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EE’S BEND – Written by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder; Directed by donnie l. betts.  Produced by the Aurora Fox Arts Center (9900 East Colfax, Aurora) through February 23.  Tickets available at 303-739-1970 or AuroraFoxArts Center.org. 

The legacy of Gee’s Bend quilt makers has encircled the globe from the tiniest beginnings in a plantation established in a bend in the river in 1816 by Joseph Gee.  When times got bad, Gee sold the plantation to Mark Pettway, the sheriff of the county, in 1845.  There are members of the current crop of quilters who still bear the name of Pettway. They raised the usual crops and cotton with the women making quilts from worn out work clothes to keep the families warm in the unheated huts they lived in.  Finally, when the Emancipation came, many opted to stay and work the land as sharecroppers still living in poverty.  In the 30’s, FDR’s Resettlement Administration bought the 10,000 acres of the original plantation and doled it out via low-interest loans to the families that had been working it all those years. 

In addition to creating an original art form, many Gee’s Bend residents participated in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, taking part in a voter registration drive led by Martin Luther King and participating in the march on Selma.  In 1966, the quilters banded together into the Freedom Quilting Bee and began seriously making quilts for commerce, selling them to the stores like Bloomingdale’s and Sears.  This allowed the beauty of their work to take on the mantle of “Textile Art” with the result that, in 2002, an exhibition of Gee’s Bend quilts was displayed at the Whitney Museum of American Art. 

Denver too has an amazing group of women who quilt for their own enjoyment and commerce.  The Wa Shonaji Quilt Guild generously loaned their beautiful quilts to the Fox for illustration of what can be done with a little skill and creativity.  While the women of Gee’s Bend favor the traditional darker patterns of their predecessors, the younger members of both the Denver Guild and the current Gee’s Bend group have created colorful original patterns that move the art form further into the realm of Textile Art. 

The story told in the production of GEE’S BEND is the story of one family that has been a part of this semi-isolated group for several generations.  Starting with the wisdom of Alice Pettway (played by the legendary Sheryl McCallum) as the heavy-handed matriarch of the family which includes two teenage girls, Sadie (Yasmine Emani Hunter) and Nella (Daja McLeod).  Her efforts at keeping the girls from making the same mistakes she made as a teenager are only partially successful.  But she does instill a deep strength and independence in both of them.  It takes a while to manifest itself, but they both finally come into their own.  The tale of the daughters is told through courtship, marriage, abuse, and history.  Sadie marries young and continues the legacy of the quilters.  Nella “don’t do no sewing.”  They are both feisty, but Sadie’s life changes when Mason (Stevie Wise) locks her out of the house when she comes home bowed and beaten after the Selma March.  All of the actor’s give authentic and committed portrayals of their characters.  Wise goes from an enamored teenager caught up in Sadie’s plot to get married and out from under her mother’s thumb – to an embittered and disillusioned husband more prone to talk with his fists than his voice.  McLeod retains her feisty self-centered character through the years.  McCallum lives through the decades to play Alice and then Alice’s granddaughter 60 years later. 

But this is Hunter’s show.  The guiding force who moves historical events in front of her.  Displaying a powerful voice through interludes of gospel music and historical anthems, she controls the picture.  Determined to make her place in the world, her dreams reach fruition in a scene where she and Nella visit the exhibit of their quilts in a museum.  They are astounded and proud of how beautiful they look displayed under light and delight themselves by recognizing each woman’s work by the style and needle work. 

Another beautiful set by Brandon Case that utilizes trees surrounding a clearing in the woods that becomes everything the play needs to tell its story.  His projections of the land around Gee’s Bend and the brutality of the action in Selma put the audience in the middle of the story.  One special little touch that Brett Maughan, the Lighting Designer, threw in at the end for our enjoyment was the tranquility symbolized by the presence of fireflies. 

A WOW factor of 8.25! 

THE COTTAGE – Written by Sandy Rustin; Directed by Justin Johnson.  Produced by Stagedoor Theatre (20797 Conifer Road, Conifer) through February 23.  Tickets available at 303-838-0809 or stagedoortheatre.org. 

The English have a name for the comedy being done up the hill in Conifer.  High something – high fun?  No.  Hijinks comes close.  But no – that’s not it.  Wait – I’ve got it!! High Goofiness – that’s it!  Crazy, twisted, improbable, hysterical, pure unadulterated, mountainous goofiness. A farce without the slamming doors. 

The plot is so convoluted that there’s hardly any point in trying to explain it.  Basically, two couples (including a pair of brothers) have traded partners unbeknownst to each other.  One couple has “slipped away” to a family cottage in the country for a cozy weekend.  Then the second couple (also not married to each other) arrives unexpectedly.  If that wasn’t enough, two more people show up to further complicate the high jinks. 

There’s a blonde bombshell (Kimberly Colisch), a very pregnant woman (Staci York), and a ditz (Emma Ackerman).  The men are interchangeable – one a confident philanderer (Josh Van Riper); the second, his brother and more of the same (Ken Zinn), and the third, a whining lost soul (Clint Clark).  They all deserve each other.  The two who make the most sense are Marjorie with her droll sense of humor and self-awareness of how ridiculous the situation is.  She and Sylvia are both caught in the middle of the battle of the brothers while remaining only inches above a catfight themselves.  Dierdre enters the picture adding total confusion and a hopeless misunderstanding.  The men muddle along adding to the bewilderment and changing alliances.  But it’s the women who prove the strongest in establishing at least partial winners in the game.  In the meantime, the audience is enjoying laugh-out-loud fun as observers of the silliness. 

Justin Johnson kept a strong rein on the action and fast-paced dialogue.  He kept it moving at a rapid pace without running out of control.  He and his cast found all the ingredients for humor – both through dialogue and physical action.  The charming sitting room in the cottage designed by Dean Arniotes and Biz Schaugaard provided a perfect background for all the shenanigans.  The costumes by Jan Middleton immediately captured the class of the participants in this merry-go-round.  It’s the posh making fun of the posh. 

What a fun evening!!  Enjoy a delicious meal at Los Garcias 3 before the show. 

A WOW factor of 8.5!! 

A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD – Written by Samuel D. Hunter; Directed by Warren Sherrill.  Produced by Curious Theatre Company (1080 Acoma, Denver ) through February 16.  Tickets available at 303-623-0524 or boxoffice@curioustheatre.org. 

A long long time ago in a small college in Denver, a skinny kid jumped up and down on a table during a production of THE FOREIGNER and won the hearts of everyone in the audience.  He is was my first Ellard – I guess you always remember your first.  This actor has gone on from his college days to work at Creede Rep, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, BETC, the Art Museum, and other theatres.  And now back to Curious for another appearance.  Without glancing at the program before the show started, I witnessed an accomplished actor embodying the challenging role of Ryan in this production.  Hidden under a beard and a full-grown big guy physique, there was my Ellard – Brian Kusic.  His ability to throw away a comic line totally deadpan, to absorb the pain of his character in a most visceral way, to express humility, anger, desperation, and hope with such excruciating reality . . . I don’t have the words.  You broke my heart, Brian. 

Paired with Brian in this adventure on stage is Cameron Davis, newer perhaps to Colorado, but perfectly holding his own in the part of Keith.  This is one of those pairings that is so perfect, that you can’t imagine anyone else ever doing the roles with such synchronicity.  Cam too brought surprises to the stage, holding onto his little bombs of discovery about past connections with dubious ease.  His love for his daughter is heartbreaking and perfect. How do you display such fear and confusion without having something from your personal life to draw on?  Cam, whatever it was that gave you that depth of feeling and pain, I’m sorry.  But thank you for being able to share it with your audiences.  It can’t be easy. 

How do you make a story out of two men so opposite in character simply trying to negotiate the pitfalls of borrowing money?  Ryan wants to buy the last parcel of land left from his family’s homestead, which has been sold off to developers over the years.  He wants to make a home where his part-time daughter will want to come in the future after the divorce is final.  But he has not lived the kind of life conducive to financial negotiations.  Some people peak in high school as a football hero but everything else is downhill from there.  Keith is anxious to make the deal as part of his job but also has a bit of a personal ax to grind.  He is sympathetic to Ryan’s feelings about family because of his own struggle to get through the two-year foster-to-adoption deadline coming up when he can legally become his daughter’s father.  Only weeks to go.  The potential for a happy ending for both men hovers in the air above them. 

Warren Sherrill has gained a reputation as an honored director in Denver; productions such as this are the reason why. The set design by Brian Watson that created a tiny office space that crowded the two men together added to the men’s early uneasy conversations.  As a friendship developed, the space opened up to offer comfort.  The open ceiling unit that stretched out over the audience only added to the cramped corner environment in which the men maneuvered.  Through the work of Costume Designer, Connor Sullivan, the buttoned-down look of Keith’s business attire and the slouching attitude of Ryan’s jeans and work shirt provided a strong visual contrast to both men’s place in life. Time passing was ably portrayed with the lighting changes between scenes and the small adjustments in the set.  Everything about this production served to provide a microcosm of activity not world-shattering to anyone except the two men living it.  And the audiences watching it.  Did we gain a greater sense of compassion by watching the trials of these two?  I hope so. 

Stay for the final credits . . . they have one more surprise for you. 

A WOW factor of 9!! 

MORNING AFTER GRACE – Written by Carie Crim; Directed by Abby Apple Boes.  Produced by Miners Alley Playhouse (1100 Miners Alley, Golden) through March 2.  Tickets available at 303-935-3044 or minersalley.com. 

I love it when a play doesn’t seem like a play; when it seems like a conversation and discoveries being made for the first time in front of our eyes.  That’s exactly what happened on a recent night at Miners Alley between the three players in MORNING AFTER GRACE. All three actors have gotten caught in a situation and spent the day talking about what they were going to do about it and how they felt in general about where they were in life.  They had a lot to talk about:  Angus (Kevin Hart) just found out that his recently deceased wife had been having an affair; Abigail (Tammy Meneghini) is a divorcee just beginning to date again; Ollie (Dwayne Carrington) is a gay man whose disapproving father is coming for a visit.  Angus and Abigail had just spent the night together when Ollie walked in on them.  Ready – Set – Go!! 

What follows is one of the funniest, sweetest, most thoughtful, conversations you will ever witness.  Ms. Crim, the playwright, has a bullet-like precision to her dialogue.  It is authentic, realistic, natural, and funny all at once.  The actor’s use of pauses and changing direction in the middle of a speech, as they changed their mind about where the conversation was going, was exactly like the talks you had with your best friends over dinner last weekend.  Abigail has a special job that helps both men express their inner doubts and anger without censure.  Absolutely amazing work by all three. 

Kevin only does a show every couple of years; his presence always knocks a good script out of the ballpark.  His comic timing is impeccable.  But he met his match with his cast mates.  Tammy’s personal sense of humor and body confidence is present in each scene.  She lounged on the sofa, eating grapes, and guiding a counseling session with total ease. Dwayne’s anger toward his bigoted homophobic father was coaxed out of him in the most comic of ways.  They all found a resolution for their personal problems.  They came a long way in one day. 

The setting is Angus’s condo in an independent living village complete with a working fridge and running water in the sink.  He makes a pan of brownies during the day; I fully expected him to pull them out of the oven completely cooked and ready to eat. The comfortable living room et was built by Jonathan Scott-McKean and dressed by Samantha Peel. Abby Apple Boes has added to her resume of perfectly directed shows.  Folks, this is one not to miss. 

A WOW factor of 9!! 

THE RESERVOIR – Written by Jakes Brasch; Directed by Shelly Butler.  Produced by the Denver Center Theatre Company (Presented at the Singleton Theatre, 1101 13^th Street, Denver) through March 9.  Tickets available at 303-893-4100 or denvercenter.org. 

If you’ve ever had a grandchild in trouble, if you’ve ever been a mother disappointed in your child’s behavior, if you’ve ever gotten black-out drunk, if you’ve ever asked for a second chance, you’ll relate to this play.  Jake Brasch is a local boy who, after graduating from the Denver School of the Arts, went to Julliard and began writing.  THE RESERVOIR marks his professional debut as a playwright.  How ironic and sweet that it is here in Denver where all the people who knew him “when” can see his work and revisit the good ol’ days. 

It also makes me wonder how his grandparents and mother feel about being

portrayed on stage.  Although the claim is that it is not totally autobiographical, a great deal of the events depicted are suggested by Jake’s own life troubles and growth toward a better life.  As Josh, the character, finds his way home and honestly struggles to become sober, he reconnects with his grandparents who offer him down-to-earth counsel and semi-unconditional love.  He learns that they are real human beings with vivid past lives and their own current troubles with failing bodies and minds.  He finds purpose in trying to help them find a new purpose for themselves and paths toward cognitive recovery. The usual ending for a story like this would be happy.  A reunion with his discouraged mother, his grandparents dancing off into the unknown future, a promising relationship started, a successful career undertaken, and temptations avoided.  Josh’s story is not that pat and we are left encouraged but unsure if this last promise is the one he’ll be able to keep. 

The cast does amazingly sensitive work.  Phillip Schneider plays the many sides of Josh with energy and compassionate understanding.  His struggles are real and his successes only temporary.  He has genuine affection for his family and they for him.  It’s just so hard to see him succumb to his demons time after time.   

Vanessa Lock is Josh’s at-her-wit’s-end mother whose attempts at tough love are painful to watch and rarely work.  A clear indication of her deep love for her son is how many forgiveness’s are offered. The grandparents, played by Joyce Cohen, Lori Wilner, Mark Kincaid, and understudy Mark Rubald on the night observed gave realistic full-bodied performances as real people.  They were loving toward their grandson but they do have lives of their own with their own set of issues.  In retaining their true selves and not becoming consumed with his behavior and problems, they inadvertently gave him a path to follow. Their interaction with Josh was fun to watch.  Rodney Lizcano had a variety of parts, including a snooty waiter, Josh’s boss at the bookstore, and seemingly his only friend. 

A smooth group of ninja stagehands moved set pieces off and on from the wings with no attempt to disguise the fact that they were only there to keep the show running, occasionally acknowledging the actors in a sort of “OK, go on now” recognition.  Director Shelly Butler has found both the humor and the truth in this powerful script and brought it to glorious life.  I would say that Mr. Brasch is off to a running start and can’t wait to see the next thing he brings home. 

A WOW factor of 8.5!! 

HOPE AND GRAVITY – Written by Michael Hollinger; Directed by Josh Hartwell.  Produced by BETC (Presented at the Savoy Event Center-2700 Arapahoe, Denver and Nomad Theatre-1410 Quince Avenue, Boulder) through February 16 at Savoy Event Center and from February 20-23 at Nomad Theatre.  Tickets available at SavoyDenver.com for Denver performances and betc.org for Boulder performances. 

For all you claustrophobics who hesitate to enter an elevator, don’t be afraid to come to this funny and touching series of scenes about an elevator that fails.  BETC’s elevator has no walls; it’s only defined by a square light on the floor.  Five actors traverse up and down and in and out of scenes that set up the random relationships between nine people playing friends, lovers, wannabe parents, school nurses, and an elevator repairman. 

The opening scene allows for a discussion of an accident in a falling elevator across town to nervous passengers who have had to wait for their ride.  The repairman – a supposed expert on how safe elevators are – conducts a Randomized Floor Test (an RFT) of their elevator by programming it to stop randomly on various floors.  What follows is a series of seemingly unrelated (or random) scenes in the lives of the four passengers in equally random order.  But because of the cleverness of the script and the skill of the actors, as they slide in and out of various characters, the trail of random scenes creates a touching back story for the characters who end up – against all odds – in the deficient elevator. 

This crew of five talented actors weave in and out of stories troubling, touching, searching, and funny.  One of these is a scene between a man on the prowl and his hesitant pick-up at a mental health conference for people with various phobias.  Hal (played by Jason Maxwell) is a dentist trying to get Barb (Bekah Lynn Broas) in the sack.  Hal’s mental health problem is that he is a pathological liar (known a few of those in my day) constantly trying to glorify his existence with qualities and adventures he thinks make him more exciting.  To combat this tendency, he has agreed to have electric shock devices attached to his private parts.  Every time he tells a lie, he gets an increasingly painful shock.  (Where were these devices when I needed them?! ) Watching Jason struggle to seduce Bekah, appear suave and important, and still keep from hurting himself was screamingly (literally) funny.  

Matt Zambrano’s work in several scenes includes a sweet relationship meltdown when he proposes to his long-time girlfriend and then the finding of a new friend.  Emma Messenger and Michael Morgan absolutely charm as two strangers meeting under unusual circumstances that seems to be moving toward a new friendship after many disappointments in both their lives. 

An easily changeable set designed by Tina Anderson and equally flexible costumes curated by Alexandra Ligh allowed the actors to maintain the pace as they quickly moved into continuous scenes.  All and all, another completely enjoyable afternoon or evening of theatre with the accomplished BETC troupe. 

A WOW factor of 8.25!! 

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE – Written by Christopher Durang; Directed by John Ashton.  Produced by Town Hall Arts Center (Presented at 2450 Main Street, Littleton) through February 9^th.  Tickets available at 303-794-2787 or Townhallartcenter.org. 

Holy crap!!  This is a good time to be a theatre-goer in Denver and surrounds.  Everywhere you look there’s amazing theatre going on.  I saw four shows this weekend and every one of them was smashing.  Now here’s another preview of the show being performed at Town Hall.  They should have put the phone number in the program because as soon as you see this gem, you will want to order a second set of tickets to see it again. 

Christopher Durang’s gift of droll, outrageous sense of humor hits a new level in this comedy from 2012 which won him a Tony for Best Play.  His scripts often utilize family dysfunction as a source of humor expressed as black comedy.  This is a prime example. 

Vanya and Sonia are sort of brother and sister living in the family house after having cared for their mutual parents to the point that they were unemployable by the time the parents were deceased.  Their life has become uneventful and boring.  The biggest thrill of the day is when a blue heron visits the lake in the back of the house.  A human dynamo in the form of their completely opposite sister, Masha, whirls back into their life.  She is a successful actress who has been sending money home to keep them both in the style to which they have become accustomed.  She brings with her a hot young boyfriend who has a disturbing effect on both Vanya and Sonia.  Masha is just a hair past her prime but not willing to admit to her need to now take “older” roles to keep working. There’s the set-up.  How she upends her sibling’s tranquil life with her announcement of having to sell the house, the changes she wrought just by her presence, and the effect that they have on her. 

Now cast six brilliant actors to work this out on stage and you’ve got an evening in the theatre that will leave you chuckling for weeks after.  Bernie Cardell is a well-known actor-director-producer around town who nails the sluggish Vanya who springs into life with the appearance of his sister . . . . and her boy toy.  But the change is almost too much for him leading to an emotional tirade that is one of the funniest things you’ll ever see on stage.  Denver playgoers have gotten so used to Bernie as a talented director that we forget he is such a good director because he was an actor first.  He is experienced in the long-form monologue having explained the whole comic situation at the end of Spotlight Theatre’s version of RUMORS and Town Hall’s musical monologue in THE PRODUCERS.  It’s no wonder you are laughing tears by the end of his long-winded brilliant explosion of frustration during this performance. 

He is perfectly paired with Gin Walker as his beautiful but bored sister Sonia.  She is convinced that her life is over – nothing different is ever going to happen and she has wasted every chance she ever had and she isn’t going to get any more.  The blue heron is it!  When changes do occur after a fateful party, her self-deprecating humor is lovely to behold.  Her self-satisfaction at – for once – besting her movie star sister brings an unseen and unexpected sparkle back to her life. 

Thirdly is the arrival of self-important, self-obsessed Masha, the movie star sister, given delightful life by the overwhelming Maggie Lamb who enters the world of her siblings like a tornado. She has had a great career but has fallen into self-doubt and fear of losing her looks and her talent.  This particular boy toy she brought along is designed to impress her siblings and bolster her ego.  But her insecurity betrays her efforts at presenting herself as desired and desirable.  Having perfected the Grande hair toss but little else, she becomes fearfully aware of her shallowness.  She is, however, genuinely fond of her brother and sister and accepts her role in the family with grace and understanding. 

The more minor but equally important roles are brought to life by Beau Fisher as Spike, Sanya Bhatia as Cassandra, and Kayleigh Bernier as Nina.  Spike is a wannabe actor obsessed with body image which needs to be acknowledged by his audience of two.  He may have something deeper in his being but he hides it well.  But we learn that he has potential as an actor because he managed to fool Masha for a time.  Cassandra is the cleaning woman with psychic powers.  She occasionally has a little spasm of precognition that proves true in unexpected ways.  Her portrayal of the no-holds-barred incongruous presence in the house is chuckle-inducing every time she appears.  A kind of “What’s she going to do now?” phenomenon.  Kayleigh as Nina is the most normal person in the room.  She’s impressed by having the opportunity to meet an actress she has seen on the big screen as she is a fledgling actress herself.  Kayleigh’s talent at underplaying her role only emphasizes how important she is to the story and how charming she is as a character. 

We can’t leave out the artistry of the folks who make this production work so well.  A lot of it weighs on the shoulders of Director John Ashton, a very droll and funny man himself.  He obviously understands the undertones of Durang’s writing and pulled all of the humor possible out of the script and cast well the actors as his partners in joy.  Good job, Mr. Ashton.  The environment in which the actors work was designed by Brian Miller, built by Mike Haas and his crew, adorned by Becky Toma, and lit by Lighting Designer Emily Maddox (the illusion of light off the lake was sweet).  Curt Behm provided appropriate sound effects and Jessie Page designed the clothing including the silly Snow White costume and the drop-dead gorgeous gown Sonia gets to wear to the party.  And Hannah Tripp as the Stage Manager and her crew keep everything on track.  A team working in tandem to create great (and funny) art. 

Well, there you have it!  And you better get tickets quickly.  Short run and great buzz are selling out every performance.  This is a “run – don’t walk” kind of event. 

A WOW factor of 9.5!! 

OKLAHOMA – Music by Richard Rodgers; Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Directed by Kate Vallee; Music Direction by Mason Siders; Choreography by Shawna Walker.  Produced by Candlelight Dinner Playhouse (4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown) through March 30.  Tickets available at 970-744-3747 or ColoradoCandlelight.com. 

This first collaboration of Rodgers and Hammerstein could have had the distinct feel of something drug out of the closet of old scripts.  But – on, no! – this production feels fresh and strong from the first moments to the last.  There are nuances present that this observer had not experienced in a production of this incredible score and familiar story. 

When you enter the theatre and see the “bright golden haze” over the farm scene on stage, it’s apparent from that moment on that something special is happening here.  The set designed by Casey Kearns and constructed by Josiah Buhre and his crew has a distinctive lean and lovely look.  Add in the Light Design by Laurel Ladzinski and you’ve got that famous afternoon look of the Midwest where a lot of us grew up. 

Then the show starts and Patric Case’s booming voice comes down the aisle extolling the “beautiful morning” and you’re home again.  Patric’s Curly is a robust, fully alive cowboy who appreciates the wide-open spaces.  He has charm, healthy self-deprecating humor, a sweet and respectful attitude toward women of all ages, and a killer voice.  He is confident enough in his masculinity to argue with the woman he loves and vulnerable enough to believe her when she insults him back.  His scene with Jud, the onerous hired hand, is a master class in manipulation, both as written and performed by these two talented actors.  

His performance is further enhanced by the strong partner he has in the core love story. Jennasea Pearce brings the spunky sure-of-herself character of Laurie to life.  She obviously loves Curly and he obviously adores her, but they have to play the cat-and-mouse game with the role of mouse switching between the two.  The chemistry is sweet and gives insight into what their eventual married life will be like – volatile, passionate, supportive, and cantankerous, all softened by love.  Jenni’s voice is strong and sweet; her characterization is confident; she’s funny and fun to watch.  Her fear of Jud also at times seems tempered by sympathy – but not enough to erase the fear. 

I’ve been watching Chas Lederer act for what seems like decades.  My favorite to date had been his goofy turn as the comic relief Jeff in BRIGADOON here at CDP.  But he proved with this portrayal of Jud Fry, the mentally twisted hired hand, that he has more to give than goofiness.  There wasn’t a person in the theatre who didn’t feel Jud’s desperate loneliness as he sang his life story in the tormented “Lonely Room.”  He laid his heart bare and dumped his anger and pain on the floor in front of us, holding nothing back.  Everyone in the audience wanted to yell to him, “Take a shower, put on clean clothes, comb your hair, and smile, damn it! “ Of course, that didn’t happen and his pointless pursuit of Laurie becomes his breaking point.  Well done, Mr. Lederer, you broke our hearts. 

The other classic characters of this well-known script were also done to perfection.  Brooke Curry teases and pleases with her role as Ado Annie, the girl who “cain’t say no.”  Owen Whitham leads a troop of tap-dancing cowboys as Will Parker.  His enthusiastic pursuit of Ado Annie is a cute counterpart to Curly’s slow but steady courtship of Laurie.  Lloyd Harvey maneuvering a caught-in-the-middle situation brings humor as the peddler Ali Hakim who didn’t want to get married – just have a little fun.  Carrie Klofach as the elder in the community shows us that she’s not dead yet as she kicks up her heels with the young folk.   

A great deal of the charm of this production also lies in the amazing dance sequences.  I’ve already mentioned the novelty of tap-dancing cowboys.  There are many dance breaks throughout the evening done by the ensemble beautifully clad in colorful dresses while their partners wore nearly matching-colored shirts.  It made for an amazing picture of movement and color.  But the cherry on top of the whole evening was the magnificent Dream Ballet performed by Jessie Mays Hobson as the graceful image of Laurie and Cory Michael Klements as the Dream Curly.  Truly breath-taking.  Too many productions leave this lovely piece out of the show either because they don’t have the dancers or because they underestimate the power of telling a story this way.  Congratulations to Master Choreographer Shawna Walker for recognizing the talent of these dancers and visualizing the beauty of the dance. 

It’s always fun to see what the kitchen is going to do to match the menu to the melodies.  This show brings us good old-fashioned barbeque, chicken fried steaks, and deviled eggs as an appetizer.  Can’t get more Western than that. 

Candlelight does it again.  A WOW factor of 9! 

MARY POPPINS – Music and Lyrics by Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman, George Stiles, and Anthony Drewe; Book by Julian Fellowes; Directed by Shannan Steele; Choreographed by Christie Zimmerman; Music Direction by Brandon Bill and Alec Steinhorn.  Produced by Parker Arts and Give 5 Productions (Presented at the PACE Center, 200000 Pikes Peak Drive, Parker) through February 9^th.  Tickets available at 303-805-800 or ParkerArts.org. 

This version of MARY POPPINS currently playing at the PACE Center has everything you want (even a little more) in a Mary Poppins.  A charming but proper Mary, familiar spritely music, a sweet story about family connections and lessons learned by adults through the wisdom of children, a battalion of talented dancers, a versatile and whimsical Bert, a deadly scary Miss Andrews, and a production team that makes it look easy. 

Madison Falkenstine is the lynchpin of this production – the center from which all action flows.  An opera-trained singer, she handles all aspects of this character with confidence and talent – including her flying entrances and exits with ease and aplomb.  She is sweet but strict with the children in her care, respectful and all-knowing with the parents and staff of the Banks household, and charming with her friend Bert.  I’ve always wondered what the back story was between these two; this production adds in a little note of flirt. 

Alison Mueller shines as Mrs. Banks who, as a character, comes into her strength through the example of the never-wrong Mary.  But as an actress, she handles the humble, stands up for her man, and regains her confidence.  She plays both “befuddled” and “triumphant” equally well and is fun to watch as she grows into the latter. 

Bert is given a cocky confidence by Clark Destin Jones. He even brings the surety of his own talent into the impossible appearing upside-down dance.  How terrifying that must have been the first time it was rehearsed!  Clark has a sweetness of personality that shines through as he leads his cadre of chimney sweepers through their paces.  

There are other performers who contribute mightily to this storytelling.  There is Jeremy Rill as the misguided Mr. Banks.  Heather McClain provides the polar opposite of Mary’s gentle nature in the dreaded Miss Andrew.  Her challenging sing-off with Mary is easily the most frightening scene of all.  Yet Heather shows her brighter side by leading the action in the candy shop as Mrs. Correy, devising the children’s special magic word.  And the young actors playing the Banks children were delightful in their naughtiness.  Since those parts are double-cast, I’m not sure which pair I saw perform.  but Caleb Brummel, Marion Cafe, Ethan Hershman, and Sofie Preece are to be congratulated – whichever pair I saw.  Brionne Aigne has the honor of playing the Bird Lady, one of the most poignant roles ever written and one of the loveliest songs ever sung. 

All of these players are backed up by an ensemble of incredible singers and dancers who make short work of all the dance sequences.  Choreographer Christie Zimmerman and her Dance Captain, Chelley Canales, have created a smoothly synchronized corps de all-kinds-of-dance.  You can tell the dancers are having fun by the “See what we’re doing!” looks on their faces.  What fun!  Special kudos to Kellie Fox for her balletic turn as Neleus, a statue come to life. 

The cast is dressed by Nikki Harrison, who never misses to provide authentic costumes that add to the character and create a colorful aspect to the story. The Set Design by Brian Watson and constructed by Steven McDonald’s interns in the DU stagecraft program contributed to the beauty of the production but needed a fistful of fast-moving stagehands to move the scenes in and out.  What wouldn’t every theatre give for more wing space? 

My original assessment holds – this production of MARY POPPINS has everything you want in a MARY POPPINS. 

A WOW factor of 9!! 

BACK TO THE FUTURE – Book by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis; Music and Lyrics by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard; Directed by John Rando; Music Direction by Matt Doebler; Choreography by Chris Bailey.  Presented by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Broadway (Buell Theatre, 14^th and Curtis, Denver) through February 9.  Tickets available at 303-893-4100. 

When I saw ANASTASIA months ago on its tour through Denver, I thought I had seen the best that could have been done with projections.  When the ghost dancers appeared floating above the heads of Anastasia as she remembered the ball she had attended earlier, I thought I had seen it all.  You’re not going to get any better than that.  Boy, was I wrong.  BACK TO THE FUTURE literally took us into the future of the technical skills of theatre designers. 

  

The projection work and special effects of this production shakes you in your chair when they fire up the car; makes you dizzy with the speed as they move through space to the future; creates a lightning storm so realistic, people were ducking; moves between Doc climbing the stairs to the top of the Library and Marty flying down Main Street trying to get home at the same time; and allows the smoothest, quietest scene changes that slid between locations quickly and flawlessly.  It was amazingly fun to see a favorite movie come delightfully to life. 

Because of the two era’s explored in the script – 1985 and 1955 – the music is a lot of good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll, my kind of music.  The songs capture the best of both decades, occasionally throwing in a ballad for good measure.  “It Works” demonstrates Doc’s excitement at discovering his flux capacitor does what he wanted it to do.  Marty encourages his future father with “Put Your Mind to It.” Doc has a touching solo when he sings about the innovators who came before him and the ones who will come after him in a lovely ballad called “For the Dreamers.”  We’re also treated to the “MUST” song when Marty rocks out at the high school prom with “Johnny B. Goode.” 

Three characters propel the story (both past and present) forward.  Doc Brown (played in the movie by Christopher Lloyd) is brought to stage life by the brilliant Don Stephenson who took some of Lloyd’s idiosyncrasies and added his own touch of wacko to them.  He is a firebrand, a philosopher, a caring father figure, a fast-talking crazy man who likes to dance and be surrounded by pretty girls.  He is aided in his goals of time travel by Marty McFly, a teenager who feels he has no future so going back to the past is no big deal.  Caden Brauch gives him a sweet personality on a quest and doing what needs to be done to save Doc from plutonium poisoning and get home.  His comic relationship with his mother-to-be is both funny and cringe-worthy. His machinations to get his future parents together for a fateful kiss leads to some of the best scenes.  He sings and dances like a rock star – a musical entertainer with his own path to the future.  Another standout was Mike Bindeman as George McFly, Marty’s milquetoast father.  He developed this way of moving that seemed a spin-off from Monty’s Python’s Ministry of Silly Walks on steroids.  He can’t just take a step; he has to stretch his lanky legs to the inth degree and lead with his elbows.  When he finally does stand up for himself, the entire audience exploded with applause. 

The ensemble of players rolled with ease between the characters that filled out the story.  The pit orchestra provided a larger-than-life sound in support of the singers and dancers. Everything about this production was flawless.  And SO MUCH FUN.  I’d say this was one not to miss.  It will be hard for local theatres to ever come close to producing this tech heavy show – so this may be your only chance to see it until it rolls through again on tour. 

A little local trivia – Caden Brauch who played Marty – had an earlier season in the Colorado summer theatre in Pagosa Springs. He went from playing Joe Pesci in JERSEY BOYS to Marty McFly on tour. Even better, he’s leaving the tour to reprise the role in the London West End long-running version. Here’s one dreamer whose dream came true. 

A WOW factor of 10!!