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.

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet
Colorado Ballet
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Denver, CO 
February 16 - 25, 2018

Romeo and Juliet is a more intricate story than the ballet usually tells.
Despite the need for editing, all the most familiar elements of the story were present. Most notably was the character of Mercutio. His humorous antics came through even without words. Tybalt was not as hot headed as expected but their conflict was unmistakable.

Romeo and Juliet’s characters were not as well developed. Despite that, the chemistry between the dancers moved the story along. Romeo’s parents only appeared briefly in the production and had nor characterization through the story.

This production had more scene changes than a usual ballet, but they were completed quickly behind a closed curtain while the orchestra played. The sets were beautiful and perfectly created each location. The balcony scene was played mostly on an open stage but unfortunately the decorative foliage block Juliet from view for a portion of the audience when she was actually on the balcony.

The costumes, on the whole were spectacular. It was a bit strange to see Romeo’s initial love interest Rosalind dressed more splendidly than Juliet at the Capulet’s ball. The two sides of the conflict were, for the most part, color coordinated to help the audience see which side everyone was on. The Montagues wore the cool blues and greens while the Capulets were often in fiery reds and black.

The final scene was a bit sloppy. It was uncomfortable to watch Romeo dragging Juliet’s body around and confounding that she didn’t awaken until he stopped. It was also a disappointment not to see the reconciliation of the families after the death of their heirs.

Unlike Dracula earlier this season, the dancing was not secondary to the storytelling. This show blended both together for a satisfying performance.

Cinderella

Cinderella
Moscow Festival Ballet
Lone Tree Arts Center
Lone Tree, CO 
February 15, 2018

Every year around this time, the Moscow Festival Ballet makes a stop in the Denver area. Those who attend every year will undoubtedly recognize many of the dancers. That familiar feel brought a welcoming feeling to the show.

The set for Cinderella was beautiful but unfortunately to was stationary. The same backdrop was used for Cinderella’s home and the royal palace. The costumes were stunning. It was a refreshing change to see all the women at the ball wearing dresses and not tutus. Although, one of Cinderella’s stepsisters wore a blue dress much like the one in the Disney movies, so that took a bit of getting used to.

The dancer portraying Cinderella’s stepmother stole every scene he was in. Even more impressive was that he was the only member of the cast not wearing dance shoes. The stepsisters also danced beautifully, although always with an ugly expression on their faces. The leaps of the prince were astounding while Cinderella was a lovely to watch.

The music was prerecorded and often cut off before it ended, which reminded the audience constantly that is wasn’t live. But that was the only real distraction from a graceful fairy tale.

Siren Song

Siren Song: A Pirate Odyssey
Buntport Theatre
Lakewood, CO 
October 14, 2017 - May 12, 2018

Buntport Theatre has been presenting one hour episodes of Siren Song since last fall. While it is not essential to see every episode to follow the plot of each episode, once you see one, they become strangely addictive.  This month’s episode was based on Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

The transition from the last episode to this one was a bit choppy. But those who have been following along were filled in early in. The plot for the Thriller show was completely different from the previous one I had seen. But it was just as funny.

Captain Cruelboots was not in this section, but Terry and Neville returned. The audience also met the God of Recorders and Priscilla the Thriller, who fit into the ridiculous cocktail. The new characters played off the established quirks of the familiar ones.

While the story line about daydream boxes was fun, it was the recreation of the Thriller dance at the end which brought the house down.

John Williams: An American Journey

John Williams: An American Journey
Colorado Symphony
Boettcher Concert Hall
Denver, CO
February 9-10, 2018

John Williams is the best known composer in the United States today. Since he is known for his film scores, he isn’t’ usually seen as a classical composer. The Colorado Symphony concert made a point of showing how versatile his music is.

The playlist for the concert was surprising. Williams’ best-known works were not included. The selections included pieces from The Terminal, JFK and Schindler’s List. While conductor Brett Mitchell did refer to Jurassic Park and the Indiana Jones films, nothing from either popular work was included in the program. Even the two selections from the Star Wars saga were the little known “Asteroid Field” from The Empire Strikes Back and “Luke and Leia” from Return of the Jedi.

Featured prominently were the two Olympic themes written by Williams for the 1984 and 1996 games. Given that the concert was scheduled on opening weekend of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. They were among the most known pieces on the playlist.

One fun portion was the Williams’ variations on “Happy Birthday.” It was an appropriate selection given that the concert was scheduled to coincide with the composer’s 86th birthday.

The concert ended with a performance of “Soundings,” a piece written for the opening of the Los Angeles Symphony’s Gala. Conductor Mitchell’s description added interest to the piece and it was exciting to learn the Colorado Symphony was only the second to ever perform it.

All the music was performed beautifully and it was enjoyable to see the members of the symphony paly solos in the different selections. However, it would have been nice to hear “Raider’s March” or the fanfare from Star Wars included in the lesser known works.