant to the menu to go along with the show. The shepherd’s pie and bangers and mash weren’t bad. The food only added to the fun.

I give credit to BDT Stage for taking on such an ambitions and well-loved production. And it was practically perfect!

Wicked

Wicked
National Touring Company
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
June 3 - July 5, 2015

I saw the original tour of Wicked when it passed through Denver in 2007. This year, Wicked returned for a record fifth run. And despite the many trips to Denver, the shows are still sold close to capacity.

Unlike the previous time I saw the show, I now know the soundtrack by heart. The original cast is a tough act to follow, but the cast of this tour proved up for the challenge.

Elphaba’s voice was powerful and passionate. “The Wizard and I” (never one of my favorites) carried the hopes of every member in its strong presentation. But nothing was more stunning than her growth in “Defying Gravity,” which gave me chills.

Glinda was light and silly when needed and gorgeous on the high notes. Her rendition of “Popular” bordered on ridiculous and the audience enjoyed every moment of it. The wide range of emotion needed for “Thank Goodness” was impressive as you believe every note as her dreams crash around her.

The rest of the cast was equally talented. The songs were polished and the dancing energetic. In the audience I could feel the enjoyment of the performers and their efforts were rewarded with loud applause.

The audience had many members who have seen the show numerous times. Also present were children seeing it for the first time. Clearly that is the appeal of the show. It continues to draw audiences from all age groups and tell the universal story of friendship. The connection to the audience is as strong as ever.

Little Red and Her Feisty Friends

Little Red and Her Feisty Friends
Theatre-Hikes Colorado
Chautauqua Park
Boulder, CO
June 6 - July 26, 2015

Theatre-Hikes has become a summertime tradition for me. This year we saw their show Little Red and Her Feisty Friends at gorgeous Chautauqua Park in Boulder.

The hikes I have taken with them before have been fairly light. But the one at Chautauqua was very different. It was quite a hike just from the parking lot to the meeting spot. The show and hike were just over two hours covering two miles. It was a real hike.

As a bonus, the playwright was the guide when I saw the show. She explained that she was asked to write a play about Red Riding Hood. Since it’s just a short story, she created a piece which took the audience around the world through mythology. The actors played numerous characters within each scene as well as story to story. It was fun to watch.

The stories were silly and fun. After Red Riding Hood, we saw Mighty Mountain Man, The Lad Who Went to the North Wind and The Ogre’s Feather. The stories were told on five stops on the hike.

Some of the terrain was difficult which were difficult for the younger members of the audience. And considering the subject matter there were quite a few kids in the audience. Some groups actually dropped out before the show was over. The final scene was also nowhere near the beginning, so we had to hike back to the start as well. But overall, it was a fun way to hike.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Little Foxes 
The Aurora Fox Theater
Aurora, CO
June 9-25, 2015


The Little Foxes, the children’s theater program at the Aurora Fox Theater, presents matinee performances through the summer. Their first offering this year is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It’s robust material for an hour-long child-performed play. However, the Little Foxes proved to be up for the challenge.

Since most of the characters are animals, the costuming proved creative and just believable enough. The set was well thought out. As an audience member, I appreciated the care taken to immerse the child actors and audience in the world of Narnia.

Naturally, some of the child performances were stronger than others. At times dialog was difficult to hear. But overall, it was an impressive effort by all involved.

The audience was filled with children, some who had read the book and many who had not. This production managed to delight them all.

Annie

Annie
National Touring Company
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
April 29 - May 10, 2015

Musicals don't get much more beloved than Annie. The songs are familiar to even the most casual theater goer and everyone recognizes Annie, Sandy and Daddy Warbucks. And despite a lifetime of attending theater, I had never seen it onstage. This touring production didn't let me down.

For this show to work, the actress playing Annie has to be special. And she was. Her rendition of "Tomorrow" was heartfelt and uplifting. She's likely sung it hundreds of times and yet it still sounded fresh.

The rest of the cast were just as strong. Miss Hannigan was not so evil that she wasn't hilarious. Daddy Warbucks was a loveable workaholic and you can't help but develop a fondness for Grace and the rest of the staff.

Sandy was played by a live dog. His appearances were brief, but I doubt there wasn't a single member of the audience who wouldn't have gladly taken this dog home. He was sweet and endearing. (The dog's story in the program only added to the appeal.)

The production numbers were especially entertaining. The harmonies were spot on and the choreography was engaging.

It's been a while since I've seen the technology used to change sets as smoothly and quickly as the ones in this show. Each one was a marvelous representation of the locations they portrayed. You never forgot you were in New York City.

This production was everything a touring company should be. It had a talented cast, impressive sets and an enduring script. And it was clear that the audience agreed with me because every song was received with an enthusiastic and long round of applause. Annie is the perfect show to introduce children to live theater or to add to their theatrical experience.