Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo

Playwright: Rajiv Joseph

Company:  The Edge Theatre Company

Venue:  The Edge Theater,  1560 Teller Street, Lakewood, CO

Running Time:  2 hours, 10 minutes (includes 15 minute intermission)

Date of Performance:  Sunday, September 1, 2013

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (also referred to as Tiger below) is a dramatization of some real events in 2003.   As American soldiers and marines attacked and occupied Baghdad, the Baghdad Zoo was destroyed.  Only 35 of the approximately 650 animals survived.  The rest were released or killed by looters.  Many were eaten for food, and many others starved when the zookeepers were no longer able to feed and care for them.

Rajiv Joseph's script uses the destruction of the Baghdad Zoo as a springboard for some very serious themes:  the cruelty of war, the loss of human dignity, and the conflict between one's mission and one's morals.  However, Joseph's overarching goal in Tiger is to ponder what appear to be the mutually exclusive concepts of war and God.

I think it is safe to say that the American public was only aware of the Iraq war in a superficial, sanitized sense.  The reality, of course, was much more brutal, much more cruel, and much less moral than we may have imagined.  Stories of torture and murder at Abu Ghraib and Mahmudiyah notwithstanding, war coverage rarely included the daily grind of death and destruction.

Joseph spares us no messy details as he confronts the paradox of moral depravity, cruelty, and suffering in a world supposedly ordered by a Supreme Being.  "What God would create a predator, then condemn him for preying?"  It's a question each of us must answer for ourselves.

The Edge Theatre's production of Tiger is an outstanding example of what a talented cast and crew can do with a pointed and profound script.  From the opening scene, one cannot look away for an instant.  We quickly become engaged with the moral dilemmas as we discover that Tom (Nathan Bock) is not the soldier/savior we imagine, but a looter who wants to get rich with his stolen booty.

Kev (Kevin Lowry) and Tom (Nathan Bock)

With only a few props, Director Richard R. Cowden and Scenic Designer Price Johnston have transformed the small Edge Theatre stage into a working war zone.  It's no easy feat, but the Tiger set is a small marvel. 

Cowden wisely stages Tiger in the round.  In this intimate setting, the audience feels that it is in the "action," as opposed to observing it.  The effect is especially noticeable near the end of the second act, as Tom (played by Kevin Bock) lays dying of a gunshot wound.  His proximity to the other actors is virtually the same as it is to the audience.  We cannot help but feel his anguish as his life slips away before our eyes.  

In another nice touch, Cowden helps the audience distinguish between Kev (Kevin Lowry) the soldier and Kev the ghost.  Although still in his combat fatigues, Kev appears barefooted as a ghost.  It's a small but telling clue that Kev is no longer among the living.

Tiger (Paul Page)

The performances are all very strong.  Paul Page gets an excellent opportunity to show his acting chops as Tiger, and he wastes none of that opportunity.  He paces in his cage, he growls, and takes on all the big cat mannerisms while acting as a narrator who tells the story and asks the important questions in the process.  Page benefits from Joseph's strong writing in the first scene of the second act; Joseph benefits from Page's compelling, engaging monologue about the young girl in God's Garden.  Page's 5-10 minutes of intimate story telling here may be the best 5-10 minutes of drama this season.

Nathan Bock (Tom) and Kevin Lowry (Kev) embody the moral dilemmas of those sent to do a very dirty job.  They are, literally and figuratively, ghosts of the people they once were.  They have lost parts of themselves, and will never be the same as a result.  Bock and Lowry run the range of their roles like the expert actors they are, going from friends to enemies, from dedicated soldiers to lost souls, eliciting sympathy and even pity from the audience.

Sam Gilstrap (Musa), Yasmin Sweets (Iraqi Woman), and Miranda Vargas (Hadia/Iraqi Teen) have difficult roles; they not only have to act out the delicate situations the script hands them, but they also have to do it with credible Arabic lines.  They nail the Arabic, just as they nail the hopeless situations they find themselves in as citizens of an occupied country.  Alberto Ocampo (Uday) adds the look and the personality of Uday Hussein.  Ocampo's Uday is as cool as he is cruel, as confident as he is insensitive.

The offstage talent here deserves special credit.  Firyal Alshalabi has done a superb job of coaching the cast on their Arabic lines; the results are consistently credible.  Diana Ben-Kiki's wig work is excellent.  Costume designer Caroline Smith has somehow gotten her hands on some very authentic combat gear, and has made the Iraqi women on stage look like they just stepped out of the streets of Baghdad.

This is one of those productions that many will find challenging, and even disturbing.  Those are two very good reasons to see it.  We are currently undergoing a political and policy discussion about whether to get involved in yet another armed conflict in the Middle East.  Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo is a thought provoking punch in the gut about the consequences of our military adventures.  

Could there be better time for The Edge Theatre to produce a play that confronts us with the gravity of our military decisions?  I think not.  This is an excellent script in the hands of a talented cast and crew presented at a critical point in time.  See it.  Ask yourself the question:  how do I reconcile the brutality of war with the existence of God?  If you can't answer that question, perhaps you will have a good start on how you feel about military action in Syria...or any other place for that matter.

NOTES:  

There is ample parking on the street and on the north side of the theater.  This show is not suitable for younger teenagers or preteens.  Seating is limited, and tickets will be difficult to get.  You may want to book seats as early as possible.

This show closes on September 29, 2013.  

Photo Credits:  The Edge Theatre Company

TICKETS HERE.

Director:  Richard R. Cowden

Scenic Design:  Price Johnston

Sound Design:  Richard R. Cowden

Lighting Design:  Andy Killion

Costume Design:  Caroline Smith

Wig Design:  Diana Ben-Kiki

Arabic Language Consultant:  Firyal Alshalabi

Stage Manager:  Nina Harris

Cast:

Tiger:  Paul A. Page 

Tom:  Nathan Bock

Kev: Kevin Lowry

Musa:  Sam Gilstrap

Iraqi Woman:  Yasmin Sweets

Hadia/Iraqi Teen:  Miranda Vargas

Uday:  Alberto Ocampo

Metamorphoses

 Playwright: Mary Zimmerman

Original Source:  The Myths of Ovid; The Metamorphoses

Company:  The Aurora Fox Arts Center

Venue:  Aurora Fox Studio Theater,  9900 East Colfax, Aurora, CO

Running Time:  2 hours (includes 20 minute intermission)

Date of Performance:  Saturday, August 17, 2013

From the moment you enter the intimate Studio Theater at the Aurora Fox, you know this is a special production.  The set is stunning.  To say it is unusual does not do it justice.  The stage is dominated by a large pool of water, softly lit in a soothing blue color.  As you wait for the show to start, you will have a very hard time taking your eyes off this beautiful set.

For those who haven't heard, the play takes place in and around this body of water.  One might wonder if that is simply a gimmick.  I assure you it is not.  The pool is the perfect metaphor for the sustenance and transformations water provides us.  The set enables many dramatic opportunities, including full immersion, splashing, paddling, and cleansing. That said, though, the best use of the set is for telling Ovid's stories through the power and promise of the water that sustains our lives.

The play is based on Ovid's 8 A.D. poem The Metamorphoses (translation:  "The Book of Transformations").  The original work is a collection of approximately 250 myths organized into 15 books.  Ovid's recurring theme is love, and Mary Zimmerman's play focuses on the best of those love stories.

Some of the myths, King Midas, for example are familiar; others are more obscure.  Each, however, teaches us something about love, be it courting, the price of incest, the loss of a loved one, or the last request of a poor married couple.  Each is exquisitely staged, performed, and lighted to bring the impact of  Ovid's messages to us 2,000 years later.

Ryan Wuestewald, Zachary Andrews, Justin Walvoord

Every cast member plays multiple roles, and all wind up in the pool of water.  The physical demands are substantial, as actors plunge into the pool from every angle, including from above. The constant temperature changes, from the water to the air, in soaking wet and heavy costumes, is a unique acting challenge.  

The cast is equal to that challenge, using the pool as if it is their normal acting environment.  Every actor here brings his or her A game while dealing with multiple costume changes and a constant shift between being dry and soaked.  Singling any of them out is impossible; each delivers a gifted, inspired, unique and flawless performance.  

Director Geoffrey Kent makes full use of the unique set and all the talent he puts on it.  The first time we see an actor unexpectedly emerge from under the water, Kent has us asking ourselves "how did they do that?"  Kent moves actors around, through, in, and above the pool in an elegant dance that keeps the audience totally engaged in the action and the set.

However, it is the final scene that one remembers when leaving the theater, and here Kent has given us a beautifully staged, powerful love poem to take home with us.  The beauty of that exquisitely lit scene, with the entire cast onstage, is emotionally moving and unforgettable.

Metamorphoses is one of those rare theater experiences that reminds us why we love theater.  We get to spend two hours submerged in the beauty of the story, the setting, and the 2,000 year old messages delivered to us by very talented professionals.  It's a mesmerizing, captivating, and gratifying experience. 

You almost certainly have not seen anything like Metamorphoses before, and you may never have the opportunity to see it again. The venue is small (I'd guess about 50-60 seats), and the run is over on September 22.  If you're a theater fan, you do not want to miss Metamorphoses.  Get your tickets before they're gone.

Zachary Andrews, Jaimie Morgan

NOTES:  

There is ample parking behind the theater and on the nearby streets (except Colfax).  This show is suitable for all ages.  Seating is reserved, and tickets will be difficult to get.  Patrons seated in the first row will be provided plastic rain gear to avoid getting too wet.  The room is kept warm for the actors comfort.

Due to the extraordinary efforts needed to create such an elaborate set, I have included the construction crew in the credits below.

This show closes on September 22, 2013.  

Photo Credits:  Aurora Fox Arts Center

BUY TICKETS HERE.

Director:  Geoffrey Kent

Technical Director (Water):  Brandon Phillip Case

Scenic Design:  Charles Dean Packard

Sound Design:  William Burns

Lighting Design:  Shannon McKinney

Dramaturg:  Bianca Gordon

Costume Design:  Meghan Anderson Doyle

Stage Manager:  Lindsay Sullivan

Construction Crew:  Brandon Case, Jeff Jesmer, Dustin Hartley, Miles Goeglein, David Kading, Grace Crummett, Wyatt MacNeil, Hannah Brunner, Katy Dawson, Blake Nelson-Dunki, Sammy Landau, Robert Michael Sanders.

Cast:

Cyex and others:  Zachary Andrews  

Aleyone and others:  Michelle Y. Hurtubise

Aphrodite and others: Jaimie Morgan

Midas and others:  Michael Morgan 

Nursemaid and others:  Jada Roberts 

Myrrha and others:  Carmen Vreeman 

Erysichthon and others:  Justin Walvoord

Phaeton and others:  Ryan Wuestewald 

Wonder of the World

Wonder of the World.  Haley Johnson, Lindsey Pierce.

Wonder of the World

Playwright: David Lindsay-Abaire

Company:  Miner's Alley Playhouse

Venue:  Miner's Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Avenue, Golden, CO

Running Time:  2 hours, 30 minutes (includes 15 minute intermission)

Date of Performance:  Friday, August 16, 2013

Spoiler alert.  No...not that kind.  I'm not going to give away the plot here.  Rather, I'm alerting the reader that I'm not recommending this play.  Please take my recommendation with a grain of salt.  For personal reasons, this was not a good experience for me; it may be different (and better) for you.

The title, Wonder of the World, refers to one of the wonders of the world (but the reference is debatable):  Niagara Falls.  Niagara Falls is no doubt spectacular, and it is not just the setting for most of the play, but nearly rises to the level of being an actual character as well.  

To be completely fair, there is a lot that is worthwhile in the Miner's Alley production.  

Cast of "Wonder of the World," including stage hands (back row) John Kramer, Tyler Roach, Melissa Rios

The acting is top notch; Haley Johnson as Cass is alternately thoughtful, playful, distracted, and angry...all done with the conviction and force she can muster.  Matthew Blood-Smyth is marvelous.  His Kip is mousy, frightened, disturbed, perverted, but not without a dash of charm. Lindsey Pierce as the suicidal Lois is especially striking.  She has a quick wit, attitude, and an excellent sense of timing, despite her chronic desperation.  Christian Mast (Captain), is a seasoned stage veteran who appeared in one of my favorite all time local productions.  He is on top of his game here, playing a Captain of a Maid of the Mist vessel who is seduced by Cass and ultimately dispatched permanently right on stage.

My problem is not with the acting, nor with the technical (sound, lights, etc) elements.  Robert Kramer's direction was creative and well paced, although I did find the helicopter scene rather juvenile.  In what is a fairly unusual move, Kramer made the stage hands part of the entertainment, and it worked.  In fact, it worked very well.

Christian Mast, Haley Johnson.

I have one small quibble with what is otherwise a very creative set.  Couldn't we get an actual, rather than an imaginary, door?  It was distracting to watch actors enter and exit through an imaginary door when all other set elements were well defined.

My disappointment here is principally with Lindsay-Abaire's script.  It attempts to be a profound look at life, how we make decisions that may or may not change our lives, and, in the end, what any of it all means.  Instead of profound, it comes off as a muddled self-indulgent trip through life crises with no redeeming or unifying message.  

The script is darkly funny, although audiences with recent experience with death, loss, and grief (I include myself in this group) may not be very amused.  Likewise, those with suboptimal relationships/marriages may find the plot too critical of their own bleak circumstances (I do not include myself in this group).

As a personal matter, I find suicide to be a poor subject for humor.  Lindsay-Abaire gives us abundant punch lines based Lois' suicidal arc.  If you have lost a loved one to suicide, you are probably not in the demographic for Wonder of the World.  If you haven't lost a loved one to suicide, you may still not find the subject amusing.  

It's never a good sign to me when I am accurately anticipating the next line in a script.  Wonder of the World presented several opportunities for me to correctly guess the next line, and I did.

I can't leave the script without mentioning "The Newlywed Game."  It's one of Lindsay-Abaire's plot devices.  It's cute, no question about that, but it also seemed a misplaced and lazy device.  Granted, I'm not a fan of the actual game show, but coming as it did near the penultimate scene, it just seemed odd.

Finally, the central plot device here is Kip's perversion.  I don't do spoilers, so there's no chance I would disclose the perversion in question.  I would say, however, that even if I regularly disclosed plot details in my posts, I would refuse to do so in this case.  Not because I don't want to spoil the story, but because the details are entirely too disgusting.  I expect Lindsay-Abaire gave Kip this unusual character flaw to make him funnier.  For me, the effect was not amusing; it was revolting.

Reviews here are subjective; there may be few who agree with me.  That's fine.  Theater is personal, and for me personally, this is not a show I can recommend to others.  I will admit that most of the audience was laughing and evidently enjoying the show.  I respect that, but I just couldn't join them in this case.

NOTES:  

There is ample parking behind the theater.  Enter from either 12th Street or 11th Street.

This show closes on September 1, 2013.  

Photo Credits: Miner's Alley Playhouse

This show closes on September 1, 2013.  

Buy Tickets HERE.

Director:  Robert Kramer

Assistant Director:  Veronica Kramer

Set Design:  Rick Bernstein and Jonathan Scott-McKean

Sound Design:  Len Matheo and Jonathan Scott-McKean

Lighting Design:  Jonathan Scott-McKean

Costumes:  Ann Piano

Cast:

Karla:  Debra Caamaño  

Glen:  Verl Hite 

Barbara, Helicopter Pilot, Waitresses, Janie:  Erica Johnson 

Cass Harris:  Haley Johnson  

Captain Mike:  Captain Mike 

Lois Coleman:  Lindsey Pierce 

Kip Harris:  Matthew Blood-Smyth 

The Triumph of Love

Playwright:  Pierre de Marivaux (adaptation of Le Triomphe de l'Amour, 1732)

Book by:  James Magruder

Music by:  Jeffrey Stock

Lyrics by:  Susan Birkenhead

Company:  Center Stage Theatre Productions

Venue:  Louisville Center for the Arts, 801 Grant Avenue, Louisville, CO

Running Time:  2 hours, 15 minutes (includes 15 minute intermission)

Date of Performance:  Saturday, August 10, 2013

The original production of TheTriumph of Love (in 1732) was not well received by critics, who felt it was inappropriate for a princess to seduce three people of both sexes.  It closed after only six performances.  Times have changed greatly in the last 281 years.  

Center Stage's production of The Triumph of Love will pack the house for each of its performances, not because of the scandalous antics of Princess Leonide, but because of the marvelous performances by its young cast.  Translated and updated with music in 1997 for Broadway, the Center Stage version is an entertaining and engaging evening of theater.

Marivaux's original script was in the commedia dell'arte style, with exaggerated stock characters who often mocked the ruling class.  Those stylized characters still have the charm they had 1732.

Adapting a classic play for the Broadway stage often includes, as here, turning it into a musical.  The results can betray the playwright's original work for the sake of ticket sales.  The music in The Triumph of Love, however, is consistent with the original message, and at times, it's a toe tapping enhancement to that message.  This Center Stage production takes full advantage of the script, the music, and the array of talent at its disposal.

The closing number of the first act amply demonstrates the level of musical talent on the stage.  Teach Me Not to Love You features the entire company in complete harmony, singing together as one.  The effect is a marvelous musical climax to close the curtain on the first act.

The second act, however, is where you will find an abundance of musical highlights.  In fact, each and every piece in the second act is a musical gem.

Have a Little Faith gives Corine (Sierra Pilkington) a chance to display her musical chops with dramatic flair.  She nails it, setting the tone for a strong second act.

Pilkington joins Dimas (Matt O'Connor) and Harlequin (Michelle Herring) for a show stopping Henchmen Are Forgotten, complete with a brief reprise to enthusiastic applause.  Henchmen is a superb number done with punch and humor; it is THE musical highlight of the entire show.

The ballad Love Won't Take No For An Answer immediately follows Henchmen, blending the marvelous voices of Hermocrates (Matthew Good), Hesione (Ellen Thompson), and Agis (J. Tanner Kaler).  The three actors put on a voice workshop with Love Won't Take No For An Answer.  It's that good.

The cast of Triumph of Love, Center Stage productions.

With so much talent on the stage, it's very difficult to single anyone out.  However, Matt O'Connor (front row, left, in above photo) as Dimas deserves special mention.  Between his strong voice, his marvelous gestures and facial expressions, and his complete embrace of the gardener Dimas, O'Connor was on fire.  

I can't neglect to mention the costumes for The Triumph of Love.  They are spectacular.  I cannot remember ever seeing so much silk on stage.  Jeanie Balch and Brooke Hicks brought the early 1700s alive with the period look for each and every actor. 

Director Jeanie Balch had a special challenge at this performance.  Christopher Turner, the actor scheduled to play Harlequin, was ill and unable to perform.  There was no understudy for Harlequin, but in the best "the show must go on" tradition, Balch drafted Michelle Herring for the role.  Herring's normal role is Princess Leonide; she never played Harlequin before this performance.

Herring had to carry a script onstage to read her lines.  Instead of the script being a distraction, it added to the clown nature of her role.  Herring depended on her fellow actors for blocking and script cues, and they did not let her down.  She pulled off a difficult role on short notice and saved the performance.  I have seen a touring Broadway performance collapse when something unexpected occurred.  Herring, Balch, and the Center Stage company used the unexpected to enhance their performance, and for that they get my respect and recommendation.

My only quibble here is related to the script; the first act is too long, the exposition a little too complex.  That, of course, is no reflection on the production; the script must be used as written.  

If you are looking for good value for your entertainment dollar, see The Triumph of Love.  It's fun.  It's engaging.  It's very entertaining.  You will get double your money's worth. 

NOTES:  

Center Stage Productions produces plays in the Boulder area using young local talent:  

"Centre Stage Theatre Company is the theatre place for Boulder and Louisville's kids, youth, and emerging artists. CSTC is dedicated to extending quality theatre to the Colorado community especially in Boulder County."  

The Triumph of Love cast is composed of college age veterans of the Center Stage emerging artists program.

This show closes on August 11, 2013.  I usually review shows early in the run, in the hopes of advising theater goers where their entertainment dollar might best be spent.  For a variety of reasons, I was unable to review Triumph of Love early in its run.  Apologies to those who might have purchased tickets after reading this review.  

Pre-show dining suggestions:  The Louisville Rex for burgers and sandwiches in an old movie house, or Lulu's Barbecue for, well, barbecue.

Photo Credits:  Center Stage Theatre Company.

This show closes on August 11, 2013.  

Director, Set Design & Costume Design:  Jeanie Balch

Musical Direction:  Katie McClave

Set Design, Lighting Design & Technical Director:  Andrew Metzroth 

Keyboards:  Daniel Graeber

Choreographer:  Jeff Williams

Costume Assistant:  Brooke Hicks

Sound Design:  Nathan Lawrence and J. Tanner Kaler

Cast:

Princess Leonide:  Eve Olson

Hesione:  Ellen Thompson

Agis (the true Prince of Sparta):  J. Tanner Kaler

Harlequin:  Michelle Herring (standing in for Christopher Turner)

Dimas:  Matt O'Connor

Hermocrates:  Matthew Good

Corine:  Sierra Pilkington

Scapin

Based on:  Les Fourberies de Scapin, (Scapin's Deceits), by Moliere (1671).

Adapted by:  Bill Irwin & Mark O'Donnell

Venue:  Lake Dillon Theatre, 122 Lake Dillon Drive,  Dillon, Colorado, 80435.

Running Time:  2 hours (includes 15 minute intermission)

Date of Performance:  Sunday, July 14, 2013

I don't think the U.S. Census has any data tabulating the number of fans of 17th century dramatists.  If they did, there's a pretty good chance that Jean Baptiste Poquelin, better known by his pen name Molière, would still poll very well even 340 years after his death.  Yes.  He was that good.

Molière specialized writing comedies for the stage.  His farces were both timely (for the 17th century) and somewhat risky; he often made subtle criticisms of  society, business, and politics.  

Why, you might ask, would a small community theater take the risk, in difficult economic times, of producing a very old script that does not have a built in audience?  That's easy.  Their script is a relatively recent and extremely funny adaption by Irwin and O'Donnell, which they spiced up with local references ("Welcome, second home owners!").  The result is that Scapin is funny.  Knee slapping, belly laughing, tears rolling down your cheek FUNNY.  

The opening of Scapin is a little disconcerting; Jonathan Cable appears onstage first to take his place at the piano.  That may sound straightforward.  Trust me; it's not.  He engages and amuses the audience before the first actor sets foot on the stage.

Once Cable is seated at the piano, the action begins, and it's nonstop, high energy, and relentlessly funny.  It's like reading a Joseph Conrad novel; there is so much going on, Scapin may require several viewings to appreciate all the humor.

How funny is Scapin? On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 12.  It has physical humor.  It has puns.  It has jokes.  It has "unbelievable coincidences."  The actors gestures and facial expressions are hilarious.  The set is funny all by itself ("Watch Your Head").  The costumes are exaggerated, colorful, and always funny.  Actually, there's nothing about Scapin that isn't funny.

Kevin Alan (Scapin(, Ben Whitmore (Sylvestre)

Comedy is not always easy for an actor; it requires precise timing, nuanced delivery, and the perfect facial expression.  The hard part of comedy is to make it look easy and natural. The Lake Dillon Theatre Company cast is comically gifted; they never miss a mark, and it all looks and feels natural.  In fact, one actor took a fall onstage early in act one; I was not sure if it was scripted, but I was pretty sure he might be hurt.  I was wrong on both counts.  It was scripted, he was not hurt, and the effect was both dramatic and comedic.  

Scapin (Kevin Alan) and Sylvestre (Ben Whitmore) engage in an elaborate hoax in which Scapin claims to be clairvoyant.  The ensuing scene is a comedic gem.  Pay careful attention though.  The action is so fast and so funny that it's easy to miss some of the best lines.

I won't go into a detailed discussion of the "plot."  This is a farce.  I don't think there's too much more to say about the plot.  Farce is an accurate description.

Scapin is on my list of the most entertaining, amusing, and rewarding shows I've seen this year.  If you live in or near Dillon, get a ticket.  If you don't live in or near Dillon, get a ticket.  I guarantee you that you will enjoy this production.

NOTES:  

If you are a little concerned about the age (340 years) of the script and that it might possibly be boring, dismiss that concern now.  It has been adapted and updated for Dillon ("Welcome, second home owners.")  

Twenty minutes before the show, there will be a mini lecture on Moliere and the context of his work. It's a marvelous and informative ten minutes,  Don't miss it.  When it's over, you'll have a much deeper understanding and appreciation of Molière and Scapin.

There is abundant audience participation, especially if you are seated in the front row.  

Pre or post show dining suggestion:  Arapahoe Cafe & Pub, 626 Lake Dillon Dr, Dillon, CO 80435. I've had the Buffalo Cheeseburger and the fish and chips.  Both were excellent.

Photo Credits:  Lake Dillon Theatre Company.

This show closes on August 1, 2013.  

Buy Tickets HERE.

Ashley Alana Kenney, Ben Whitmore, Alex Kidder

Director:  Wendy S. Moore

Scenic & Lighting Design:  Nick Kargel

Costumer Design:  Nicole Harrison

Sound Design:  Isaac Mandel

Musical Director:  Jonathon Cable

Cast:

Scapin:  Kevin Alan

Sylvestre:  Ben Whitmore

Octave:  Frank Sansone

Leander:  Zachary Conner

Argante:  Bob Moore

Geronte:  Kevin Hart

Hyacinth:  Alex Kidder

Zerbinette:  Ashley Alana Kenney

Nerine:  Brittany Jeffrey

Porter/Gendarme:  Jimmy Patalan, Danny Daigle

Jonathan at the keys:  Jonathan Cable

Shrek The Musical

Based on:   Book by William Steig (1991), Dreamworks film (2001).

Music:  Jeanine Tesori

Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

Venue:  Midtown Arts Center, 3750 S. Mason Street, Fort Collins Colorado

Running Time:  2 hours, 45 minutes (includes 15 minute intermission)

Date of Performance:  Saturday, July 13, 2013

This beautifully staged Shrek The Musical opens with an eye popping set bathed in brilliant colors..  From that opening scene, you will be constantly dazzled by this tale of a beautiful princess and an ugly ogre finding love and happiness.  

It's a familiar story; who among us hasn't seen the 2001 Dreamworks film or one of its sequels?  It was a huge box office hit, eventually returning nearly a half billion dollars for the $60 million in production costs.  

Midtown Arts Center (MAC) is nothing if not ambitious.  With a cast of eighteen actors on a relatively small stage (and that doesn't include the larger than life dragon), it is indeed a daunting project.  This is a high energy musical, requiring a live band, actors who can sing, singers who can act, dancers that can act and sing, and that special chemistry that can turn a script into a love story.  Despite these challenges, MAC has put out a polished, professional, and highly entertaining show for the entire family.

Director Kurt Terrio has expertly, and seamlessly, put together the myriad of moving parts in

Colleen Johnson and Kyle Blair

Shrek The Musical.  Shrek (played here by Kyle Blair) and Princess Fiona (the marvelous Colleen Johnson) are not just capable, competent performers.  They bring a chemistry and emotion to their roles that makes us believe that impossibly dissimilar personalities can fall in love.  Simply put, Blair and Johnson are magic on the MAC stage.

Shrek and Fiona, of course, can't be the whole show.  They need a lot of support...and they get it.  Music Director Tom Berger has put together  a tight band of excellent musicians (currently under the direction of Robbie Cowan, Associate Music Director).  Phillip B. Richard II washes the stage in brilliant colors and precision spot lighting.  Choreographer Michael Lasris doesn't just deliver the required dance moves.  He gives us an irresistible Rockettes style tap number that dazzles.  

If I have any issue with Shrek The Musical, it would be that the first act script is perhaps too long and too confusing for the younger kids.  The story takes quite a while to be set up, which is fine for us adults.  However, Shrek The Musical is, arguably, a children's show.  Parents bringing younger children might want to be prepared for some wiggling, fidgeting, and fussing during the first act.

Like the Shrek film, Shrek the Musical has additional, but seemingly unrelated music after the end of the story.  I say "seemingly unrelated" because you will get a rocking, rousing version of "I'm a Believer" (written by Neil Diamond, released by the Monkees in 1966):

I thought love was only true in fairy tales

Meant for someone else but not for me.

Love was out to get me

That's the way it seemed.

Disappointment haunted all my dreams.

Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer

Not a trace of doubt in my mind.

I'm in love, I'm a believer!

I couldn't leave her if I tried.

Shrek The Musical reminded me that love can bloom where least expected.  That's a great message for kids, and it's a great reminder for adults.  We often find love when we think the odds are against us, the game is over and our loneliness is permanent.  Shrek The Musical reminds us that love can happen anytime, in any place, and in circumstances we never expected.  

I left the theater with that melody and that message playing in my head; "I'm in love, I'm a believer..."  A cast, crew, and production that that leaves the audience humming the message on the way to the parking lot deserves a standing ovation.  

NOTES:  

Photo Credits:  The Midtown Arts Center.

Fog effects are used during this performance.  This show is highly recommended for the entire family.

Your waiters and waitresses double as the onstage talent.  They work hard both onstage and delivering food and beverages to your table.  Please leave them a generous tip.  They deserve it.

MAC also does a Young Audience Series, a program of children and family entertainment.  Part of that program includes free tickets when possible for disadvantaged children in the Poudre School District.  

MAC's live children's theater is one of benefits of living in the Fort Collins area; that they are including children who could not otherwise attend is a credit to the Company and to it's supporters.

This show closes on August 25, 2013.  

Producer/Director:  Kurt Terrio

Scenic Design:  Marc Haniuk

Lighting Design:  Phillip B. Richard II

Costumer Design:  Jessica Pribble

Sound Design:  Joshua Selvig

Musical Director:  Tom Berger

Choreographer:  Michael Lasris

Cast:

Shrek:  Kyle Blair

Princess Fiona:  Colleen Johnson

Donkey:  Chasdan Mike

Lord Farquaad:  Michael Lasris

Voice of the Dragon/Mama Ogre/Mama Bear:  Ryane Nicole Studivant

Pinnochio/Ensemble:  John Cardenas

Gingy/Sugar Plum Fairy:  Kelsey Hopkins

Teen Fiona/Ensemble:  Lisa Carter

Young Fiona/Baby Bear:  Hanna Neergard

Young Shrek/Grumpy:  Kaden Dolph

Ensemble:  Ronald Brady, Matt Casey, Cassidy Cousineau, Jennifer Crews, Elliot  Cunningham, Aaron Nicholas, Jodi Watson, Megan Wolfelt.

Minimum Wage

Playwrights:   Charlie LaGreca & Jeff LaGreca

Music:  Sean Altman, Charlie LaGreca & Jeff LaGreca

Venue:  Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Avenue, Denver Colorado

Running Time:  1 hour 35 minutes (no intermission)

Date of Performance:  Saturday, July 7, 2013

Described in the program as a "rip roaring A Cappella musical comedy," Minimum Wage at the Avenue Theater has nearly all the required elements for a hit show:  a strong and talented cast, a gifted director, and an a capella soundtrack.  The Saturday night performance was a near sell out, and most of the audience went home happy.  

Unfortunately, I was one of those who left the theater more disappointed than entertained. 

To be clear, the production is fine.  The onstage talent and offstage crew have put together a high energy, rocking show that soars at times.  Nick Sugar is one of the best directors currently working in Denver, and he has once again made the script and the music come alive for the audience.  There is nothing at all wrong with the Avenue Theater's production of Minimum Wage.

Michael Bouchard and "Minimum Wage" cast.

My disappointment with Minimum Wage is entirely due to the script and song lyrics.  Even a top shelf cast and crew cannot salvage a bad script.  What we have in Minimum Wage is a minimum script, precious little plot, a lot misguided humor, and a cynical take on its characters.

Lets start with the music.  A capella music is special, but it gives the performers no cover for a a subpar performance.  The cast is more than equal to the challenge.  Each cast member has a very good singing voice, and their harmonies together are fine.  

The lyrics, however, range from puzzling to offensive.  Take, for example, the tune "Connecticut."  As one who has lived in Connecticut, I recognized nearly none of the references to the state.  The lyrics were essentially nonsense, used only to string together the "Connecticut" chorus.  

Abby McInerney, the only female cast member, does a graphic demonstration of what she "can do" in a limited amount of time during one of the tunes.  While that part of her performance did not offend the entire audience (some of whom found it hilarious), others (the 40+ demographic) were not as amused.

Scripts that include audience participation can be risky; not everyone in the first row wants to be part of the performance.  The Minimum Wage cast gets into the audience several times during the show; the elderly lady seated next to me (in the first row) did not appear amused when she was sprayed with Silly String.  Other ventures into the audience went a little better, but a good script doesn't require the cast to become personally acquainted with the audience members.  A good script should engage the audience best from, of all places, the stage.

Humor is personal; my sense of humor is unique to me.  I found few laughs in Minimum Wage.  While the majority of humor was supposedly "adult" humor, I found it more juvenile than adult.  I'm not a prude, but shaking one's booty for laughs is tiresome after the first or second such event.  Asking Kooky the Klown to "tell us about your lazy eye" is not amusing.  It's cruel.

The most serious script failure is how the playwrights have treated their "minimum wage" characters.  All of them are portrayed as socially inept losers, except for one cast member who may actually be a potato.  That's correct.  A potato.  I think that was supposed to be funny, but it came off more as a lame insult.  

We all know people who have, and perhaps still do, work for minimum wage.  They are not universally losers; they are most often hard working souls who, for a variety reasons, have no other career choices.  There is an inherent, intangible dignity in all work, no matter what the pay is.  The characters of Minimum Wage have not a shred of dignity.  They are mocked, mistreated, and dehumanized.  

Could a script have been funny without mocking the characters?  Of course, but that's not the play the LaGrecas wrote.  For me, it was a missed opportunity.  For the cast and crew, I fear it was a waste of their considerable talents.

NOTES:  

Photo Credits:  The Avenue Theater and Steve Hirsch, Resident Photographer. 

This show closes on August 3, 2013.  

This show is not appropriate for children under 16.  Strobe lighting and fog effects are used during the performance.

Pre/post show dining suggestion:  Pizza Fusion, 571 East Colfax, Denver.  Pizza Fusion is a sponsor of Minimum Wage.  The partnership between the Avenue Theater and Pizza Fusion included inviting some homeless individuals in the neighborhood to see the show for free.  Kudos to both partners for being socially responsible members of the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Tickets here.

Director:  Nick Sugar 

Scenic Design:  Tina Anderson

Lighting Design:  Seth Alison

Costumer Design:  Linda Morken

Sound Design:  Colin P. Elliott

Musical Director:  Mark J. Middlebrooks

Cast:

Michael Bouchard

Keegan C. Flaugh

Damon Guerrasio

Abby McInerney

Carter Edward Smith