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KINKY BOOTS – Book by Harvey Fierstein; Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper; Directed by Jeff Duke; Music Direction by Michael Querio; Choreography by Stephanie Hansen. Produced by Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre (800 Grand Street, Grand Lake) through August 22. Tickets available at 970-629-3421 or RockyMountainRep.com

Kinky is in the eye of the beholder. While this script has “unusual” aspects, it is basically a story of friendship and acceptance. You change someone’s mind; you change the world.

A struggling shoe manufacturer looking for survival finds a “niche market” through a series of unexpected events. They become convinced that there is a need for female shoes and boots for male drag performers (“The Sex is in the Heels”). While the workers are grateful for the continuation of the work, some have trouble accepting the guidance of Lola, an outspoken drag queen, as a co-worker. Because Lola is wise beyond his years, he teaches them that glitter is a color.

Lola and her band of Angels (backup dancers) enhance the story with spectacular singing and dancing as drag entertainers. While John Harmon Cooper is not the traditional Lola, he knocks it out of the ballpark with his personality and sass. One particularly moving solo was “Hold Me in Your Heart” sung to his estranged father in his nursing home. As the son who inherited the flailing shoe factory, Mitchell Lewis presents a man torn by the demands of his employers and his disgruntled fiancé (Hanna Katz). A more understanding employee soon proves a distraction as played by Luiza Vitucci. The angels and employees of Price Shoes join together for a winning finale with “Raise You Up.” When your glitter rusts, they will raise you up!!

The complicated set calling for both inside and outside of the factory with rolling and rotating conveyor belts, nightclubs, dressing rooms, and a fashion runway was cleverly conceived by Cody Tellis Rutledge and constructed and painted by Joshua Allen and his crew. The difficult costumes were designed by Mary Nye Bennett and constructed by Kim Rollins Dometrovich and her happy band of stitchers.

The Rocky Mountain Rep 2024 season in Grand Lake is amazing and will please audiences for another couple of months. If you can get a weekend away, the short drive to Grand Lake is totally worth it. The other three shows are the charming and familiar MUSIC MAN and the Colorado premiere of the moving COME FROM AWAY about the people who were stranded for a week in Newfoundland when all the planes were grounded after 9/11. Later in September, they celebrate the music of Tony Bennett with a performance of a tribute musical called I LEFT MY HEART.

A WOW factor of 8.75

I HATE HAMLET – Written by Paul Rudnick; Directed by Monica DiBiasio; Choreography by Ethan Vichek. Produced by Durango Arts Repertory Theatre (presented at Durango Arts Center, 802 East 2nd Avenue, Durango) through July 28. Tickets available at 970-259-2606 or info@durangoarts.org.

Every once and awhile, you come across something that really surprises and delights you. A terrific book, a pair of jeans that fit, a great burrito place, an unexpected kindness. But if you live in my world, it’s a company or a production that rises above your anticipation and breathes fresh life into a familiar script.

Such was the case on a recent trip to Durango, when I experienced the delight that is the Durango Arts Repertory Theatre (DART). Their production of I HATE HAMLET was one of the best shows I’ve seen in recent months. It featured two outstanding performances by Jason Lythgoe playing a sexy yet compassionate John Barrymore and Holdon Grace as Andy Rally, a mediocre TV star trying Shakespeare for the first time. Lythgoe is like watching a master class in acting; every gesture, every line delivery, even every silence as he watches the other actors is focused and authentic. He is charged with taking on the sacred responsibility of preparing Andy to tackle his first real live theatre performance in the daunting role of Hamlet.

Andy, in turn, starts as unsure and nervous about this gigantic task but warms under the tutelage of Barrymore. He evolves from a terrified amateur to a more confident amateur. Their growing friendship has exposed Andy to the magic of live theatre and he is forever changed. It is a beautiful thing to behold.

The remaining cast are gracefully perfect for their roles as well. The beautiful Susan Bennett as Andy’s older agent, Lillian, has had an entirely believable dalliance with a younger Barrymore in years past. She exudes nostalgia and is not at all surprised when he returns to woo her again. Shaunibah Morfin becomes the pushy but funny real estate agent (great New York accent) who knows how to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. Brian Devine is Gary, Andy’s buddy who is always on the lookout for an opportunity for himself and (sometimes) Andy. As a minor TV producer, he is always working on a great new project, not live theatre which he equates to “algebra on stage.”

The seventh character in this production is the absolutely gorgeous Art Deco set the actors have to play in. Designed by Sienna Widen, a recent graduate with an incredible talent and eye for detail, the red and gold walls create an opulence worthy of a movie star. The costumes by Wendy Ludgewait provide contemporary streetwear and elegant opening night gowns for the ladies and spectacular Hamlet looks for Barrymore and Rally.

If you go anywhere near the Durango/Four Corners area this summer to perhaps take the Durango to Silverton train (look into the bus option for the trip back), take a moment to check out the galleries and theatre activities at the Arts Center. A second theatre group – Merely Players – may also have something playing you would enjoy. Breakfasts at Oscar’s are also not to be missed.

A WOW factor of 9!!

DARKFIELD – Produced by Denver Center for the Performing Arts Off Center and Realscape Productions (presented at the Bird Lot, 2532 Larimer Street, Denver) through September 1.  Tickets available at 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org. 

A quick overview:  Three large storage containers have been placed on a vacant lot in downtown Rino that have been outfitted with technical equipment that allows participants to experience an “auditory adventure.”  Participants can experience the uncertainty of a SEANCE, the anticipation of a bumpy landing in FLIGHT, or taking part in a coma-induced dream world in COMA.  All in total darkness and experienced through headphones.  Each adventure is approximately 30 minutes long.  While the sensation going into the “theatre” is trepidation and anticipation, the sensation coming out is relief and a sense of “I made it through that.” 

What I thought was going to happen going in: There would be some kind of simulation of a fortune-teller’s room with tables that moved and things that went bump in the night.  Maybe a projected ghostly figure appears or an actor invites confidences.  Deliberately not reading much about it in advance, these anticipations were quickly dispelled by the outward appearance of the containers.  Too long and narrow to contain my imagined gypsy hovel.  The doorkeeper explained that the experience was in total darkness and that claustrophobic people should probably rethink going in.  Then the doors opened and a long narrow table presented itself with padded chairs on both sides.  What have I gotten myself into? 

What happened inside: You move into place and are instructed to place the headphones on.  Once everyone is settled and geared up, the lights go out with a bang.  They aren’t kidding about total darkness.  You might as well keep your eyes shut because you can’t see anything anyway.  A soothing voice comes through the headphones that instructs you to place your hands on the table and don’t take them off as it will break the connection with the spirit.  This mysterious voice moves around you and seems to walk on the table.  I can feel his footsteps behind me and on the table – although how is he doing that without stepping on fingers?  The table is too narrow.  He questions participants and begins to call forth the spirit.  You ponder the possibility of a loved one reaching out to you in spite of yourself.  There are additional unexplained noises as “the spirit” joins us.  Then apparently someone moves their hands from the table and all hell breaks loose.  After what seems like a long time, the doors open and the whispering voices cease.  The blessed outside appears. 

What – upon reflection – happened: This is technical theatre at its best.  A carefully curated experience is created using only darkness and state-of-the-art equipment to create movement, sound, and intensity in a vacuum.  Your own mind creates what is happening in the darkness.  Which probably means the experience will be different for each participant.  It is a relatively harmless maneuvering of your psyche for a short, unusual experience.  I anticipate that the other two events – COMA and FLIGHT – are similar in nature. 

My admiration for the skill it took to create the mechanics of the collected events led to my enjoyment of the experience.  But I can’t in all conscience call this theatre.  Theatre is, to me, the human connection with the audience.  While intimate auditorily, it was like a movie with no screen.  All in your mind – which could be a scary place for some. 

A WOW factor of 8.25!! 

PRIMA’S GUIDE TO FUNERALS – Written by Leonard Madrid; Directed by Yesenia Garcia Herrington.  Produced by Creede Repertory Theater’s Headwaters New Play Program (124 Main Street, Creede) through September 14.  Tickets available at 719-658-2540 or boxoffice@Creederep.com. 

It is obvious that playwright Leonard Madrid treasures and enjoys close familia relationships.  CEBOLLAS (his script that debuted earlier this year at the Denver Center) followed a frantic drive from Albuquerque to Denver by three sisters.  His current play, being performed by Creede Rep follows a daughter’s journey through the grief of losing her mother with the help of two of her cousins.  They were all members of the “young cousins” growing up together in the loving home of their mother and aunt.  While it is hard to witness the grief displayed, the grounded down-to-earth relationship of the prima’s also allows for humor to be a component of the healing. 

The three-person cast tackles the fast-moving dialogue of the script with enthusiasm and an understanding of the secret language of families.  Cultural references, family events and personalities, and the secrets of near siblings growing up together – all play a part in their day-to-day conversations.  Arcie (Savanna Padilla), the daughter, has previously written a Book of Rules for approved behavior within the family.  The Rules apply to her and her prima’s (probably to other family members as well) with the understanding that if everyone lives within the Rules, everything will run smoothly.  No one would get sick; no one would die.  If someone died, it was because someone broke the Rules.  This led Arcie to believe that she had broken a Rule and that was why her mother passed away unexpectedly.  She desperately wants to atone. 

Arcie’s cousins Clara (Katie Rodriguez) and Nando (Julian Ibarra) are equally desperate to disavow her of her fears and help her negotiate a path to acceptance of the inevitability of certain acts.  Clara is an overconfident smart-mouthed sex pot with no holds barred.  One of the Rules is that “Clara is always right.”  Nando is less confident but lovable and in awe of his female counterparts.  He does however discover a secret power he holds over Arcie with comic consequences.   

In addition to the grief Arcie experiences, she is also charged with writing the obituary – an impossible task.  Anyone having gone through the death of a loved one knows that the grief comes to you in waves, knocking you to your knees only to be relieved by comfort or humor.  This script follows that same pattern throughout during the day of the funeral to the final scene which provides an answer to Arcie’s problem in a beautifully staged solution. 

Each actor brings a fully developed character to life.  Director Herrington has helped her cast find the variety of nuanced highs and lows within Madrid’s script.  The design crew – which includes a simple and smoothly successful set designed by Sydney Hagen; the beautiful enhancement of lighting by Jennifer Gonzalez; a supportive sound design that creates the mother’s beloved river by Max Silverman; and sexy clothing for Clara and non-sexy clothing for Arcie chosen by Angelina Herin.  Together they have created a funeral home, churches, forests, and the river; all the spaces and places needed to tell this story. 

Playing in rep with the other shows of Creede Rep’s season (BASKERVILLE, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST), PRIMA runs through September 14.  If you have any reason to head south this summer, schedule your trip around a stop in Creede. 

A WOW factor of 9!!

OKLAHOMA – Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein; Music by Richard Rodgers; Directed by Tracy Salzbrenner; Music Direction by Dean Rees; Choreography by Rene Ruiz and Desiree Goheen.  Produced by Picketwire Players (802 San Juan Drive, La Junta).  Tickets for future shows can be reserved at 719-384-8320 or picketwireplayers.com. 

It’s hard to review a show that only runs one weekend but I wanted you readers to know about a thoroughly enjoyable production I witnessed recently in La Junta put together by the Picketwire Players.  Picketwire Players are celebrating their 56^th year of productions with this classic musical, their 171^st show.   Shortly after forming the group in 1968, they were able to obtain a spacious school building that they have spent time and money on completely refurbishing with comfortable seating and state-of-the-art equipment, as a result of a devoted Board of Directors and following in the community.  This is not a group that fools around with high school level scripts; OKLAHOMA is a huge show and they brought it off, complete with a peddler’s cart, a windmill, and even a surrey with a fringe on the top.  For Pete’s sake, their show before this one was NEXT TO NORMAL.  That one’s no picnic. 

As this is community theatre, there are levels of experience and talent.  But, as in everything, the important aspect is that they are all committed to the project, rehearsed diligently, and completed their commitment.  It’s obvious that they were all having fun and were playing WITH each other as well as TO the audience.  So much fun to watch the cast having so much fun. 

Of special note in this cast would be Emma Bryant who sang Laurie with sweetness, and danced with grace, all the while keeping a twinkle in her eye letting you know she was the smartest girl in the room.  Her partner in crime Ado Annie was given whimsy and humor by Bethany Taullie.  In a first-ever performance, Jonathan Colson gave an admirable turn as Curlie.  In a double-cast role, Darlene Blackford played the role of Aunt Eller with energy and authenticity.  Noah Nunez-Rebel danced his boots off as a smitten Will Parker.  His competition with Cody Rogers as the itinerant peddler Ali Hakem – neither of whom really wanted to get married – was sweetly comical.  Another shining star in this evening was the menacing angry Tom Seaba as Jud Fry.  Not only was Seaba’s Jud the requisite bad guy, he also imbued him with a loneliness and despair that gave his personality reason.  And Jansen Ediger had a laugh that made your teeth hurt ! 

Tracy Salzbrenner as Director at times moved 31 people around on the stage.  A formidable task to say the least.  This was a show that needed a full crowd on the stage for several scenes, but it did seem a little crowded at times.  The set and set pieces were brilliantly imagined and they pulled off a couple of surprises during the action. 

While this one weekend show is over (sorry!), they have two more scheduled before the end of the year:  the melodrammer THE SNEAKY CITIZENS OF SADDLESORE CITY in October and two fun evenings of MASKED SINGERS in December. 

A WOW factor of 8.25!! 

COME FROM AWAY – Book, Music, and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein; Directed by Jeff Duke; Music Directed by Michael Querio; Choreographed by Jennifer Lupp. Produced by Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre (800 Grand Avenue, Grand Lake) through August 22. Tickets available at 970-627-2421 or RockyMountainRep.com. 

This show is a perfect 10! There is nothing you can fault with this production. It is as perfect as a snowflake. If you can only see one show this summer, this is the one to see. COME FROM AWAY is one of those events that will live in your heart long after you have left the theatre and is destined to be described as “classic” in the years to come. It will be done by professional theatres, community groups, and high schools for generations, keeping this story of generosity and humanity alive. 

This production is guided by a team of professionals who care about this material and this story. I have a copy of this script; there is not one stage direction written in it that demands following. The movement of the characters and the method of telling the story is born from the skill of the director. However, the template created by the original production is so perfect that it will be followed as much as possible by future directors. The movement of the cast of twelve will become as sacred a “dance” as the opening and closing numbers of A CHORUS LINE. Mr. Duke and company have infused this production with heart, humor, and humility. You are filled with the desire to be one of those generous sacrificing Newfoundlanders, to be able to do something that noble with your own life. 

The cast moves with the precision of Irish dancers and the joy and ease of a square dance. There are occasional musical numbers that invite true choreography which are powerfully taught and arranged by Jennifer Lupp. However, to tell a story this huge, the meaningful choreography is in getting each member of the cast in the right place at the right time in the right costume with the right prop in their hand or pocket sitting on the right chair. Quickly. The integration of vocal music with instrumental music, all under the baton of Music Director Michael Querio, along with the combination of dance and meaningful movement enhanced by Ms. Lupp, created a body of work that filled each second of the production. There are no scene changes, no reasons to delay. Costume changes are made on stage with the addition of a cap or a jacket, only to be removed thirty seconds later. Set changes are the movement of twelve chairs and four tables on the stage the entire time to become an airplane, a coffee shop, a bar, and everywhere else in Gander and surrounding villages. It all looks deceptively simple. It’s not. 

This cast brings each character – whether a passenger on a plane or a Newfoundlander on the ground – to life if delivering one line or creating an ongoing story. In turn, they become the scared, then bored, then raucous passengers on a grounded plane – as well as the unprepared population on the ground making frantic preparations for the hundreds of stranded passengers. Blink-of-the-eye kind of changes but done with perfect clarity.  

There is Luiza Vitucci who is the female pilot of one of the downed planes “and others” as designated in the cast descriptions. A sweet warm friendship develops between Hannah, a frightened mother who can’t reach her fireman son, played by Tyler Symone, and Beulah, a Newfoundlander, as played by Megan Opalinski. There are the two Kevins (Mitchell Lewis and Esteban Ortiz-Villacorta), a gay couple who discover their differences while grounded. There is Todd Aulwurm and Jennifer Smith as Nick and Diane, a couple who meet on the plane and develop a sweet relationship. Kelly Maur is Bonnie, the woman who worries more about the animals on the planes than the people. Margot Frank is a fledgling journalist who gets caught up in this chaos on her very first assignment. Matt Frye is sent to the store for supplies over and over again. John Harmon Cooper (who plays Lola in KINKY BOOTS the next night – talk about versatility!) plays a Black man who is fearful of going into the house of a Newfoundlander as a guest – until he’s not. Josh Kellman is the Mayor of the town who negotiates for buses and organizes the citizens. Each actor has an “and others” attached to their name because each plays named and unnamed characters throughout the performance. Each has their chance to shine in this fast-moving story and contribute to the overall glow of joy in the entire production. 

A word about the understudies: Seven people in the acting company have lead roles in the other productions being done in Grand Lake this summer (KINKY BOOTS and THE MUSIC MAN) but are not cast in this show. However, they are on standby to step into multiple roles in COME FROM AWAY should the need arise. It is beyond comprehension how they could slide easily into these complicated parts with little rehearsal. God bless their bravery. My hat goes off to them and may the company remain healthy all summer. 

Just as the cast has been honed to perfection, so too the technical aspects of the show are given professional care. The lighting is crucial to the smooth running of the production; Ethan Newman’s design fulfilled the needs of the script and added atmosphere to the proceedings. DJ Pike designed a wonderful set of projections that enhanced the production and kept us both in the air and grounded in beautiful Newfoundland. The set, designed by Cody Tellis Rutledge and constructed under the management of Joshua J. Allen and his crew, while also deceptively simple, gave meaning to each scene by keeping us in nature. The director (Mr. Duke) and the choreographer (Ms. Lupp) coordinated the costumes to allow for quick and easy changes and ease of movement. The sound design by Sarah D. Speck kept the balance between the singers on stage and the musicians in the pit. 

The message of COME FROM AWAY seems to be that we are all humans trying to make the best of every situation in our lives, good and not-so-good. If we can carry that warm feeling the show engenders into our daily lives, we will be better humans for as long as we can keep “Welcome to the Rock” as our mental mantra. 

A WOW factor of 10! 

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL – Written by David Simpatico; Music and Lyrics by multiple artists; Directed and Choreographed by Carrie Colton; Music Direction by Jalyn Courtenay Webb.  Produced by Candlelight Dinner Playhouse (4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown) through September 8.  Tickets available at 970-744-3747 or ColoradoCandlelight.com. 

Went to see HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL and came home exhausted.  Like I had been in a Zumba class – not just watched young people dancing their collective booties off.  They make this cheer-leading hip-hopping Broadway dance style performing look so easy – but you know it’s not. 

Candlelight is to be congratulated for finding age-appropriate young performers to take part in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.  Seventeen of the young dancers are either in college now or recently graduated; twelve are making their Candlelight debut and one of the leads is still in high school.  But they dance as though they have been on stage for generations. Collectively, their choreography is tight, they never lose their focus, and their enthusiasm is catching.  

A Romeo and Juliet tale about warring “families” who are determined to keep two young lovers apart, this script also borrows from GREASE, A CHORUS LINE, and several episodes of GLEE. The families in this case are the various status groups at East High School – the brainiacs (who want Gabriella in their math competition), the jocks (who want Troy on their basketball team), the theatre kids (the domain of Sharpay and Ryan) and the skater dudes.  The mood goes from “Stick to the Status Quo” (keep everything the way it’s always been) to “We’re All in this Together” (after being taught by Gabby and Troy that you can be more than what you’ve been). Probably just a little too simplistic for most real-life high schools, but it works well on stage. 

Taking on both the direction and choreography of a piece this energetic is a herculean task.  Carrie Colton was up to the job and seems to have imbued her cast with her enthusiasm for the music and the message of acceptance the script promotes.  As a teacher at Metro State and the Artistic Director at Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids, her expertise at turning students into professionals got a workout with this show.  But it worked.  The footwork in “Get’cha Head in the Game” with basketballs flying in every direction and eight dancers dribbling in unison was a wonder to behold.  Many of the songs are relatively simple melodies, but some – as in “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” (no, not the Frankie Valli version!) – had complicated harmonies that Thomas Beeker as Troy and Andrea Comacho as Gabriella totally nailed. 

The young lovers were played by Thomas and Andrea with complete sincerity and warmth.  They knew who they were and what they wanted and couldn’t understand why everyone else was getting so angry all the time.  The antagonists – Sharpay as performed by Delany Marie and her brother Ryan as played by Curtis Lemieux – were too funny together to be taken seriously by the audience.  But on stage, they were dead serious. 

The ensemble cast featured some terrific dancers and gave everyone a full character and a reason to speak.   It’s nice to see the dialogue passed around amongst various members of the cast – giving everyone a chance to shine.  Olivia Wilson was featured as the composer of the play they are rehearsing and fighting for parts.  She did a nice turn as the girl who gets bullied by the theatre kids and then stands her ground when her work is accepted and praised. Owen Whitham makes the most of his part as Zeke, a basketball player with a passion for baking and a crush on Sharpay.  And Laila Aniyah does a good job of creating laughs with her role as Jackie Scott, the radio announcer for the high school radio station. 

The adults in the cast are played by Damon Guerrasio as Coach Bolton of the basketball team and Samantha Jo Staggs as Ms. Darbus, the director of the theatre club.  Instead of being the voice of reason for their students, they further the competition between the groups and have to be taught themselves that acceptance and cooperation can change everything.  You don’t have to WIN to not lose. 

This friendly family performance is sure to be a hit with your teens and young adults who grew up on a diet of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens and will rejoice at hearing the music again and seeing the movie acted out on stage. 

A WOW factor of 8.5!!