ROCK OF AGES

PACE CENTER and VERITAS PRODUCTIONS & THEATRE ARTS in Parker,CO

June 27 – July 20

                                      

                           The cast of ROCK of AGES

 “ROCK OF AGES” is a Wowzer of a Rockin’ juke box musical that sets the stage on fire!

    Currently exploding across the stage of Pace Center in Parker, Rock of Ages is a juke box musical that includes the hottest rock n roll tunes of the eighties, sung by a cast of musical theatre artists whose high-octane performance(s) are beyond astounding to a woman/man. 

      The story is as slim as that of all jukebox musicals. Yup. It’s a love story about two kids trying to succeed on their own chosen paths as well as saving the strip from the guy who wants to turn it into a parking lot. 

Production Manager Nancy Evans Begley (Marlowe Award winner for “Outstanding Actress in a Musical” for her performance in  “The Drowsy Chaperone”) has detonated musical theatre dynamite with this well thought-out and brilliantly executed production. 

     Her victory as producer comes in large part from engaging award-winning director Kelly Van Oosbree, whose work is always of the highest and best.  Van Oosbree’s direction and choreography are, as usual, both knock outs in this production! She has cast the show impeccably and paced it at a gallop. 

     The cast includes so many great actors with outstanding voices, one will not be able to mention them all here. Among them are Kayleigh Bernier, Joshua Bess, Carter Edward Smith, Cole Emarine, Shannon Foley, Thurzday and so many more.

The Creative Team is full to the brim with top-notch talent:

Tanner Kelly (Music Director), Brian Mallgrave (Scenic Designer), Brett Maughan (Lighting Design), Nikki Harrison (Costumes), Audio Designer (Kurt Behm), Trent Hines (Pit Conductor), and Jennifer Schmitz  (Stage Manager.) All these individuals are tried and true veterans in their field of expertise.

A few of the songs that will take your breath away in this musical are: “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” “Don’t Stop Believin’, “We Built This City…on Rock n Roll”, “Waitin’ for a Girl Like You” and many, many more. The hard-driving hits tumble one after another in a seemingly never-ending evening of non-stop rock n roll! The members of the smokin’ onstage band are: Trent Hines, Jason Tyler Vaughn, Luca Grieman, Sean Casey and Lynn Keller.

ADULTS, AGES 14+ FOR STRONG ADULT THEMES AND CONTENT including offensive language, discriminatory themes/language, sexual content, and substance use/abuse.

With that in mind, leave the kids home and run to get a ticket!

 

For tickets go online at parkerarts.org or call the box office at 303-805-6800

 

 

 FOLLIES in Concert

Vintage Theatre: June 20 – 29

Stephen Sondheim’s “FOLLIES in Concert” is being given a rousing production at Vintage Theatre in Aurora. It’s a tribute to the women and men ‘of a certain age’ who have blessed us with their talents. It’s a seldom-produced musical that has some unforgettable numbers revolving around resilience, reminiscence and reunion.

This time “Follies” is being done as a concert version, stripped down to its heart-beating essence, and focused on the characters developed by Sondheim and James Goldman, who wrote the book.

     Caleb Wenger’s astute music direction reveals an acute awareness of Sondheim’s idiosyncratic rhythms, accents and pauses.      

     Director Bernie Cardell has carved out a cast of scintillating stars the like of which may put you in mind of that of Arvada Center’s “THE WOMEN” a couple decades ago or of Don Berlin’s cast of theatre goddesses in his unforgettable production of “NINE!” 

     With only a tatterdemalion curtain to represent the ruins of the once grand and elegant Weissman theatre, and a few elegant frocks and tuxes, Cardell succeeds by focusing on the music, lyrics and yes, emotional heart of this show.

The cast is beyond stellar. This is a production to relish and revisit if you can. (I’m buying a ticket for tonight!)    With the touch of the poet the resilience of these great ladies and gentlemen of the theatre is framed with loving direction by maestro Cardell.

Deborah Persoff’s magnificent performance of “I’m Still Here,” is a heart-opening, heart-breaking and life-affirming anthem of resilient gratitude for being alive. It’s an epic crescendo that brings down the curtain to Act One with passion and power!

Sue Leiser’s hilarious belting of “Broadway Baby,” is beyond stunning! 

Susie Roelofsz’ rendition of “Out of My Mind” mesmerizes as it haunts us with nuanced introspective tenderness and reminiscence. 

Both Brian Hutchinson (Ben Stone) and Jeremy Rill (Buddy Plummer) articulate the complexities of Sondheim’s score with astounding skill. Their work here will bring up memories of their brilliant work as Frederick Egerman and Carl Magnus respectively in Cherry Creek Theatre’s outstanding production of Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music.”

Mary McGroary is brilliant in her singing -and dancing- of the part of Phyllis Stone.

Marcia Ragonetti adds a touch of operatic forte! – you will remember her for her excellent work as Norma Desmond in Vintage Theatre’s “Sunset Boulevard” and as Maria Callas in Miners Alley’s “Master Class.”

Jan Cleveland’s lilting tribute to “Paris,” is auditory champagne. 

Sharon Dwinnell, Lars Preece, Joey Wishnia, Joe Barnard, Tracy Kern, Jim Hitzke and so many more, sparkle and shine.

Run to get tickets!!!

For tickets call the box office at 303-856-7830 or go online at vintagetheatre.org 

                             RING OF FIRE

   MINERS ALLEY PERFORMING ARTS       CENTER: MAY 9 – JUNE 29

               NOT TO BE MISSED!

Caitlin Secrest and Cooper Kaminsky 

                           (photo credit:Sarah Roshan Photography)

Unlike most jukebox musicals, “Ring of Fire,” the Johnny Cash musical, is not full of narration regarding the life of the artist. This is a high-octane blaze of country music that gives us ‘the man in black’ almost completely through his music. True, there are momentary instances of depictions of life experiences that illuminate how he and his cohorts got into the professional music scene, but they are so incidental, you will hardly notice.

What you will notice is the incredible talent and musical virtuosity of the ensemble brought together by director Kate Gleason, and music directed by Susan Draus to create this rousing evening of ear-pleasing theatre. They are: Cooper Kaminsky, Caitlin Secrest, Clark Destin Jones, Mitch Jervis and David Otto. The excellent drumming is done by Sean Case and Keith Ewer.

Standouts in this show are Cooper Kaminsky, whose vocals and musicianship are thrilling, and Caitlin Secrest, who represents June Carter.

They are all excellent as they deliver these now classic country-western songs.

Some of the thirty songs are: “I Walk the Line,” “Daddy Sang Bass,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Man in Black” and of course, “Ring of Fire.”

The tech work is the outstanding stuff that is omnipresent in all of Miners Alley Performance Arts Centers’ productions.

The crisp, clean lines of Jonathan Scott-McKean’s wooden scenic design, the superb sound design by John Hauser and Vance McKenzie’s dynamic lighting design are all of the excellence one has come to expect from these technicians.

RUSH TO GET TICKETS!

For tickets call 303-935-3044 or go online at minersalley.com