All Posts

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!! 

GHOST QUARTET – Music, Lyrics and Text by Dave Malloy; Directed by Amanda Berg Wilson; Music Direction by Jeejay Maccariella.  Produced by The Catamounts (presented at the Dairy Center, 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder) through February 8^th.  Tickets available at TheDairy.org. 

I have been mentally comparing this production with the lively amazing presentation of NATASHA, PIERRE, AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 in my mind ever since I saw it and just noticed in tiny print on the front of the program that both scripts were created by the same composer.  Mr. Malloy seems to have been writing random songs for some time and somehow found a way to connect them all in a rambling and rambunctious set of stories about a family through several generations and centuries.  What a treat this was!  You never know what you’re going to get from a Catamounts production, but you can always count on it being different, unusual, thoughtful, and professionally put together.  This show is no different. 

First of all, the setting.  The Scenic Designer Gleason Bauer and Prop Coordinator Linda Lea seem to have robbed the back rooms of most of the theatres along the Front Range to gather together an assembly of furniture, rugs, set pieces, and tschotske’s to create a glorious mash-up of a comfortable hoarder’s salon.  It has a wild abandonment about it that captivates and intrigues.  The audience sits on sofas, giant poufs on the floor, at cabaret tables and chairs, or pretty much wherever you like.  A hint: To see all the performance, sit in the back center or sides on the raised platforms.  The performing spaces are divided and if you’re too far front, you’ll miss some of the antics of the performers in the center.  I learned the hard way. 

Secondly, the music and stories.  It’s a convoluted set of stories that follow – more or less – the members of a family that come back together generation after generation in new personas through reincarnation.  One character explains to another “I was your sister, your lover, your daughter.”  Starting in 14^th century Persia and progressing forward in time through 17^th century Germany and Japan to 19^th century England, finally landing in modern-day New York.  It’s perhaps not as important to dwell on the details of how this is accomplished and just enjoy instead the journey and the music.  Trust that it all comes together on stage and in your mind.  You are strangely moved by these divergent stories and family myths that do not have to come to any conclusions or resolutions to be intriguing and enjoyable on every level. 

I wish the program could have included a listing of the songs; I was so intent on listening to the lyrics that I missed writing down the gist of the songs.  The melodic way they blended and weaved in and out of the stories was mesmerizing.  Some were mournful, some jaunty, some purposeful in the story of the moment, some just downright fun.  A delightful homage to the healing powers of four types of whisky comes to mind.  It had to have been “Four Roses – Maker’s Mark – Jameson’s – and (maybe) Loch Lomond” as drinks were poured into tea cups for the audience.  And some songs were just sad as the characters went through a growth of understanding and depth of recognition of the transitory nature of life.  It was easy to build sympathy for these characters on their separate journeys as they connected and then broke apart. 

Thirdly, the performers.  Jeejay Maccariella plays many of the male characters, but gender is unimportant within these stories; Courtney Navarre, Neyla Pekarek, and Maggie Tisdale share the load of seventeen story-tellers. Through solos, duets, and quartets, all the while playing instruments as they sang, their expressive voices brought you along with them through the centuries.  Even when they weren’t actively involved in a song, their expression while listening to another person singing added to the story.  Director Amanda Berg Wilson corralled the bits and pieces of this strangely wonderful find of a script into a meaningful experience. 

I’m not describing well the experience of this production.  I think that’s because everyone will take away something entirely different from the person sitting next to them based on the personal experiences they have brought into the theatre with them.  Just as most of us found NATASHA and company the liveliest production they saw last year, most of us left the theatre opening night believing this would be the most lively show they would see this year. 

A WOW factor of 9! 

THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE – Written by Martin McDonagh; Directed by Christin Martin.  Produced by Invictus Theatre Company of Denver (Presented at the People’s Building, 9995 East Colfax, Aurora) through January 26.  Tickets available at Thepeoplesbuilding.com/beauty-queen#/productions-view. 

On what now seems like a distant time, I took a trip to Ireland.  The one thing I absolutely had to do was stand on the quay where my great-grandfather stood before he boarded the ship that brought him to America in 1861.  He was from Galway County – the same land that formed the psyche of Martin McDonough, our playwright.  I took a bus tour that rode through the landscape of Mag and Maureen.  Leenane, Connemara, Inishmaan, Inishmore – how they roll off the tongue and stay in your heart.  You sound Irish just saying them. 

This is a hard tale for this cast to tell. A reckoning between two angry lonely women – mother and daughter – caught in a web of deceit.  The Mam is a domineering vindictive needy ol’ biddy.  She seeks to control her daughter Maureen’s life by lying to her, subverting her every attempt to get away and pretending to be a lot sicker than she actually is.  Maureen, on the other hand, has returned from service in England to care for her because her other sisters won’t.  She is lonely and bored to the point of distraction. A chance meeting with an old boyfriend gives Maureen a path out of her misery until Mag manages to sabotage everything with disastrous results. 

The cast of four makes the most of this compelling story with a wholehearted determination to see it through.  Linda Suttle as Mag is such a convincing bitch that you must wonder what her married life and mothering years must have been like for her family.  She destroys her daughter’s future without thinking about the consequences.  Because by this time, we have gathered the information that Maureen too – played by Miranda Byers – is one leaf short of a four-leaf clover.  She can seem normal, but there is a rage boiling under the surface just waiting to flare. 

The men in the cast are Maureen’s lifeline, Pato Dooley – played by Andrew Catterall – a local boy home for a short visit from his work in England. A spark is re-lit between them that is both sweet and sorry to watch.  Andrew has a monologue in Act II that allows him to pour his heart out to Maureen in a letter that is heart-wrenching to watch. The more minor but absolutely crucial role of Ray Dooley is given an authentic and humorous life by Fabian Vasquez.  He is both impatient and helpful – a true but reluctant neighbor.  It’s lovely to see how all four of these excellent actors slide into their Irish personas and speech patterns. Kudo’s to Jeffrey Parker, their dialect coach.

Only very small observations – the People’s Building’s acting space can be vast or intimate depending on how you use it.  It seemed the cramped existence of the women inhabiting the cottage could have been better illustrated with a smaller tighter set.  The same pieces used – just pushed together a little more to diminish the world they lived in.  An opening in the upstage wall with a light backstage created a distraction every time it was used as an exit or entrance during blackouts between scenes.  But all the necessary things were there for this authentic picture of Irish life – Kimberly biscuits, Complan, porridge, a working fireplace, a realistic hot stove, and an old TV.  It seems that Director Christin Martin, her husband Jeffrey, and their Stage Manager Selena Nauhoff did yeoman’s work in putting all the pieces together.  The teamwork paid off. 

It’s a disturbing episode that turns horrifying, yet, in spite of everything, you can’t help but feel sorry for these desperate people. It’s a very short run—get on it, folks!! 

A WOW factor of 8!! 

HADESTOWN – Book, Lyrics and Music by Anais Mitchell; Directed and Choreographed by Grayson Allensworth and Maya Eisbart; Music Direction by Oliver Goertzel.  Produced by New Generation Productions (Presented at the Montview Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia) through January 18.  Tickets available at https://new-generation-productions.ticketleap.com/ 

A rogue band of rowdy players invaded a church last night and vowed to stay for two more days performing their tale of love and woe nearly three thousand years old before moving on.  Those wishing to hear this story of lost dreams and the power of music must move quickly to view this ragamuffin lot in their unnatural habitat.  In other words, move your butts or you’re going to miss out on an incredible theatre evening. 

The rowdy band is a group of students from the Denver School of the Arts who are happily demonstrating in this full-blown production of the rock musical HADESTOWN why they were chosen for DSA and why they will become movers and shakers in the worlds of music and theatre when they move on to college and careers.  Their origin story begins with the isolation imposed by Covid and the boredom of creative people.  The dreamers came up with the idea of forming their own theatre company since their school wasn’t allowed to – which they did and have been performing together ever since.  This is their biggest production to date.  But most have only another year in which to do more shows before they graduate and move into the next phase of their professional lives. 

HADESTOWN has both rock-out music and gentle love songs.  It tells the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, a love story doomed from the start.  Eurydice, because of hunger and doubt that her life will ever change no matter how nice Orpheus seems to be, makes a deal with the devil Hades who rules the underground kingdom where people go when they die.  Orpheus walks to Hell to rescue the woman he loves, but because of his insecurity and lack of trust, fails in the final test.  A back story explores the relationship between Hades and his wife Persephone who made a similar mistake and must work to find their own love story again. 

This cast brings the story to life with energy and enthusiasm.  Accompanied by a seven-piece band who live on stage with the players (led by Sebastian Maa), they bring Anais’ music rolling to the rafters.  The nuances of meaning, the delicacy of the staging, and the power of the acting and singing make this a performance that will linger long after the stage goes dark.  Co-directors Grayson Allensworth and Maya Eisbart demonstrate their confidence in directing and choreographing and take the lead roles of Orpheus and Eurydice with ease.  Grayson’s young man in love is expressive and touching.  Maya’s woebegone damsel in distress is both vulnerable yet in control of her own life.  Logan Ambroccio excites playing Hades who proves to be both mysterious and needy.  He’s also not quite able to control his whimsical wife Persephone, played by Antonina Monsolino with gusto and bravado.  Under her guidance, you can picture Hell closing down for the afternoon so she can get him up top for a walk in the sunshine. 

The backup crew is equally adept at the story-telling.  The three Fates who provide good advice and warnings are given life by Shayla Miller, Cha Cha Anders, and Liya Shiferaw.  The Ensemble of singers and dancers playing workers and observers are Joshua Thomas, Zara Fetzer, Lian Vandijk, Khloe D’[Auray and Adan Swim.  Of particular note is the Narrator Hermes who introduces the events of the evening with song and fills in the blanks in the story with his observations.  Elliot Jenkins rules in this role providing comic relief in tense moments and sympathy when needed. 

The production crew has utilized all corners of the chapel in which the performance is staged, has found interesting ways to enhance the visual experience with flashlights and lanterns, and have created the well worn costumes of a traveling band of players. 

I recently heard a quote that seems to fit this group – “Creating art in this political environment is an act of radical optimism.” I would place this work side by side with any other three-year-old theatre troupe in town.  And these kids are just getting started.  Watch them make a splash in the years to come by jumping on their bandwagon and following their work now while there’s room beside the proud parents, friends, and teachers.  They are all both radical and optimistic. 

A WOW factor of 8.50!

KID DETECTIVE – Written by Weston Scott; Directed by Lexi Lazear.  Produced by Shifted Lens Theatre (presented at the Roaming Gnome at 10255 East 25^th Avenue, Aurora) through January 26.  Tickets available at ShiftedLensTheatre.com. 

Well, the Mean Girls are back in town and performing at the Roaming Gnome.  But they aren’t Katie and Regina.  They are Penny and Georgie, the teen detective and her sidekick.  They have gained a tiny bit of a reputation at school by solving mysteries about missing rats, food, notebooks, etc.  But then when all 17 of the police department’s detectives turn up dead, Penny Pepper comes to the rescue.  

But it is immediately evident that Penny is in over her head. Not only was it discovered that a lot of her school mysteries would have solved themselves given time, it was also found that a little bit of fudging and bad blood often pointed the finger at a sometimes innocent boy that they just didn’t like.  

In the adult world of politics and greed, the good people in Penny’s life become victims and the bad people become her mentors.  Penny faces a hard truth about herself and who she has become in her desire to be smarter than everyone else.  She is a changed person from the bouncy bubbly happy girl she was at the beginning to the cynical tough young adult she is at the end.  But watching the truths of her delusions come to rest is a compelling journey. 

Instead of being the young college graduate I thought Weston Scott might be, I find instead that he is a prolific playwright with a dozen scripts under his belt and a burgeoning career up and down the coast of California.  The truth remains, however, that he has not forgotten what it was like in middle school and brings those terrible memories to life with authentic characters and sharp (sometimes hurtful) humor. 

The Roaming Gnome Theatre is a little hard to find the first time you try; it’s on the corner of 25^th and Galena. But you just have to trust that there’s a theatre off the open space in the middle of the building.  It helps that they have painted the name on the outside since the last time I was there.  It’s a little (sort of) primitive space that seats about 40 people – but it’s growing bit by bit and a great place for theatres who can’t quite afford their own space yet to spread their wings and learn to fly.  Shifted Lens follows up their campy update of CRUEL INTENTIONS which re-imagined the original into a high school romp last summer.  This similar outing turns Nancy Drew on her ear and says “Screw you!”  I also have to commend whoever came up with their blood work.  It was the best I’ve seen in a long time. 

Another short run.  If you like tales that tell the truth no matter how painful and adults playing kids and nailing it, come watch the gang from Shifted Lens do their thing.  You won’t be disappointed. 

A WOW FACTOR of 8.25!! 

EBENEZER SCROOGE’S BIG AURORA FOX CHRISTMAS SHOW – Written by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen; Directed by Steven J. Burge.  Produced by the Aurora Fox Theatre Company (9900 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora) through December 22.  Tickets available at 303-739-1970 or AuroraFoxArtsCenter.org. 

As the play starts, your first impression might be that this was something that the Fox staff put together in their spare time or that it was written by a couple of very clever college kids.  It’s got a kind of semi-raunchy prurient humor that you would not normally associate with Dickens’ darling tale.  But the playwrights Rosen and Greenberg know exactly what they are doing.  Before long, the unexpected modern humor has you smiling, then there’s a chuckle or two, and before you know it, you’re laughing out loud and turning to the person beside you with “Did you hear what she just said?”  Not only does the script have embedded humor, but apparently the playwrights left it open so that each new cast could make it their own. 

These five women are having SO  MUCH fun doing this show, which spills over into the audience.  They have set the tale in Wild West days in early Aurora but are still telling Scrooge’s sad sorry story.  The set is a barn in which both Scrooge and Bob Cratchit have their offices – Scrooge on a big barrel; Bob’s is smaller.   

There are sight gags – Scrooge’s bed, for instance.  There are sound gags – everything from galloping horses to farts.  There are jokes – mostly corny Dad-type jokes – but usually so inappropriate, you can’t help but laugh.  There are five women on stage and two backstage, helping them change clothes at a break-neck pace to morph from one character to the next. All the old familiar characters are there – The three ghosts, Fezziwig, Nephew Fred, even a tiny Tiny Tim. 

Karen Slack is a miracle as Ebenezer.  The last time I saw her on stage, she was giving life to a grieving heartbroken mother.  And now here she is up on this stage being the funniest Ebenezer I’ve ever seen – complete with bushy sideburns and a snarl.  The rest of the story is told by her four comrades in arms – LuAnn

Buckstein, Sonsharae Tull, Janae Burris, and Min Kyung Kim – trying to be serious and almost succeeding.  Not! 

This show is a hoot from beginning to end.  Family-friendly because the kids love when adults mess up, second only to fart jokes.  Adults love it because it is irreverent and brilliantly funny.  Directed by Steven Burge, himself a gifted comic, he mined the script for all the humor written in and then added a whole additional layer of Aurora jokes. Kudos to Casey Burnham for a sound design that took it over the top and Costume Designer Linda Morken for creating breakaway clothes that made the quick changes possible. 

This is downright fun and you don’t want to miss it!  Hee Haw!! 

A WOW factor of 8.75!!!