Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Candlelight Dinner Playhouse
Johnstown, CO
July 23 - September 13, 2015

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is one of Disney's less memorable films. Most have heard of it, but not many have actually seen it. So it's no surprise that most of the children at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse were experiencing the story for the first time. For those who are familiar with it, it is a very silly and dated movie. The cast and crew have given the musical based on the film a much needed makeover.

The story has more villains than heroes. At the top are the Baron and Baroness who are selfish and greedy. By portraying them as overgrown children it's fun to root against them. The same can be said for their bumbling spies, Boris and Goran. The actors strike the perfect balance of silly and don't put it into the level of 1960's camp. The character with the most scare potential was the Childcatcher. Having him enter through he audience had the potential to freak out kids in the audience. However, enough humor was injected into his song "Kiddy Widdy Winkies" to put the audience at ease.

The focus of the show is inventor Caractacus Potts, his children Jemima and Jeremy, and candy heiress Truly Scrumptious. The actors portray their characters as quirky and warm. The child actors were very strong, not weighing down the show at all. Even the ridiculous name of the heroine is handled in such a way you are willing to accept it.

The multi-functional backdrop of the set blended beautifully with the pieces which were moved in and out to change to the many locations. Scene changes were efficient and smooth.

But the real star of the show is the car. It was impressive enough when it rolled out on the stage and it's driving motion was believable. The movement of the tires when it was floating was a nice touch. When the car was flying you could see the wires, but the effect was so impressive it really didn't matter. The car moved from side to side and even tilted in the air, giving it the feeling of forward motion.

Despite its age, the Sherman Brothers' songs still sparkle. And each one was performed beautifully. The musicians even interacted with the cast on occasion. Those moments made them feel more connected to the production.

The choreography was perfectly arranged. From simple movements to elaborate production numbers, the dancing blended with each scene and character.

As I have grown to expect, the service at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse was friendly. The food was good and English themed to pair with the show. Most meals came with "bubble and squeak," that is mashed potatoes with brussel sprouts to Americans. The cast were available for meet and greet after the performance and happily posed for pictures and signed autographs.

The Legend of Robin Hood

The Legend of Robin Hood
PACE Center
Parker, CO
August 7 - 22, 2015

The iconic story of Robin Hood, surprisingly, does not have a definitive telling. Each version focuses on a few of the vast collection of tales associated with the characters, so when seeing a new versions you never know what you will be getting.

The script itself seems to have a struggle with identity. At times it's a screwball comedy, not taking itself seriously. At other times it wants to be a realistic version of the story. The transitions are clunky.

My biggest disappointment was that at the start of the story songs are already being sung to Robin Hood and his Merry Men are already assembled. The only piece not in place is Maid Marian - and even that is cloudy. The script is unclear if Marina is a woman Robin has dreamed of or if they had a prior relationship.

The script borrows heavily from the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves and it relies on the audience to have a basic knowledge of the story. The production attempts to focus on the "legend" and not the man. The opening song and last 15 minutes of Act 2 frame this theme. However, the rest of the show doesn't carry it through, which is disappointing. It would set this telling apart from the many others.

The program we received did not contain a list of scenes or songs. In an unfamiliar show this is a real drawback. Due to this, I won't be able to reference any songs by name. The songs are for the most part not memorable and the lack of title makes them even less so. The songs sung at the finale of each act were nicely done - rich with harmonies and meaning. But the songs around them did little to advance the story.

The sets were well thought out, if a bit simple. While some scene changes were lengthy, the transformations were effective. The costumes were a high point. I appreciated that Maid Marian changed clothes often - as a noble woman would have.

The strongest performance was given by the Sheriff of Nottingham. His combination of greed and madness set up the "legend" theme. Without a believable obsession with Robin Hood, the finale would have fallen flat.

Robin Hood was a bit bland. Had the "legend" theme been stronger, that portrayal might have worked. Instead he came off as dull. Marina was a bit more fleshed out, but she is way too strong a fighter to believe she is noble.

The Merry Men were a good combination of camp and realism. They were all well cast and their performances were strong. However, it did seem strange that there were only four of them.

It's unlikely this will become the version of the Robin Hood people remember, but there are some special elements this company added to the vast array of tales.

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.