SOPHISTICATED LADIES

VINTAGE THEATRE:  JANUARY 27 – MARCH 5

 

                                                     Mykai Eastman

                       photo credit: RDG Photography

Dazzling!Dizzying!Delicious!

 

Christopher Page-Sanders is a force of nature! His choreography is beyond breathtaking! It’s astounding to the Max! If this sounds a little or a lot hyperbolic, please know that it’s not! Page-Sanders’ work is in a realm of artistry one seldom sees in a lifetime of theatre going. (This from a reviewer who has seen thousands of plays.) A melding of jazz, ballet, tap and modern dance techniques, his work is also peppered with a modicum of acrobatic athleticism. Please do not miss this or any show this genius directs and/or choreographs. We are so blessed to have his work on display here in Colorado at this time. Last season’s spectacular choreography for Performance Now Theatre Company’s “Nice Work if You Can Get It” (Marlowe Award for Best Choreography) was exceptional. With his work on “Sophisticated Ladies,” the artist has risen to new heights.  There really are no words to describe the elation of a theatregoer lucky enough to attend this show. 

    Beyond the exhilaration of the dancers and their spellbinding work, there is more!

    The cast of singers, led by the incomparable Mary Louise Lee, is remarkable. Cha’Rel Wright and Heidi Carann Snider are two exceptional singing talents this reviewer is just getting acquainted with. Also worthy of mention are the talents of Isaac Rosen and David E. Sweet.

      The mostly onstage band is led on keys by the incredible virtuosic mastery of Music Director Jodel Charles. 

       The Sophisticated Rug Cutters, whose dance moves will thrill you non-stop, all evening long are: Rita Marie Aires, Mykai Eastmen, EDEN, Andy Nikhomvan-Morgan, Jasmyne Pierce, Lauren Slaughter and Dallas Slankard (Marlowe Award for Best Actress In a Musical for last season’s “Nice Work If You Can Get it”) Dance Captain. Jalen Gregory’s slender, sinuous, serpentine moves are so hypnotically eye-popping one wonders if his bones are elastic!

    The costumes by Alicia “Lisa” Young are simply Gorgeous!!! The gowns for the ladies dazzle the eye.

     Some of the tunes to which you will be treated when you go are: “It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good, as well as “Hit Me With a Hot Note and Watch Me Bounce,” and many more.

     Sophisticated Ladies is a musical revue of the Life and Legacy of Duke Ellington. It received eight Tony nominations and won two in 1983.

      There was a glitch in the lighting tech on opening night, but nothing could keep one and all who were present from feeling they had just taken a trip to Harlem’s renowned Cotton Club with all the rapturous singing, dancing and playing of the Duke Ellington songbook.

 

For tickets call 303-856-7830 or go online at www.vintagetheatre.org

 Harper Lee’s 

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Buell Theatre: Jan 24-Feb 5

               Racism kills.

                                          Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch

                        (photo credit: Julieta Cervantes)

 Aaron Sorkin’s well-crafted adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel from page to stage, is powerfully directed by Bartlett Sher. 

     It’s a soul-shattering production that should be seen by one and all!

     Sher has cast the show impeccably.

Richard Thomas is outstanding as Atticus Finch. Unlike some stage actors who have imitated the performance of Gregory Peck in the film adaptation, Thomas carves out a portrayal that is all his own. In similar fashion, Melanie Moore gives us her own take on the memories of Atticus’ daughter, Scout “as narrator, as well as in the narrative.”

      Mary Badham, who won the Oscar for Best  Actress in a Supporting Role, portraying Scout in the 1962 film, plays the obnoxious Mrs. Henry DuBose in this production.  Badham delivers the goods with Power!

     Heart-wrenching is the work of Yaegal T. Welch as Tom Robinson. His performance in court is stunning.

     Jacqueline Williams shines as Calpurnia, the Finch family’s housekeeper!

     Joey Collins is a vicious Bob Ewell. 

     Arianna Gayle Stucki is disturbingly credible as Ewell’s abused daughter, Mayella.

     As Scout’s and Jem’s friend Dill, Steve Lee Johnson is at his best in a poignant scene in which Atticus gets him to drop the mask and admit that he’s never known his father. 

     Miriam Buethem’s scenic design is masterful in its ability to self-transform from the courtroom to the Finch home and other locales with fluid ease. 

 

     This is an unmissable production. Run to get tickets!

 

For tickets call the box office at 303-893-4000 or go online at denvercenter.org

 THE ROOMMATE

VINTAGE THEATRE: JAN 13 – FEB 19

L-R: Mari Geasair and Christine Kahane

 

Jen Silverman’s play, “The Roommate” may appear to be just another spin on the female version of the Odd Couple at first glance. But it’s not. Suffice it to say it’s a tale of transformation – a comic mystery replete with enough comic plot twists to keep us guessing all evening long. No spoilers here!

     Sharon, who is newly divorced, needs a roommate so she can keep the bills paid for her Iowa home. Robyn is looking for a place to hide and make a fresh start.

      As the plot unfolds Sharon begins to discover that Robyn has certain “secrets.”

      Thinking about the choices that Robyn has made, it doesn’t take much for Sharon to become enamored of possibilities to reinvent herself by spicing up her own rather empty life.

      Director Bernie Cardell has cast the show impeccably. 

     Ms. Geasair portrays Sharon as a meek, polite woman, who, having spent the entirety of her life taking care of her family, finds herself in a bland, colorless life that’s badly in need of an upgrade.

     As breezy free-spirited Robyn, Christine Kahane displays a quirky persona that, from Sharon’s conservative point of view, is a bit on the eccentric side.

     Together these actors display a chemistry that simmers and occasionally pops, throughout.

     Both Mari Geasair (Sharon) and Christine Kahane (Robyn) are superb talents who theatregoers will remember from their roles in previous shows. Ms. Kahane was the hilarious Frau Blucher in the Vintage production of “Young Frankenstein.”

     Ms. Geasair was a standout as the Nurse in last season’s “Shakespeare in Love,”which was also directed by Ms. Kahane.

     Having paced the show in such a way as to keep us wondering what the next plot twist will reveal, Director Cardell is also responsible for the realistic wrap-around scenic design which puts us as audience right in the middle of Sharon’s Iowa home.

     It’s a funny and intriguing play that has two well-written female roles played by two eminently watchable actors with luminous panache. 

     Go and see if you can unravel the mystery.

 

For tickets call 303-856-7830 or go online at www.vintagetheatre.org

Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora 80010