Les Miserables

Les Miserables
National Touring Company
Buell Theater
Denver, CO
August 31 - September 10, 2011

Les Miserables is one of my favorite musicals. The songs are deeply personal to me and I saw tours of the original production over and over again. It's hard to believe it is already being restaged.

It's hard to imagine a new take on this epic spectacular, but somehow the producers have brought Les Miz into a new generation.

The sets are more intimate, less concrete than the previous generation. And somehow the new staging brings greater light onto the spiritual aspects of the story. The costumes are very similar to what I've seen before, that's helpful with such a large cast.

The music and the story are still in the spotlight though. The songs are still deeply moving. The emotional impact possibly stronger than ever before.

If anything, this updated staging only reinforces that Les Miz is timeless.

Cinderella

Cinderella
Opera Colorado
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Denver, CO 
April 30 - May 8, 2011

Upon hearing that Opera Colorado was presenting Cinderella, I thought this would be popular with families. I noticed many children seated around me. While the show was effective at drawing the families in, the show was not geared toward children. Act One was very long and many of the children did not return after intermission.

While the story was familiar, this telling was not as we have grown to expect. Cinderella was indeed a servant to her stepmother and  stepsisters, but it took a very long time for her to get to the ball. When she arrived, she wore a glittering black dress. And instead of a glass slipper, she left behind one of two identical bracelets.

The score was beautifully sung, but none of the arias were particularly memorable.The costumes and sets brought the story to life. While this wasn't Disney's Cinderella, it was a compelling version of the fairy tale.

Shrek

Shrek
National Touring Company
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
November 16-28, 2010

Like most people, I've seen the movie Shrek many times. I must admit I was surprised to hear it was made into a Broadway musical. When it came to town, I decided to give it a try.

The movie version relied heavily on familiar pop songs for its soundtrack. The stage production has a soundtrack consisting entirely of original music (with the exception of "I'm a Believer" for the bows). The new songs add a depth to the story which didn't exist in the original.

The show begins with "Big Bright Beautiful World" where we get some much needed background on both Shrek and Fiona. It's followed up by "The Story of My Life" which gives Shrek a deeper personality.  The script changes and songs allow us to see the layers he refers to.

The show is still just as silly as the movie. Dulac is much like Disneyland on steriods. Fiona's song "Morning Person" brings her character a humorous side we haven't seen before.

Lord Farquaad is still the man you love to hate. But you have to respect the actor who plays the character on his knees for the whole show. 

Personally, I think Shrek the musical is an improvement on the movie.  

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins
National Touring Company
Buell Theater
Denver, CO
March 4 - April 4, 2010

I must admit, Mary Poppins is a not a movie I have seen much. In fact, I'm not sure I've seen the movie all the way through. But I am more than familiar with the songs from the movie and the basic storyline.

Despite my unfamiliarity to the specifics, I could tell that changes have been made from the movie version to this stage production. It 's darker and Mary Poppins is less perfect.

Throughout the show the audience is treated to the familiar songs fro the film. The context for "A Spoonful of Sugar" is not what the audience is familiar with, but we're glad it's there.

The song "Step In Time" was particularly entertaining. Not only did it contain an energetic dance sequence, but we saw Bert tap dance around the entire proscenium arch.

The new songs added for the stage show are mostly forgettable. They just don't have the pop of the original Sherman brothers score. But the charm of the story remains. 

The highlight of the night came during the finale where Mary Poppins opened her umbrella and floated over the audience. No wires were visible from where I was sitting, which left me with a child-like sense of wonder at the end.

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast
Colorado Ballet
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Denver, CO 
February 19-28, 2010

I've never been to the ballet, but the Colorado Ballet's advertising campaign for Beauty and the Beast caught my daughter's eye and convinced me to buy tickets.

Since I'd never been to a ballet before, I was surprised at the elaborate sets used in the production. The seats also each had a small screen which occasionally brought up a plot description which was very helpful for following along.

Anyone expecting the Disney version would likely be disappointed. The heroine was named Belle, but other than that it was a completely different version, much more like the Grimm Brothers story. The dancing was lovely and very expressive. And the effect of a fairy flying at the end created a spectacular tableau.

The ballet was set in three acts and two intermissions. The second act was very short so it seemed silly to take another intermission.

The loveliness of the dancing and costumes and scale of the production impressed me. I'm sure I will be back to see another one soon.

Rent

Rent
National Tour
Buell Theater
Denver, CO 
June 9-16, 2009

My only experience with the musical Rent was seeing the movie when it came out. The chance to see original cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp was too good to pass up.

Although Pascal and Rapp are a bit older than the characters they play, their performances were astounding. The cast around them were talented, but clearly they were in a class by themselves. Pascal's "On Song Glory" was worth the price of admission. And it doesn't get much better than their their Act Two duet "What You Own."

The characters are still endearing. The music is stunning in it's beauty. The story is often crude and risque, but it's all real. These people are flawed and we love them for it.

This tour was in honor of Rent's ten year anniversary. It's amazing to see that this musical is still cutting edge ten years after it was written. It's such a shame Jonathan Larson passed away so young. As a theater-goer I feel we lost the amazing shows he would still be writing.

Les Miserables

Les Miserables
Arvada Center
Arvada, CO 
September 16 - October 25, 2008

Les Miserables is an important musical in my life. The first time I saw the show performed in 1989 I found it life-changing. So, I may be pickier about aspects of this production.

Taking on a musical this epic in scale is daunting, but the Arvada Center didn't seem scared at all. They treated the material with respect, but showed a willingness to make changes where they saw fit. It worked out fine.

This stage is very intimate, much more so than others that have taken on this sprawling musical. But it doesn't feel too small, it just brings us closer to the people in the story.

The cast taking on this operatic work is strong. I particularly loved the connection created between Fantine and Cosette, they never meet during the time of the show, but a bond is created all the same. The realtionship  between the students is real and we want to join them at the barricade. And Jean Valjean, our redeemed hero, binds every story together.

Les Miserables is the best of theater. It taps into our humanity, no matter what the time and circumstance. Arvada Center has captured the joy, sorrow and tragedy of this masterpiece.