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THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK CHRISTMAS MUSICAL – Music and Lyrics by David Nehls; Book by Betsy Kelso; Directed by Piper Arpan. Produced by Miners Alley Playhouse (1100 Miners Alley, Golden) through December 31. Tickets available at 303-935-3044 or minersalley.com. 

What a treat! A Brand-New Musical by old reliable David Nehls in a Brand-New Theatre in lovely downtown Golden. A word or two about the new space Miners has been working on so diligently. The hard work has paid off. It’s a quietly elegant space with a large welcoming facade. An immense box office is right inside the door with room for several people to be working simultaneously to welcome patrons as they come to a show. To your left is a beautifully stocked and arranged bar and an area for mingling while to your right is a small seating area, the rest rooms and a coat rack.  

Entering the theatre, you are on house right with the seats in three (right, center and left) sections. Only about six or seven rows so the stairs are minimal (that’s important to old folk like me) and the seats are comfortable. Finish your drink before you go in, however, no cup holders. The playing space is spacious and tall. It doesn’t seem to have a lot of backstage or wing space, but that may be deceptive. There was, at least, room enough for a trailer park represented by two almost life-size hand-built trailer units. 

The show brought back three of the lead characters and actresses playing them from the original GATPM – Betty (Julia Tobey), who is the manager of the park and the leader of the pack; Linoleum (Preston Adams), still smart mouthed and mourning her husband recently executed at the nearby prison; and Pickles (Jenna Moll Reyes), now pushing the baby carriage from her “hysterical” pregnancy. They are all still the best of bad-mouth friends with pithy views on the world around them and gossip about everyone. 

They are joined by Darlene (Leiney Rigg), another resident who, as the result of an electrical accident, turns anti-Christmas despite the efforts of Rufus (Nick Rigg Johnson), her ho-ho-ho happy neighbor, to cheer her up and change her mind. Throw in Damon Guerrasio as the villainous Jackie Boudreux, the actual owner of the trailer park who is ready to sell the whole kit and kaboodle and evict everyone and you’ve got a full deck of cards. Move over, Scrooge, Jackie’s back in town!! Of course, because it’s a musical comedy, a romance has to bloom between the antagonists and there must be a happy ending. That’s all you get in terms of clues to the plot. You want more – go buy a ticket. 

The cast performed admirably and with such confidence that you’d never predict the show had never been done before. They were all full of smart-ass energy; David wrote great lyrics and bouncy music for them to perform. The dialogue was full of down-home humor that kept the audience in stitches all the way through. To add the cherry on top of this Christmas Sundae, the composer himself led the four-piece band situated on top of the trailers. Director Piper Lindsay Arpan kept the good times rolling and the audience laughing. 

For a not-so-Christmas-like evening out for adults, here’s your ticket.  

A WOW factor of 8.5!! 

MATILDA – Book by Dennis Kelly; Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin; Directed by Steve Wilson; Music Direction by Donna Kalpan Debreceni; Choreographed by Carrie Coulton. Produced by Town Hall Arts Center (2450 Main Street, Littleton) through December 31. Tickets available at TownHallArtsCenter.org or 303-794-2787. 

WOW! What a night!! Recently the theatre community turned out enmasse to support the Denver Actors Fund and their friends in the Town Hall production of MATILDA on an Industry Night performance. Several in the audience who are currently in their own shows in other theaters gave up their own only night off to be there. So, the audience was stoked and pre-primed to have a good time. And a GOOD time they had. 

To those of you who keep track of such things, make a note to watch out for these nine talented young performers. These kids are Broadway stars in the making: Lily Allred, Mason Mertz-Hutchinson, Sam Bird, Ellie Plenk, Emmalyn Garces, Owen Plenk, Alex Hagar, Camille Richards, and Blake Channing Taylor. These talented artists are going to rule New York very soon, if that’s what they choose to do. They gave the show a monumental amount of energy; they kept up with and often led the adult dancers; they allowed their individual talents and personalities to come through in fully developed characters; and they had fun every step of the way. All the while, they were keeping up with their schoolwork, going through their first semester finals, and trying to get ready for the holidays. I know this because four of these little wonders are from my school – Denver School of the Arts. Good job, Maggots!! 

These kids let themselves be locked up in the “chokey,” an Iron-Maiden-like device used for discipline, be flung around like a discus by their braids, be forced to eat a whole chocolate cake, and be generally tormented by the Big Kids and Ms. Trunchbull, the head mistress. And, in some cases, by their parents. 

The hero of this is Matilda, a young student with immeasurable calm, presence of mind, patience, and hope for the future. She LOVES books and what books can teach her. On the night of this special performance Ellie Plenk took on the role and made it hers. Town Hall, taking no chances, has no less than three understudies for the role. Ellie had a quiet confidence about her that belied her youth – both as Ellie and as Matilda. She has a strong singing voice and an appealing charm. However, her English accent – like several in the cast – was so pronounced, it was difficult to comprehend her lines – both spoken and sung – on occasion. 

Poor Matilda was born into a family that wasn’t expecting her and didn’t want her. Her father insolently called her “Boy” and forbade her books when he insisted everything she needed to know, she could learn from the telly. Mike Martinkus has made a solid career in musicals all over town, but he tops if off with his larcenous used-car-salesman-reluctant-father role. He has a monologue at the beginning of Act Two where he reprimands the audience for their bad behavior during Act I. He was so convincing that my companion turned to me and said, Is this part of the show or is he really mad?”  

Matilda’s mother isn’t any better. She denied that she was pregnant until she couldn’t. “We have one kid. We don’t need any more!” A narcissistic shallow enabler for her husband and son, more concerned with the dance competition she has entered than anything else, Jamie Molina rocks this role with her slinky dance moves and disregard for her needy daughter. She is ably assisted by Joe Bernard as Rudolpho, her arrogant dance partner. Joe has no bones in his body or if he does, they are made of rubber. His Latin dance moves must be seen to be believed. Her only sibling is Michael, an older brother played by Ben Davis. He’s as big a doofus as his parents are meanies and so tall that it becomes a sort of running joke every time he stands up. These parents make a strong statement about emotional abuse of a child that would be hard to watch were it not so over the top and so damn funny. It helps that Matilda is turning out sweet and smart despite them 

There are two other helpful role models in Matilda’s life. The first is Mrs. Phelps, the librarian that appreciates the good stories that Matilda devises out of thin air. Mrs. Phelps is a happy soul played by a happy soul – SonsharaeTull – who waits impatiently for the next chapter in the current story, giving Matilda encouragement in her made up world of caring parents. The second role model is Ms. Honey, her teacher at the Crunchem Hall. Ms. Honey as played by Cara Lippitt is a sweet unassuming woman who stays at the school under Trunchbull’s thumb because she genuinely cares for the kids and is fearful of what might be done to them if she weren’t around. Her eventual role in Matilda’s story about the loving acrobatic couple makes it seem as though Matilda conjured Ms. Honey into being. 

Now we come to the crux of the story – the mean, ugly, despicable vengeful Ms. Trunchbull, the hated Headmistress. She is Simon Legree, Cruella deVille, Scrooge McDuck and the Wicked Witch of the West all rolled into one. As this show was born out of Roald Dahl’s book and set in the UK, the role is usually played by a man in the “panto” tradition, but when Trunchbull walked on stage for the first time, I was convinced Town Hall had broken tradition and cast some unknown older woman in the role. A quick glance at the program assured me that – in, indeed – it was our very own Brian Merz-Hutchinson in a fantastically tortured wig, an exaggerated set of “girls,” an enormous hump on her back (move over, Igor) and a convincingly sour expression on her face. In addition to the afore-mentioned cruelties she created for the kids, she also swings from the ceiling, jumps on a trampoline, sings like a – well, not a lark – maybe more like an ostrich, and dances in combat boots. You may have noticed a similarity in name between Ms. Trunchbull and one of her charges. Yes, Brian and son Mason are performing together. Mason as Bruce is the chocolate cake eating student in a scene which personifies fun. The whole audience was rooting for him screaming “Bruceeeee” at every bite. 

Everyone involved in this production gave it their best work. Nikki Harrison’s costumes were on point; the set designed by Brian Watson was a quaint classroom with movable parts; and the magic tricks orchestrated by James Lopez were artfully arranged. The choreography by Carrie Coulton created an ensemble that was in sync throughout the complicated dance numbers on the small Town Hall stage. 

I hope Denver Actors Fund made a boatload of money that night because the cast and crew worked their little buns off, and the audience was over the top in their vocal appreciation and applause. 

A WOW factor of 9.5!! 

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT – Music by Andrew Lloyd Weber; Lyrics by Tim Rice; Directed and Choreographed by Bryan Bell; Music Directed Janice Vlachos. Produced by Candlelight Dinner Theatre (4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown) through January 28. Tickets available at 970-744-3747 or ColoradoCandlelight.com. 

Once again, how nice to visit our old friend Joseph on his trek through Israel and Egypt to make “Any Dream” come true. As with any show of which you are fond, as each new song begins, your face lights up with the memory of this melody – these words. My enjoyment was even more fun as I was accompanied on this night at Candlelight by someone who had done the show four times in not only America, but also in England and South Africa. His pleasure at remembering old songs was even more fun to watch. 

And while this script is not geared to the holidays, it seemed oddly appropriate with its message of forgiveness and family. For those of you not familiar with the Bible story, Joseph was the favored son of Jacob, which made his 11 other brothers Jealous. They sold Joseph to a traveling band of merchants who took him into Egypt where he ended up in prison. No run-of-the-mill peasant, Joseph had the gift of interpreting dreams. He did so for a member of the Pharoah’s staff which got back to the man himself and ended up with Joseph giving him a reading. When it proved accurate, he was given a high post in the kingdom which, in turn, allowed him to confront his brothers when they came to beg for food. After giving them a hard time when they didn’t recognize him, he revealed himself and forgave them. Happy ending!! Where’s the girl and the riding-off-into-the sunset? No girl – No sunset. Just family back together. 

What a family they have become! The ensemble of men gathered for this production feature some truly amazing dancers performing a variety of styles all choregraphed by Bryan Bell and his assistant, Matthew Dailey – who just happened to be there and stepped in for an absent dancer that night. The brothers who are featured in songs – Levi (Chad Lederer) bemoans the supposed death of his brother in “One More Angel in Heaven”; Reuben (Ethan Knowles) long for the good ol “Canaan Days” when they had food and prosperity (accompanied by Apache dancers Cory Michael Klements and Jessie Mays Hobson); and Judah (Elton Tanega who is popping up in lead roles all over town these days) did a great job on the “Benjamin Calypso” as he tries to convince Joseph that Benjamin didn’t steal anything from him – are all extraordinary in their energy and joy of performance. The dance ensemble is tasked with perfecting Western and Broadway style choreography in addition to the Apache and Calypso already mentioned. And then do it all over again in double-time for the 14-minute curtain call that speeds through the whole show.  

The story is told by the Narrator who leads Joseph and the audience along this journey through song and action. The part is double cast; the night I saw the show, the Narrator was sung by Sarah Forman, a member of the company at Candlelight. On alternate nights, it is sung by Jayln Webb, well known to all Candlelight regulars as talented and charismatic on stage. 

If you can get tickets, this is a great show to take your kids to as it is funny, all music, and very active. Nothing boring is going on here!! Your holiday out-of-town guests will be impressed with the Broadway quality productions they do at Candlelight. We’re not just a cow town anymore! 

A WOW factor of 8.75!! 

THE WHO’S HOLIDAY – Written by Matthew Lombardo; Directed by Heather Frost. Produced by Vintage Theatre (1468 Dayton, Aurora) through December 31. Tickets available at 303-856-7830 or vintagetheatre.org. 

You Say you’re not in the Christmas spirit?? 

It could be your head isn’t screwed on just right – 

It could be perhaps that your shoes are too tight. 

Are you not getting toys? 

Can you not stand the noise? 

No matter your hatred of all that humming,  

you just can’t ever stop Christmas from coming. 

A visit to Vintage is just the right trick. 

If that doesn’t work, you really are sick! 

Cindy Lou Who – all grown up and fine – 

Will soon have your heart back on the line. 

Sweet Jenny Weiss will charm and enchant 

Feeling sad? She’ll say, “Oh, no you can’t!” 

She’s sexy and naughty and pretty and nice. 

To see her perform, don’t even think twice. 

You will giggle and laugh and may even blush 

Coz you see little Cindy is a bit of a lush. 

In spite of her life, Cindy’s still very breezy. 

She makes celebrating Christmas seem awfully easy. 

So here’s hoping your Christmas includes food for a feast 

And maybe the Grinch will carve your roast beast! 

Whew – well, that’s enough of that. But I hope I got my point across. Watching Jenny Weiss describe the life of the grown-up Cindy Lou Who from the classic Dr. Seuss children’s book, then animated movie, then live movie, then everything else, is a treat all adults owe themselves sometime during the commercial madness that the holidays have (too bad) become. It will put back the mistletoe in your heart and spark up your holly. Jenny’s ease with talking to her audience, her determination to make the metre of the poem work and the surprises in the script are all enchanting. A Barbie-decorated corner of the lobby where she works at a recent performance was filled with laughter and smirks. NOW STOP THAT! 

A reasonably priced ticket, a 75-minute performance, and an open bar make for a great way to spend an evening. Treat yourself! You deserve it, you ol’ Grinch. 

A WOW factor of 8.75!! 

LETTERS OF SURESH – Written by Rajiv Joseph; Directed by Julie Rada.  Produced by Curious Theatre Company (1080 Acoma, Denver) through December 9.  Tickets available at 303-623-0524 or boxoffice@curioustheatre.org. 

These characters are obsessed with paper.  They are either folding it, writing on it or reading from it.  In a tale about a packet of letters trying to find a home, the audience is introduced to four characters interconnected, yet steeped in isolation.  The story starts not with the writer of the letters but with someone who is trying to return them to the writer.  Melody (Desiree Mee Jung) has inherited a blue box containing 10 or 12 letters written to a deceased uncle by a man named Suresh (Hossein Forouzandeh).  She writes to him inquiring if he would like them returned and ends up spilling her own heart out.  Despite not hearing back from him (because, as we learn later, he is not at his home currently), she continues writing and spilling.  We next meet Suresh himself and hear him write the original letters to Father Hashimoto (Peter Trinh), the deceased uncle.  One chance encounter at an origami conference in Nagasaki allowed Father Hashimoto to observe Suresh who was considered a boy wonder at folding the beautiful paper sculptures. 

Hashimoto had written to Suresh in admiration for his skill which caused Suresh to write back and continue the paper conversation. The letters finally end back in Suresh’s home in the care of his friend Amelia who is awaiting his return.  Now we know the origin of the letters and the meaning they have to all of the players. 

During this epic back and forth journey of written missives, we follow the growth of each of the four characters’ connection.  Both Suresh and Hashimoto have love stories to tell; the women have confessions as well; we are drawn in by the intricately told stories as delicate as the created paper birds that adorn the set. A wall sized projection screen provides a soothing backdrop of Japanese symbols, scrawled English, minimalist flowers, and gently rolling ocean waves.  As delicate as a cherry blossom and as soothing as a Zen Garden, each player gets to express their story quietly, without undue drama even when the story involves an event as horrendous as the bombing of Japan in WWII. Both humor and regrets are present but are given an authentic treatment. 

Playwright Joseph introduced the character of Suresh in a previous production called ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER and continues his journey in LETTERS.  Why do I have the feeling we haven’t seen the last of Suresh and that his story isn’t finished? 

A WOW factor of 8.25! 

THE ODD COUPLE – Written by Neil Simon; Directed by Dwayne Carrington. Produced by Firehouse Theatre Company (7653 East 1^st Place on Lowry, Denver) through December 17. Tickets available at 303-562-3232 or firehousetheatercompany.com. 

There is a certain comfort in watching a favorite movie over and over or bingeing on a TV program you saw when it first came out. It’s the same with plays as well. You know the story; you’ve heard the jokes; it’s just fun watching different people perform the familiar dialogue. And if you know Neil Simon, you know there are going to be a lot of one-liners you’ve probably forgotten that will still make you laugh. This is what we have going on at Firehouse for this holiday season. A look back at a familiar story with a tiny twist. 

The twist being that good ol’ rumpled up Oscar is being played by Jeff Jesmer, a handsome White man while gorgeous Black man Don Randle is doing up-tight Felix. Not too surprisingly, the use of a mixed race cast does not seem to call for adjustments to the script or to the acting. I can remember only one little reference to race in an added joke about Felix having a brother. Both men are versatile enough to have played either role; for a short time, there had been conversation about having them learn both roles and alternate on every other performance.  

Jeff Jesmer is an compelling actor who excels in playing characters who are perhaps slightly confused about what’s going on or gently taking on the romantic lead in a show. In a recent review, he was described as “being at ease in a room.” An accurate and insightful description which suits this particular role. Oscar has broad enough shoulders to take on who he knows in advance is going to be a difficult roommate. He copes longer than most would, but when he explodes, there’s blood on the walls. Oh, wait – that’s not blood! That’s linguini!! 

Don Randell had to work hard to muffle his personal manliness to create a fragile and needy Felix. It doesn’t seem to quite fit him in early scenes, but he warms up considerably during his scenes with the female visitors and especially in the last scene when he is allowed to gloat a little and soften his self-condemnation.

 

Both Oscar and Felix love their Friday night poker games. They are joined in these evenings by four buddies from the hood: Matt Hindmarch as Murray, Allistair Basse as Speed, Ian Scott as Vinney, and Lisa Wolf as Roy (a part usually played by a man). Their rough camaraderie illustrates a long history of friendship as they banter and bitch. But their concern for the missing Felix and their care of him when he finally arrives is genuine and displays the best of male bonding. Even when there’s a woman involved. 

The Pigeon sisters from upstairs who join Felix and Oscar for dinner but never quite get around to eating are delightfully cast with Yasmine Hunter and LaDios Muhammad. They arrive ready to party hardy yet can’t quite understand what they have walked into as Felix fumes about his burnt London broil and Oscar fusses over drinks. In their final scene, they turn on Oscar and coddle Felix to absolutely dumbfound the card players. Their English accents may be a little over the top, but easily forgiven. 

Not only does Jeff act in the production, but he also built the well decorated set. Fittings and furniture provided by Prop Designer Kate Small create a warm if slightly untidy setting – at least, until Felix gets his hands on the Hoover. Rick Reid’s sound design is authentic as always, providing music from the era and the sound track from the original movie and TV series as lead in to both acts. The costumes by Rachel Finley help identify the working class players. 

If you are a Neil Simon fan, if you like to laugh, if you haven’t seen this duo at work for a few years, you’re in for a treat with the Firehouse production. 

A WOW factor of 8.5! 

THE MINUTES – Written by Tracy Letts; Directed by Missy Moore. Produced by Thunder River Theatre Company (67 Promenade, Carbondale) through November 26. Tickets for future productions are available at 970-918-8200 or thunderrivertheatre.com. 

Since Thunder River’s production of THE MINUTES is having its final performance on the day this is being written, more than talking about the actual production, I want to tell you a little about the theatre company itself and what a joy it was to attend this production. We’ve all been hearing about the good work that Thunder River has been turning out for the last few years, earning Henry’s for productions and actors. The skeptic in me wanted to know how a tiny mountain town could find the talent to do all this great work. So, I investigated. 

As it turns out, Carbondale is not that small a town. Providing a home base for over 6500 villagers, many of whom work in the neighboring towns of Aspen and Glenwood Springs, the theatre company there has an inspiring history. Founded in 1995, for the first eleven years of its existence, it didn’t have its own home but trucked costumes and props all over the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond to perform in other venues. Finally, on New Years Eve in 2005, they were able, with the overwhelming support of the entire community, to open their own beautiful new facility that was paid in full by grants and donations. This is no small community theatre; this is a full-blown professional theatre that actors from Denver and other Front Range theatres are beginning to discover as a great place to work. 

Under the leadership of former Denver actress and director Missy Moore, their seasons have been edgy, educational and enlightening. Missy is the younger daughter of the legendary Moore family of entertainers that includes father Bob (who was in the show), mother Wendy (sadly who has left us to appear in heavenly productions) and sister Mandy (choreographer extraordinaire of LA LA LAND among others – who can ever forget that incredible traffic jam scene choreography for the first song in the movie!). So, it is no wonder that Missy is fearless in her confidence to be able to bring slightly controversial scripts to life in her theatre and know that her community will follow wherever she leads. 

As an example, the current 2023-24 season, in addition to the just finished THE MINUTES about a contentious city council in a town that has long lauded a historic faux hero with feet of clay, also presented RABBIT HOLE, a heartbreaking drama about a family facing unthinkable grief in the aftermath of the accidental death of a child. Upcoming in February, ENDGAME, Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece about three members of a family and their servant, all caught in misery of their own making. This will be followed in June by POTUS, OR BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE about an unnamed President who makes a career-ending remark in front of the press and his coalition of women who are trying to save him from himself. Hmmmmm …… 

THE MINUTES was incredibly good; the acting crisp and precise, the emotional underbelly well expressed, the pacing swift and authentic. It could stand side by side with the recent production at Curious Theatre in Denver and hold its own. A Q&A after the performance happily revealed the back stories of various characters and the actors’ personal solutions to the mysteries in the script – all of which proved very enlightening in understanding this comically difficult piece. It was evident that the director and cast had worked together to unravel the plot and find the answers to the questions posed by Lett’s writing. The technical aspects of the production were first-rate and professional. A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and weekend adventure. 

I HIGHLY recommend a stop to enjoy this jewel of a theatre on your next trip to the mountains. Looking for something to do? Meander on over to Carbondale and take in a play. Going skiing in Aspen or Vail? Take a side trip and enjoy a show when you come down off the mountain. You will be not be sorry. 

THE GLENWOOD SPRINGS HOLIDAY VAUDEVILLE SHOW – Written by the cast; Directed by John Goss. Produced by The Glenwood Springs Vaudeville Show company (915 Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs) through January 13. Tickets available at 970-945-9689 or gvrshow.com. 

For those of you who miss Heritage Square Music Hall, here is your surrogate. The crew in Glenwood Springs bring the heart and soul of vaudeville back to life with their songs, skits, magic tricks, and their famous dog act. It’s a two hour olio of fun and frivolity full of fabulous folk.  

Let’s talk about the people on stage. Starting with old-timer Tom Erickson who has been there since the beginning 15 years ago. A talented comic actor and singer, Tom entertained at the iconic Crystal Palace in Aspen before moving to the GSV show when it opened. Teagan Brown is the kid in the company and a magician who baffles with close-up effect tricks with cards and a pretty amazing Metamorphosis escape routine on their small stage. Michael Scarpetti adds humor and musical charm to numerous numbers while Tim Veazey accompanies everything on the piano. The cast of women includes Madeleine Miller who did a hilarious rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas ending in a strait jacket. Nattia Trout is an alum of Candlelight Dinner Playhouse and Performance Now who does a mean Barbie doing rap. Ella Yates is the ingenue in the skits and gives the show a quiet moment by playing her harp for a Christmas song. Every one of these players are excellent singers and dancers with that certain flair of professional confidence that experience and talent adds to a performance. 

All of this mayhem is wrangled by John Goss, owner and operator of the Vaudeville theatre. A most talented and personable leader of the pack, John serves as the host, the narrator, the preshow entertainment, the concierge, the overseer of the kitchen activities, the adaptor of songs, the developer of skits and the owner of Rio, the vaudeville dog. John is an alum of BDT Stage (we had a nice chat about the brilliance of his friend and mine, Wayne Kennedy) and, you can tell by his enthusiasm, brings his A game to every performance. He and Rio have one of the funniest routines in the show in which Rio becomes John’s head and John becomes Rio’s hands while eating spaghetti. You have to see it to believe it and I still can’t figure out how they do it. 

This is a dinner theatre with a twist. John gathers a set amount of food from various restaurants across Glenwood on Fridays before the weekend, based on his experience with what patrons will probably want to eat (?). You order when you arrive just like at any ordinary dinner theatre; it’s warmed in the kitchen and served quickly by the wait staff and performers. It’s a very slick operation that ingratiates them in their community by using local restaurants instead of the expense of creating their own kitchen. And the food is delicious. He must have to get a LOT of meat loaf as it was outstanding – this from a connoisseur of meat loaf. 

The theatre also owns one of the twelve still-working orchestrian organs which were originally used to provide musical background for silent films in the 20’s. John demonstrated its versatility as part of the preshow entertainment. It looks like an organ and sounds like an orchestra. I’m not even going to ask how they got it in the “attic” above the stage. 

I was laughing too hard to take a lot of notes but just as an example, they built a number around “Ghost Reindeers in the Sky.” The gents from the Lollipop Guild (puppets) came out to entertain. There was Sebastian the Lobster from LITTLE MERMAID singing an adaptation of “Under the Sea” changed to “ADHD.” I remember a funny rap battle between Barbie and Ken against Woody and Buzz from TOY STORY. A very cute tap number with Teagan and John as toy soldiers and a Scary Santa number to the music from Carmina Burana remain in my memory. The fun is definitely PG rated; there were a large number of kids in the audience thoroughly enjoying themselves. An example of the humor: Knock Knock! Who’s there? Yule. Yule Who? Yule know when you open the door!! This gives you an idea of the variety and versatility of this cast. They are all Entertainers with a capital “E.” 

This winter don’t just drive through Glenwood Springs on your way to Aspen. Slow down, spend the night, and take in this unique and delightful vaudeville revue. You’ll leave with a smile on your lips and a glow in your heart. 

A WOW factor of 8.5!! 

CINDERELLA – Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics and Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II; New Book by Douglas Carter Beane; Directed by Kenny Moten; Music Direction by Jordan Ortman; Choreography by Jessica Hindsley. Produced by the Arvada Center (6901 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada) through December 31. Tickets available at 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org. 

Bob Fosse died in 1987 and his soul burst into tiny pieces. They floated around in the musicverse waiting for just the right tiny bodies to arrive. Then they dropped into the hearts of little dancers who grew up to be brilliant choreographers. We are so lucky to have several of those tiny, but now grown-up choreographers, here in Denver. Jessica Hindsley is one of them. The dancing in this show, under her watchful eye, is absolutely breath-taking. The waltz at the end of Act One is like watching angels breathing. Go see this show with your own tiny dancers and you’ll see what I mean. 

Charles Perrault’s love story written in 1697 has gone through hundreds of adaptations and portrayals on stage, in movies, on TV, in ballets and in books. Many small changes have been added to the basic story over the centuries till we come to the popular version with music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hammerstein written in 1957 for television and was subsequently given a more modern book by Douglas Carter Beane in 2013. Director Kenny Moten adds his own special touches to make the whole experience more relatable to today’s audiences. His villagers carry cellphones, for instance, and some of the dances are gender free. Kenny finds the humor in each scene and allows the players to have fun with it.  

[A personal note: I have been enthralled with Kenny Moten’s talent since I first met him as the Teen Angel in GREASE (“Beauty School Drop Out”) at Country Dinner Playhouse. He came floating down from the ceiling with his foot hooked into a loop singing his heart out. The next time I worked with him, he was involved in a Christmas Spectacular as a dancing candy cane. Kenny’s come a long way, directing in multiple theatres all over the state and winning kudos left and right for his talent. I knew way back then that this was a performer who was going to go places. Good job, Mr. Moten!] 

In the lead role of Ella, we have the lovely voice and lovely talent of Hillary Fisher. She could probably make a successful career by going from production to production playing this role, it suits her so perfectly. But that’s no fun; there’s too many great roles out there waiting for her to find them. I just hope she finds her way back to Denver occasionally. Ethan Walker who has recently lit up the stages at both Candlelight and the PACE Center in lead roles, makes a beguiling prince. Some of his solos seemed to be a little low for his voice but he overcame it all with charm. His transition from a do-nothing innocent to a soon-to-be dynamic ruler was fun to watch. 

The two officials who have been running the show until Prince Topher “grows up” are obviously devious and underhanded. Sebastian, as played by Zayaz Da Camara and Lord Pinkleton (Madelyn J. Smith), make delightful villains who were not really “bad,” just taking advantage of a situation. They soon learned they weren’t going to get away with that anymore. Their counterpart was a relatively new character (added by Beane in his adaptation) to take the opposite stand as the lazy government officials. Jean-Michel, given voice by Christian McQueen, is labeled a radical because he wants justice and responsibility from the royal family. (Just reading the evening news creates an echo in the theatre.) But even Jean-Michel has his soft side as he is goofy over one of Ella’s stepsisters. 

In this version, the stepmother Madame and stepsisters Gabrielle and Charlotte have very different characters from your usual round of fairy tale bad guys. Megan Van De Hey as the elegantly gowned Madame can become deceptively understanding and obviously cruel in the blink of an eye. As all three reminisce about the ball and Ella “wonders” about what it must have been like in “When You’re Driving Through the Moonlight,” Madame remembers her younger days. For a minute there, she forgot to be mean. The sisters – played by Rachel Turner and Lily Schmoker – are comic characters, but they too just want to be noticed and loved. Rachel’s turn as Gabrielle gives her the opportunity to fall in love with Jean-Michel and help her sister Ella. Both girls have the funniest song in the show with the “Sister’s Lament” that the prince seems to want someone pretty and smart. They wonder why he couldn’t like someone just ordinary – like them. 

Special kudos to Alana Watters for her role as the Fairy Godmother who makes the magic happen. The costumers and artisans in the scene shop really help her out, but she’s the one on stage who must make it happen in front of the audience. She pulls off quick changes and changing mice into footmen in the blink of an eye. Her voice is magnificent and her personality sparkling. Her two foot-mice, Jasmyne Pierce and Rae Leigh Case, are athletic dancers and acrobatics, thrilling the audience with their tumbling antics.  

I always know I’m going to see a beautiful well produced show when I go to the Arvada Center. Everyone from the people making the decisions to the artisans in the scene, prop and costume shops to the people participating in rehearsals to the people selling the tickets know their jobs and do them well with quiet competence and devotion to their collective art. A well-run ant hill dedicated to the arts. It’s a pleasure to go through the door. 

A WOW factor of 9!! 

LOKI’S MONTROUS CHILDREN – Written by Ellen K. Graham; Directed by Hart DeRose. Produced by Feral Assembly (Presented at the Buntport Theatre, 717 Lipan) through November 11. Tickets available at feralassembly.com. 

I will be the first to admit that I don’t feel qualified to review this show for potential viewers.  I know diddly squat about Dungeons and Dragons and only minimal information about Norse mythology. Other than the first Gal Godot WONDER WOMAN, I haven’t even watched superhero or Marvel movies since Christopher Reeve stopped playing Superman.  But I didn’t feel like I was the only one who walked out of the theatre shaking their head with a “What just happened?” on their lips. 

This doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the afternoon of watching Loki’s children act up; part of the fun was trying to pull the pieces together, figure out relationships, and who was a semi-God and who was human.  So, I’ve done a little dramaturgy on my own to see if I can figure it out. 

Let’s start with Odin (played briefly by Terry Burnsed), a Norse god of war who was married to Frigg (Gina Wencel), goddess of marriage and fertility.  They had children but it seems that Odin had a little side hustle going on with another goddess and sired Loki from that relationship.  Which made him a little pissed off at the world.  Who wants to be half-anything and ignored by your dad?  Regardless, Loki married Sigyn and had three children.  This is where our story starts. 

We first meet Hel who presides over the place she’s named for.   She is described as half blue/half flesh-colored and is gloomy and downcast.  The slow moving, slow talking Bevin Antea gives us an impressive Hel as she welcomes the newly dead to her domain. 

Second on board is Fenrir who presents as wolf – no gender confusion there.  Josh Berkowitz brings his sexy to the party . . . . but it doesn’t take a blow from Thor’s hammer to tell everyone to stay away from this one.  The doctor (Dakota Hill) who comes periodically to treat him is intrigued but cautious – until he’s not.  Whoops! 

The third child of Loki is Jormungandr (pronunciation on your own) who presents as a giant snake so long that he bites his own tail as he encircles the earth under the ocean.  It is rumored that should he let go of his own tail, Ragnarok would commence.  This is the battle between humans and Gods that would end it all for humanity.   

We never meet Jormungandr (because he’s under the sea), but Marie, female Olympic swimmer (Calista Masters) who has never been allowed to swim anywhere but in a pool, is intrigued by the ocean.  So, of course, the first time she swims in the ocean, who should she encounter but the big old snake-head.  In probably the most dramatic scene in the evening, we learn what has happened to her as her mother (Gina Wensel again) stands on the shore screaming her name. 

The action eventually seems to devolve down to a DnD game in which Maria is the Dungeon Master controlling the story and the other non-children characters are the players on a complicated campaign.  So, is everything that went before a game?  Is Loki trying to get all his children together in one place?  If so, why? We never really meet Loki but he’s certainly talked about.  As a major trickster, it would be just like him to have put this whole thing together as a big joke on the audience.  Wait, I’ve got it – Ellen K. Graham, the playwright, is Loki!!  That explains everything!! 

You see what I mean?  The fun is in trying to analyze the pieces and pull them cohesively together.  But the progression of the scenes and the use of actors playing multiple roles adds just enough confusion to the proceedings that you are kept on your mental toes throughout the performance.   

I do feel qualified to comment on the work of the cast and the production values.  It was so pleasurable to see Terry Burnsed and Gina Wensel back on stage when I haven’t seen either of them in decades.  Terry’s grumpy old dead guy starts the night off with a laugh.  Gina’s anguished mother on the shore ends the night with a tear.  Johnathan Underwood takes the role of an office clerk that lets him rest a little more than his recent stint as Renfield in DRACULA.  His co-worker is MaryAnn Amari. Josh Berkowitz seemed to have no problem bringing his wolfish tendencies to the forefront and Dakota Hill had no problem falling for his game.  A very thoughtful and tender Artie Thompson who has just returned to performing was a social worker trying to help. I can’t wait to see what she does next. Matthew Schultz plays Tyr, another God who got a little too close to Fenrir, dressed like Trump on the top half and wears shorts on the bottom half. Are you readers getting a hint of the whimsy involved in this production? If I had known some of this information before watching the show, I would have had even more fun figuring things out. 

The big open space at the Buntport Theatre proved helpful in giving very specific playing spaces for the variety of action going on somewhat simultaneously.  However, it seemed as though the playing spaces and lighting could have been used more effectively in helping the play avoid long blackouts.  In some cases, the space between scenes was caused by the need for an actor to add or take off a piece of costume to assume their alternate role which leads to the question – could the scenes have been arranged somewhat differently and still told the same story??  

 The truth is that everyone in the audience will leave the theatre with a slightly different take on “What just happened?” and that’s OK. 

A WOW factor of 8!!