The elegant and expansive Candlelight Dinner Theatre will be a wonderful addition to the Colorado theater landscape one day soon. But, like the residents of River City, you’re going to have to take that claim on faith for now because, much like that kids band, it sure looks spiffy — but has yet to play in tune.
The owners’ promises were as boastful as Harold Hill’s before the June 6 opening performance of “The Music Man.” But their $6.2 million, 380-seat gem 40 miles north of Denver in Johnstown wasn’t quite ready for showtime.
The biggest mistake was probably the decision to invite the media to the opening performance. Better to designate the first few weeks as previews, work out the bugs, and then show yourself off in all your inevitable glory. But we have to review what we see, not what we hope to see down the road.
Most problems were understandable and fixable. Imagine opening a restaurant, a theater with all new equipment, and a gigantic musical featuring a cast of 26 — all on the same night. It’s wasn’t a question of whether anything would go wrong, but how much.
Encouragingly, most fires were cropping up offstage rather than on, and CEO Nick Turner says all already have been doused, or soon will be.
The parking lot could not handle the sold-out crowd, but Turner said it can when staff isn’t also parking there. Fixed. Far more significant: A few days after Turner said the kitchen would never run out of anything, the kitchen ran out of almost everything (though what they did have was delish — buffalo prime rib and roasted pork roulade at my table. The entire tasty menu is posted below.)
The problem wasn’t supply, Turner said. Thankfully, they aren’t precooking each entree in bulk and leaving it under heat lamps until someone orders them. The kitchen wasn’t prepared for so many people (many ticketholders were stuck in I-25 rush hour) to arrive in the last half-hour before showtime. So they actually just ran out of time to properly prepare enough of all entrees. Fixed, Turner said — the cooking part, not the I-25 part.
Audiences were offered one complimentary glass of wine, but there was no other bar service because Candlelight hasn’t yet secured its liquor license. To be fixed as of July 7, Turner said.
The major issues onstage were mics delivering loud feedback all the way to Loveland, and high-tech not-so-smart “smart spotlights” that are supposed to be able to follow actors automatically, but on opening couldn’t find a semi in a bike lane. Fixed and fixed.
The performance itself was most agreeable (as were the most comfortable seats in dinner-theater-seat history). Director Marcus Waterman effectively fills his gigantic stage in ways that do justice to both this lavish American classic and those patrons sitting toward the back of this 22,000-square-foot house.
Harold Hill may not have credentials, but stars Jordan Leigh and Gina Schuh-Turner have plenty. They own a large chunk of local theater history as members of the longest-running show ever staged in Colorado, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” at the Denver Center. Leigh makes for a really effective Hill, the con man who comes to this small Iowa town intent on making his mark on the good citizens; but instead they make theirs on him. Leigh’s an atypically capable Hill because he’s a romantic who also has a necessary touch of the devil in him.
Schuh-Turner, one of the Candlelight’s co-owners, delivers a true Marion the Librarian, which, sadly for her, means she gets stuck with one drippy ballad after another.
More to love: The sweet, harmonizing barbershop quartet of Craig Lundquist, Kenny Moten, Robert Bowling and Ted Reedy; the pick-a-little “Shipoopi” ladies (including A-listers Barb Reeves and Bren. Eyeston-Burron); adorable kids led by young Christopher Warren, who lithps away with the show on “Gary Indiana”; Linda Schuh’s never-ending costumes; and Troy Schuh’s eight-piece band (yes, this is a family operation).
Most impressive is how successfully this mix of pros and neighbors delivers Meredith Willson’s complex vocal score — a difficult exercise in linguistic gymnastics that was a revolution for its time (1957).
I have complete faith that Candlelight (hey, wait, there are no candles!) will be one of the best theaters in the state. But one plea: The last lights to go down as the show begins are focused on two huge, tacky Clark Construction banners that line both sides of the stage.
Clark built the building, so good for them, but better to just call it the Clark Candlelight Playhouse than introduce such blatant product placement into a land that’s supposed to be make-believe.
“The Music Man” **1/2 (out of four stars)
Family musical Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, 4747 Market Place Drive, Johnstown. Through Aug. 31. 2 hours, 50 minutes. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. service (dinner 90 minutes prior). $36-$59. 970-744-3747, 1-877-240-4242 or .
Candlelight Dinner Playhouse opening-night menu
As of June 6, 2008
Appetizers ($8-$11 above base ticket price)
Roasted duck egg rolls
Baked brie encroute
Cajun poached snow crab claws and jumbo shrimp
Heirloom tomato caprese salad
Entrees (included in base ticket price)
Lemon herb roasted chicken
Roasted pork roulade
Macadamia nut encrusted tilapia
Baked gorgonzola mac and cheese
Blackened shrimp salad
Candlelight garden salad
Upgraded entrees
Baked salmon encroute — additional $8
Mustard encrusted Colorado lamb chops — additional $8
Candlelight signature buffalo prime rib — additional $10-$14
Desserts (not included in base price)
Marquise au chocolat — additional $6.50
Raspberry Mont Blanc — additional $6.50
Paradiso passion fruit cake — additional $6.50
Creme brulee for two — additional $8
Pear tart — additional $8
Johnson’s Corner cinnamon roll, heated and ala mode for two — additional $6
Ice cream scoop — additional $4
