Ballet Ariel presents “American in Paris” at the Lone Tree Arts Center

Experience springtime in Paris, Ballet Ariel style, at the Lone Tree Arts Center and Lakewood Cultural Center with three extraordinary ballets including the premiere of “American in Paris.”

Ballet Ariel’s newest endeavor is set to Gershwin’s orchestral classic “An American in Paris.” As a composition written to evoke the streets of Paris, this “rhapsodic ballet” is the perfect match for Ilena Norton’s gift of creating narrative ballets. A young American woman traveling to Paris for the first time is transformed by the magic and vibrancy of this magnificent city steeped in history and enveloped in romance. Gershwin’s jazz undertones create the perfect setting for her awakening. Director Norton’s sublime dances pair perfectly with beautiful duets by Ballet Ariel’s choreographer Gregory Gonzales.

No other woman in history embraced the indomitable spirit of Colorado more than Margaret “Molly” Brown. Ballet Ariel’s original ballet, “Tale of Molly Brown” poignantly tells the story of her humble beginnings in Leadville, her marriage to the soon to be fabulously wealthy JJ Brown that brought on a meteoric rise in Denver’s high society, and her near death experience during one of the biggest tragedies of the last one hundred plus years.

Drawn to Europe, Molly reveled in the culture and opulence of the early twentieth century. On one of these visits, Molly, and her entourage book passage home on the maiden voyage of the ill-fated luxury liner, Titanic. Artistic Director Ilena Norton creates a powerful dramatization of her survival on a crowded lifeboat in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic that earned her the title of the unsinkable Molly Brown. Described as “a daughter of adventure,” Norton accurately depicts Molly as a fearless yet charming and vivacious character and a visionary leader.

Rounding out the program is “Konservatoriet” (Ballet Conservatory) a classical ballet set at the Paris Opera Ballet in the romantic period famously painted by Edgar Degas, created by Danish choreographer and ballet master August Bournonville, and staged by Oleg Dedogryuk. Bournonville choreography is characterized by fast, intricate footwork creating an illusion of lightness.

Performances of the three ballets are April 9 at 7:30 pm at Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., and Lakewood Cultural Center 470 S. Allison Parkway, on April 23 at 7:30 pm and April 24 at 2:00 pm. Tickets start at $20 for children, $24, students and seniors, and $28 adults plus service charges. For additional information and ticket purchase, go to http://balletariel.org 

Join Lone Tree Arts Center and Phamaly Theatre Company at The Spitfire Grill

Join Lone Tree Arts Center and Phamaly Theatre Company at The Spitfire Grill.

Percy, a young woman with a complicated past, is looking to start a new life in a small Wisconsin town that has seen better days. She finds work at THE SPITFIRE GRILL, a rundown diner with a disenfranchised proprietor. Through her sheer force of determination, optimism, and love, Percy is able to revitalize the grill and, in turn, the community. This comforting, folksy musical will get your toes tapping as you enter a world of hope, redemption, and some good ol’ breakfast.

Tickets are on sale to the general public today Friday, February 4. Box Office staff is available from 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday at 720-509-1000 or by email.

Lone Tree Arts Center partners with leading cultural organizations to announce 2012-12 performing arts season

After a highly successful inaugural season serving nearly 60,000 patrons at performances and events, the Lone Tree Arts Center (LTAC) is proud to announce its 2012-13 performing arts season. Highlights include continued collaborations with leading Colorado cultural organizations such as the Arvada Center and Creede Repertory Theatre, an exciting new partnership with The Colorado Symphony, and performances by national touring artists in jazz, tap, folk and Broadway.

The LTAC, in conjunction with Starkey Productions, is also expanding its theatrical offerings to include a winter play. Rounding out the season will be two new community series focused on jazz and chamber music featuring local professional musicians. Season tickets for the 2012-13 season will go on sale to the public on May 15th.

With this second season announcement, Executive Director Lisa Rigsby Peterson states, “The City of Lone Tree’s goal is to establish the Lone Tree Arts Center as an indispensable and vibrant addition to Denver’s arts and entertainment landscape.  Our success in our first season tells me that audiences are hungry for the programming we offer, that they especially appreciate our convenient location and welcoming atmosphere, and that they have enjoyed a variety of entertainment options in our beautiful theater. With our second season, we’re looking forward to welcoming patrons to another slate of first-rate professional productions in an intimate and friendly setting.”

The cornerstones of the 2012-13 season are LTAC’s extended-run theatrical productions.  Lone Tree is proud to continue its collaborations with the Arvada Center, Creede Repertory Theatre, and Starkey Productions. The series will kick off in October with the Arvada Center’s production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, followed in early November by Creede’s world premiere production of Harry the Great.  In February 2013, the timeless comedy Noises Off will hit the main stage, to be followed in April by a production of Hank Williams: Lost Highway.

To celebrate the holidays in December, LTAC will host the regional premiere of A John Denver Holiday Concert, which teams Tony Award nominees director Randal Myler (Love,Janis, It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues, Almost Heaven: Songs and Stories of John Denver)  with musician Dan Wheetman (Appalachian Strings, Fire on the Mountain, member of John Denver’s band) for a holiday concert featuring songs from the classic John Denver Rocky Mountain Christmas album as well as other Denver hits and holiday songs. Following the John Denver concert, the LTAC has commissioned an original production, Home for the Holidays, created by Paul Dwyer, Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck and Starkey Productions. This production uses the nostalgic variety-show format to showcase Denver talent as they come home for the holidays.

 The 2012-13 season will mark the beginning of an ongoing collaboration with The Colorado Symphony.  Starting with an encore presentation of the symphony’s popular Inside the Score: Mozart concert in late July, the LTAC will partner with the CSO throughout the season. Three additional concerts, focusing on the works of American, classical and Baroque composers, will take place in the outstanding acoustics of LTAC’s Main Stage Theater.  Each concert will feature a large complement of the symphony’s musicians (between 45 and 60 for most concerts). The LTAC-CSO collaboration is a key element of the symphony’s new operating model, which calls for greater community involvement and broader performing opportunities for the CSO.

Also on the schedule are a number of notable national touring performers in a wide range of genres.  Jazz will be well represented by New York-based smooth jazz vocalist and musician Allan Harris in August; March brings the regional debut of nationally-acclaimed ensemble SFJAZZ Collective, featuring some of the country’s finest jazz musicians performing The Music of Chick Corea. Folk favorites Aztec Two-Step bring their popular Simon and Garfunkel Songbook concert to Lone Tree in early September. Also in early September, Minneapolis-based contemporary tap dance sensations Rhythmic Circus will present their infectious, music-propelled show Feet Don’t Fail Me Now just prior to their off-Broadway debut. Back by popular demand after last season’s sold-out hit One Man Star Wars, actor Charles Ross will hit the stage for 70 minutes of hilarity with his One Man Lord of the Rings.

Season offerings in 2013 include a live radio broadcast from award-winner Denver director, filmmaker and radio producer donnie l. betts, who will bring his noted Destination Freedom: Black Radio Days to Lone Tree in late February. This live radio drama will feature exceptional stories, music, and sound effects, all broadcast in real-time on KGNU radio. In March, veteran Broadway cast members of Jersey Boys will perform together in The Doo-Wop Project, a concert highlighting the great harmonies and sounds of classic doo-wop as performed by five outstanding vocalists backed by a tight five piece band (this performance is not affiliated with, nor does it feature music of Jersey Boys).

Finally, the 2012-13 Lone Tree Arts Center season will include two brand-new community series designed particularly to highlight local musicians and introduce south metro residents to different genres of music.  The series – Essential Jazz and Chamber Music Insights – will serve as a platform for some of Denver’s best musicians and music experts, including jazz man Art Bouton and the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra, viola player Phillip Stevens (Colorado Symphony) and musicologist Betsy Schwarm, and violinist Elizabeth Greenberg  (Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra) and the Elizabeth Trio and String Quartet. The two series are also designed to serve a growing need in the metro area for daytime programming accessible to seniors and others who prefer an alternative to night-time performances.  Most of the series offerings will take place on Wednesday afternoons, and will be followed by talkbacks and light refreshments with the performers.

Theater Review: CHESS

By Susan Hennessey

If you missed CHESS at the Arvada Center, fear not, you can still catch it at its new home, the Lone Tree Arts Center.  You won’t miss it – it’s big, big, big!  CHESS, written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus with lyrics by Tim Rice, allows no time for the viewer to get complacent.  As soon as you’ve been seated, there is an immediate onslaught of songs that quickly establish the story, which is set during the Cold War and played out via a National Chess Match in Merano, Italy between the Soviet champion Anatoly Sergievsky and US champion, Frederick Trumper. 

The game of chess acts as a powerful allegory between these powerhouses throughout the play. CHESS is directed with clever staging by Rod Lansberry, suggesting The Arbiter has his hands on the game at all times. (SPOILER) The Soviets clearly have the upper hand in this one, not only in their inevitable win at the chess match, but also in the music that was written for them, which favors the angst and passion of the Soviets, namely the character of Anatoly, who is masterfully played by Tally Sessions. (END SPOILER) In Act I his “Where I Want to Be” holds the audience captive.  “Anthem” the final number in Act I is so riveting, you’re glad that there’s an intermission.

There aren’t many productions of CHESS still being offered 30 years after it was first written. Mostly because it’s a difficult musical to do well.  In this version, there are 23 songs in Act I and 18 in Act II - and this music is demanding.  With such a challenging musical, it seems that a director has two options - to pick either a clear story with less music, or go for all of the music that was added over several productions over the course of several years with the result being a convoluted outcome.  For the size of stage available at the Lone Tree Arts Center, less would have been preferred as it would have allowed the story to unfold while still retaining the musical numbers the audiences long to hear. 

Act II opens with crowd favorite “One Night in Bangkok," with flashy costumes and lots of skin.  Very fun!  This Act also features solos by Anatoly’s wife Svetlana, played by Megan Van De Hey.  She fights for Anatoly in “You and I” and keeps the audience spellbound.  Passion reigns in this two and half hour piece, and love allows the natural course of things to settle, but like any game, someone will lose.  Who?

The Arvada Center production of CHESS, A MUSICAL is at the Lone Tree Arts Center plays through April 29. For dates and times visit LoneTreeArtsCenter.org. 

(Editor's Note: Video of One Night in Bangkok is the classic Murray Head version from the 1980s)