Any Given Monday

Vintage Theatre Productions: 9/4 – 10/25

                     L-R:  Michelle Grimes and Robert Kramer

 “Any Given Monday” is Vintage Theatre’s eighty-fifth production. It’s a play about a man who’s devastated when his marriage is threatened. Lenny’s wife, Risa has left him for a Walmart-building Lothario with a flashy car, causing him (Lenny) to fall into a low level depression that disallows his even getting dressed in the morning. Over the twenty-four years of his disintegrating marriage Lenny, who is played by a shell-shocked and slack-jawed Robert Kramer, has become something of a hen-pecked wimp. He’s even afraid to put his feet on the coffee table in his own man cave.

     Michelle Grimes plays Lenny’s wife, Risa, who bored with Lenny and life in general, seeks to find adventure even if it happens to be in the arms of another man.

     Kelly Dwyer is Lenny’s daughter, Sarah. She’s a know-it-all philosophy student who wants to view Daddy as a heroic figure such as Atticus Finch and has a penchant for spewing theory.

     A feisty Peter Marullo plays Mickey, Lenny’s slightly on tilt buddy. Micky’s vigilante take on how one maintains a relationship is unique to say the least.

     Communication skills and political correctness come into conflict here and whenever the men argue, their eyes are glued to the football game on television causing their dialogue to be punctuated with emotional outbursts directed at the players.

It’s Sam Gilstrap’s directorial debut and delivers lots of laughs that leave us with a broad smile on our faces at final curtain.

Vintage Theatre presents

“Any Given Monday”

A comedy for the men who love football and the women who despise it.

Sept. 4 - Oct. 25

Fri/Sat at 7:30 p.m.; Sun at 2:30 p.m.; Mon., Sept. 14 @ 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Oct 24 at 2:30 p.m.

$28 ($24 advance) 
303-856-7830 or online at www.vintagetheatre.org

Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora 80010

PG 13 for language and mature content.Marlowe's Musings

WEST SIDE STORY

Town Hall Arts Center: 9/23 – 10/23

 L-R: Ronni Stark and Carolyn Lohr

     Anyone with any awareness of the theatre community in Denver could feel this freight train coming.

     The revival of Nick Sugar’s heart-pounding production of “West Side Story” is magnificence on all fronts. Can it really be ten years since  Sugar’s first production of this musical?

     
                                L-R: Jared Ming and Carolyn Lohr

Carolyn Lohr acts and sings the part of Maria with heart-breaking perfection. 

     One is stunned by the amazing stage presence and vocal prowess of Jared Ming As Tony. 

     Kent Randell reprises his role as a now even more powerful Bernardo.

                             L-R: Kent Randell and Ronni Stark

Ronni Stark delivers a fiery Anita acting, dancing and singing this role with raw passion. 

     Tim Howard who was Baby John last time has grown into a formidable Riff. 

      The entire ensemble is great. Carter Edward Smith’s Baby John, Gabriel Morales’ Chino, Rachelle Wood’s Minnie, Tyrell D. Rae’s Luis,TJ Hogle’s looming Lieutenant Shrank. All are superb casting and deliver the goods with brio.

     The sublime music direction of Donna Kolpan Debreceni, with tracks put forth by Susan Draus and Ms. Debreceni, is phenomenal. The lighting by Seth Alison and set by Tina Anderson are the professional excellence, which the Denver Audience has come to expect from them. One does however wish for the live onstage band. Nevertheless…the music is ear-pleasing magic!

     This reviewer couldn’t leave the theatre without purchasing tickets for a second helping of this outstanding production in the already nearly sold out run. If you can get a ticket you’ll thank your lucky stars!

For tickets call: 303-794-2787 or go online at www.TownHallArtsCenter.org

Denver Center for the Performing Arts: 9/9 – 9/20

Roald Dahl’s “Matilda” first appeared as a novel in 1988. It was then adapted for the screen and directed by Danny DeVito in 1996. More recently it has become a highly successful Broadway musical. After winning seven Olivier Awards before it crossed the pond, “Matilda, the Musical, ”snagged four Tony Awards in 2013 bringing its trophy collection to a total of 50 awards internationally.

     The touring production currently on view at the Buell Theatre is a stunner.

     Mabel Tyler does a ferociously fine job portraying Matilda Wormwood, the mistreated child prodigy with extra-sensory powers.

     Cassie Silva and Quinn Mattfield do a great job portraying Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, Matilda’s hideously abusive and neglectful parents.

     Bryce Ryness’s performance in the role of Miss Trunchbull, the head mistress of Crunchem Hall is hellaciously funny.

        Jennifer Blood portrays the compassionate teacher, Miss Honey with a naturalness that stands out in vivid contrast to the other more surreally painted characters.

     The show boasts an amazing ensemble of child actors who have the exhilarating choreography nailed with breathtaking precision. Besides dancing these children are also required to perform amazing athletic feats.  The choreography of one of the scenes involving rebellion in the classroom may make you feel as if you’re viewing a prepubescent version of one of those desk-stompers from “Spring Awakening.” Set, costumes, lighting and orchestrations are all top-notch. The only issue this reviewer had with the show is that the dialect is sometimes so thick that it prevents a clear understanding of the dialogue.

For tickets go online to Denvercenter.org or call 303-893-4100.

American Girls

The Edge Theater: 9/4 – 9/27

Angela Astle directs this regional premiere of Hillary Bettis’ play.  
     "American Girls” is a sobering indictment of a permissive society. According to the playwright societal pressures, peer pressures and a distinct lack of parental pressures promote sexual promiscuity.  

     The societal pressures are expressed wonderfully well by El Armstrong’s glamorous visuals and Joe Von Bokern communicates the ineffectiveness of ecclesiastical pressures by his bland sermonizing as a condescending Pastor Jim.

     This modern day morality play features Bethany Richardson (Amanda) and Alexis Robbins (Katie) as a duo of friends brimming with girlish curiosity, raging hormones and a child like naiveté.

     Benjamin Cowhick, Paige Larson and Ryan Goold appear in video/voice over segments providing us with the ubiquitous exploitative adults.

     Unfortunately the girlish characters, who are coasting along a runway to fame encircled by that famous HOLLYWOOD sign, are as one-dimensional as the pastor who warns them about the dark lonely cave they can expect unless forgiven.

     The most cogent message to be found here is the indictment of adults who, prey on children by luring them by ads for ‘auditions’ placed on the Internet.

     One wishes that a condensation of the play were Act One so that we could see what the playwright believes Life becomes for American Girls thereafter in Act Two.

     Although the play may not be one’s favorite from the standpoint of edge of your seat writing its one that can spur discussion.

The Edge Theater presents

"American Girls”   

Two God fearing teenage girls risk selling their souls in exchange for fame.

September 4-September 27

Fri./Sat. @ 8 p.m.; Sun. @ 6 p.m.; Mon., Sept 14 @ 8 p.m. & Sun, Sept 27 @ 2 p.m.

Tickets: $26

303-232-0363 or online at www.theedgetheater.com.

The Edge Theatre, 1560 Teller Street, Suite 200, Lakewood CO 80214. Free Parking.

Contains mature themes and sexual content, brief nudity.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Firehouse Theater Company: 8/29 – 9/26

L-R: Mollie Horne, Caitlin Conklin, Lisa Young, Stephen Maestas and Jennifer Bass with Keegan O'Brien above.

“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is now one of my favorite Christopher Durang plays. Everyone should laugh a lot at this Firehouse Theatre production that sends up Chekhov as well as many of his famous characters. You don’t need to be a culture vulture to enjoy the show either. There’s a world of fun in playwright Durang’s weird and wacky play that also includes a psychic maid and a Hollywood muscle boy.  

     Steven Maestas and Caitlin Conklin perform the roles of the kvetching Vanya and Sonia respectively. It’s a treat having Maestas onstage again as the depressed Vanya. Ms. Conklin conveys Sonia’s angst with all the body language of the martyred and down trodden.

     Jennifer Bass portrays Masha,the movie star who visits Vanya and Sonia with her boy toy, Spike. Ms. Bass’s portrayal of Masha is a whirlwind of effusive brio that’s a hoot.

     Keegan O’Brien’s Spike, is a muscular lad with a propensity to disrobe (although not completely) and perform acts of Cirque de Soleil-like contortion at  choice moments in the show. O’Brien who recently took second place in the overall physique category at the annual MuscleMania Mile High competition, is also a very fine comic actor. 

    Lisa Young’s performance in the role of Cassandra is hilarious. Just as in the plays of Aeschylus her character is gifted with psychic abilities for reading the future and cursed with the knowledge that no one will ever believe her.

     Near final curtain Vanya agrees to let Nina, a fetching Mollie Horne, read his half-baked play within the play. Spike loses interest and begins to text. This enrages Vanya who unleashes a preachy monologue that one might wish had been shortened in the final edit.

     Jeffrey Jesmer’s scenic design is pleasing to the eye and beautifully appointed. The very fine lighting and sound designs have been done by T. Marc Stevens. Deborah Montgomery and Kris Paddock are responsible for the hysterical costume design.

     It’s Steven Tangedal’s best direction since the halcyon days of Theatre on Broadway.

For tickets call 303-562-3232 or go online at firehousetheatercompany.comMarlowe's Musings