Aida

Aida
Opera Theatre of the Rockies
Ent Center for the Arts
Colorado Springs, CO
May 10 - 13, 2018

Verdi’s Aida is on the of the classic operas that most people have heard of, if not seen. As part of their 2oth season, Opera Theatre of the Rockies presented it in concert form.

While the show did not have a set, images of Egypt were projected on a screen at the back of the stage to suggest the locations of the scenes. The cast were fully costumed throughout, even changing between scene to show the passage of time. Amneris had particularly spectacular outfits befitting the princess of Egypt.

The story was written so much of the action took place offstage. Rademes was already in love with Aida when the opera began. His conquest of the Ethiopians was only referred to after it happened. Even his trail was held offstage where Amneris could only listen in. And with the performance in concert style, it lacked action in front of the audience. A fully staged opera would have contained a victory parade, but since this was a concert, the lights went down on stage and the focus went to the musicians.

Musically, the performance was spectacular. The voices of the singers were perfection and they were beautifully framed by the live orchestra and chorale. But an audience member wanting to see a traditional opera might have been disappointed.

Pirates of the Symphony Seas

Pirates of the Symphony Seas
Colorado Symphony
Boettcher Concert Hall
Denver, CO
May 6, 2018

This season the Buntport Theatre has been presenting Siren Song, a serialized story of pirates in Ancient Schmeece. For the concert Pirates of the Symphony Seas, they brought the show to a larger audience and set it to familiar classical music.


The show started with the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean with conductor Christopher Dragon dressed on a festive red jacket and pirate hat. After that introduction, the play started. It was a silly story of pirates in search of a captain and their encounter of the dreaded siren. It was a fun show that never took itself too seriously. The action was framed with musical interludes by famous composers such as Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Grieg.  They also added "The Eye of the Tiger" for a bit of fun.


This was a different type of performance by the symphony. It was more theatrical than most but judging by the audience reaction, it was a fun afternoon for all the families who attended.

Jurassic Park in Concert

Jurassic Park in Concert
Colorado Symphony
Boettcher Concert Hall
Denver, CO
May 3-4, 2018


The Colorado Symphony has brought in many new audience members with their well publicized movie series. This evening, they presented the music of Jurassic Park. The movie started immediately after conductor Brett Mitchell stepped onstage. The film was presented with subtitles and it was surprising to see how often there was no music at all.

John William’s score for Jurassic Park is one of his most recognizable and hearing it live added an emphasis on the music. It was disappointing that the sound effects were not also li e p that would have made the dinosaurs feel even closer!

The Movies at the Symphony is an excellent series to bring live music to an audience that may not otherwise be interested.

Alice in Wonderland: A Circus Adventure

Alice in Wonderland: A Circus Adventure
MOTH Contemporary Circus Center
Newman Center for the Performing Arts
Denver, CO 
April 28-29, 2018

Alice in Wonderland seems to be a perfect fit for an acrobatic performance. Perhaps that was why the MOTH Contemporary Circus Center’s Alice in Wonderland Circus Adventure was such a draw.

The story of Alice does not have much of a plot, which allowed the fantastic characters to perform without needing to advance the story. Holding each adventure together was Alice wandering from character to character. She demonstrated a variety of skills as she often took part in the performances

The White Rabbit was a funny character who whimsically appeared from time to time. And the Queen of Hearts stole the show with her cruel games – often inviting the audience to take part. The mad tea party lived up to it's name with a particularly wacky Mad Hatter.

The show was reminiscent of Cirque du Soliel with trapeze acts, contortionists, high wire acts and arial silk performances. It was all tied together by a vocalist who appeared on the left side of the stage.

The quality of the show may not have been on par with Cirque du Soliel, but that didn’t take away from it in any way. The audience clearly enjoyed the performance.

Aladdin

Aladdin

National Tour
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
April 6-28, 2018

Disney’s Broadway division in known for its spectacular effects. In Aladdin they have proved that no one can present a production number better. From the opening “Arabian Nights” they have pulled out all the stops in set and choreography.

When bringing Aladdin to the stage, significant changes were made the script. While the story remained the same, the changes in characters was most notable. All of the animal sidekicks were different in the show. Iago became a human stooge while Rajah and Abu were replaced with a trio of friends for each Aladdin and Jasmine. These changes made the story more believable and allowed for better development of the main roles.

The sets of the show were nothing short of spectacular. The Cave of Wonders was blinding and Jasmine’s room was what a palace should look like. The costumes added to the spectacle. Every performer on stage glittered in the finale.

The choreography was the star of this show. ”Friend Like Me” was a show stopping number that seemed to fill up half of Act One. The songs which were added exclusively for the stage show were enjoyable, if not memorable. "A Whole New World" was impressive as the mechanism to make the carpet fly was not at all visible.

The performances were solid for the most part. The role of the Genie was flawless. The combination of the original material, modern references and local jokes kept the audience engaged. Clearly, Disney did not just take the film and put it on stage. They used Aladdin as a vehicle to present their biggest theatrical spectacle to date.

Hamilton

Hamilton
National Tour
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
February 24 - April 1, 2018

It’s hard to think of a show that has received more hype than Hamilton – An American Musical. Once the hype gets going it’s difficult for the material to live up to.  But this show delivered.
The pace of Hamilton was lightning fast. The dialogue was minimal between the catchy songs. The hip hop soundtrack appealed to a much wider audience than you would expect. “My Shot,” “Helpless,” “The Room Where it Happened” and “The Story of Tonight” already have a life outside the show.

The story was the epic journey of Alexander Hamilton from poor immigrant to founding father to his early death. The narrator was Aaron Burr, the man most famous for killing Hamilton in a duel. The character development throughout the show was impressive. Not only did we get to know Hamilton, his friends and family, we also got familiar the villain Burr. The interesting part was that the audience didn’t hate Burr at any time in the story. The short appearances of King George were the shots of comic relief the audience needed.

The performances throughout the show were engaging. Each actor created appealing characters. The songs were immaculately performed. The harmonies were beautifully put together and most of the lyrics were easily understood. And in a show that is mostly sung, that was vital.

The set appeared plain, but it was well used throughout the show. The dual rotating floor was not over used but was effective when it was. But the star of the technical side was the lighting. It created texture, movement and focus throughout.

Hamilton may not be for everyone, but it does have a wide appeal with great music, likable characters and an inspiring story with genuine emotion. Expect to see the Hamilton machine steaming along for years to come.

Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd
CU Presents
Macky Auditorium
Boulder, CO
March 16-18, 2018

Sweeney Todd is a monumental task for any theatre company to take on. For a program like Eklund Opera, it’s even more challenging. To have budding opera singers perform music that is meant to sound discordant must have felt counter intuitive.

Wisely, they cast a professor in the title role and brought an alumnus of the program back for the role of Judge Turpin. The students rounding out the cast did a remarkable job rounding out the cast. While the experienced performers shone, the student singers more than held their own.

The steampunk costumes and set worked well with the storyline of the show. The set was simple yet effective. It gave the players many levels which they utilized throughout. The barber chair worked perfectly throughout and sets changed easily.

Overall, this performance had the feeling of a professional company rather than a student production, an impressive feat for a difficult show.