Of all the funky new spaces that have been popping up offering live theater in Denver this year, the Cherry Creek Theatre is hands-down the one to beat for a cool, sophisticated aesthetic.
And yes, it’s the showroom of an Oriental rug shop.
Shaver-Ramsey is lined with massive, ornate rugs that cost more than my house. They not only make for a striking theatrical atmosphere, they shield the windows from outdoor light and create crisp, natural acoustics most “real theaters” would envy.
The first legit offering by Cherry Creek’s first-ever theater company is “Side by Side by Sondheim,” a revue of the Broadway master’s early songbook that almost no one this side of the Kennedy Center ever fully conquers, for one simple reason: Stephen Sondheim happens to be a cruel genius. For there is nothing simple about singing Sondheim.
Perhaps the finest songwriter of the past half-century, Sondheim pens song-stories that are in themselves works of art. They just weren’t written to be sung by mere mortals. To achieve the full vocal range, emotional depth and oftentimes comedy to which most every Sondheim song aspires requires not only operatically trained voices but estimable actors who can convey loss, longing, unabashed love, irony, humor and a dozen other emotions.
That this fledgling theater company would take on such a brazen challenge out of the gate says everything about its creative ambitions and already deep resources. It is largely funded by Cherry Creek business interests that clearly mean business when it comes to adding live theater to the Cherry Creek shopping experience. But no one is less forgiving than Sondheim aficionados. Pull this off, and you’re on the map. Fail, and there is no place to hide from their enmity.
Consider Cherry Creek Theatre on the map, thanks in large part to director Bernie Cardell’s casting of veteran, union Arvada Center actors Stephen Day, who starred as Javert in “Les Miserables,” and Susie Roelofsz (“Nine” and “Sunset Boulevard”). They’re teamed with a pair of glassy-eyed youngsters whose voices and stage presence are lovely but not as fully developed as their peers.
In the course of this affable if rarely spine-tingling evening, these four do a capable job running through more than 30 classics and unknown gems spanning “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” to the big finale, “I’m Still Here” (from “Follies”).
The four take turns as narrators, offering tidbits of information on each song, which keeps the show from leaving non-fans in the dust. We’re told about the full day Oscar Hammerstein spent mentoring a 15-year-old Sondheim — and it must have worked. The song list, covering “Company,” “Gypsy,” “A Little Night Music,” “Pacific Overtures,” and even films like “The Seven Percent Solution,” makes plain the greatness of Sondheim, now 81.
Accompanied by a grand pianist, all four actors have their chances to shine. Day is the anchor, winning the audience with his easygoing banter and vocal command on ruminations like “I Remember” (from “Evening Primrose”) and the evening’s high point, “Being Alive” (from “Company”). Roelofsz pulls off a near miracle, bringing real, raw emotion to the ever-lampoonable “Send in the Clowns.” Those are real tears Day is wiping off her cheek as he follows with “We’re Gonna Be All Right” (from “Do I Hear a Waltz?”).
Angela Mendez shows a nice comic flair on “The Boy From . . .” (from “The Mad Show”), while young Zachary Shannon fares best on “Anyone Can Whistle.”
The choreography is pedestrian, and the romantic ballads mostly fall flat, but the ensemble consistently hits the mark singing Sondheim’s uncanny songs of longing and want, such as Mendez on “Losing My Mind” (from “Follies”). Day and Shannon strike a sentimental nerve on the gentle duet “Pretty Lady” from “Pacific Overtures.”
Calling “Side by Side by Sondheim” a mere music revue doesn’t do it justice. It’s a retrospective of musical theater itself, touching, as it does, on Sondheim’s collaborations with the likes of Jule Stein, Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents (who died May 5), Richard Rodgers and more. For those not overly persnickety with their Sondheim, it makes for a pleasant, elegant evening — just as you’d expect for the swank environs of Cherry Creek.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
“Side by Side by Sondheim” **1/2 (out of four stars)
Musical revue. Presented by the Cherry Creek Theatre at the Shaver-Ramsey Showroom, 2414 E. Third Ave. Through May 22. 2 hours, 15 minutes. 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 6:30 p.m. Sundays. $30 ($50 for two). 303-800-6578 or
Weekend best bet: Vintage Theatre’s “Grey Gardens”
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The regional premiere of this unlikely hit Broadway musical is based on the 1975 documentary about Jacqueline Kennedy’s aunt, Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (Big Edie) and her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale (Little Edie). The musical tracks the progression of the Beale’s fall from a rich and socially polished existence to an isolated life in a home overrun by cats. Nominated for a 2007 Tony Award, “Grey Gardens” portrays the complicated dynamics of a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship. Starring Megan van de Hey and Deborah Persoff. Book by Doug Wright. Music by Michael Korie. Through June 12. Presented by the Vintage Theatre, 2119 E. 17th Ave., 303-839-1361 or .
This weekend’s other theater openings
“1776” Classic Broadway musical that follows founding fathers John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson as they attempt to persuade the members of the second Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence. Through June 5. Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., 719-634-5583 or
“Billy Elliot the Musical” Musical stage adaptation of the sleeper 2000 film about an 11-year-old British lad who discovers a surprising passion for ballet. Elton John wrote the score. Through June 5. National touruing production at the Buell Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or and here’s
“Cats” What began as a musical about cats after Andrew Lloyd Webber picked up a book of T.S. Eliot poems in an airport bookshop became one of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history, including songs like “Memory.” Through Sept. 24. Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, 5501 Arapahoe Ave., 303-449-6000 or
“Jekyll and Hyde” Moody musical that tells the classic tale of Dr. Jekyll, who unwittingly unleashes his dark side and wreaks havoc in the streets of late-19th-century London. Through May 22. Presented by Inspire Creative at the Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre, 119 Park Avenue West, 303-790-0875 or
“Make Me a Cowboy” It’s an early Saturday evening in the 1890s outside of Abilene, Kan., and the Jumpin’ J dude ranch is celebrating its grand opening with songs and stories like “Home On The Range” and “Down In The Valley.” Through May 21. Jones Theater, 119 Main St., Westcliffe, 719-783-3004 or
“A Number” What if you were to find out that you were not a unique person, simply a clone, one of many; just a number? In this perplexing and poetic story by acclaimed experimental playwright Caryl Churchill, a father faces the question of nature vs. nurture when confronted by several of his cloned sons. In his plight to create the “perfect” child, questions of morals, controversy and science abound. Genetics, murder and family all collide in this Kafkaesque journey of lies, betrayal and revelations. Featuring Denver Center Theatre Company veteran John Hutton and National Theatre Conservatory graduate Timothy McCracken. The play runs approximately 65 minutes with no intermission. Through June 18. Curious Theatre, 1080 Acoma St., 303-623-0524 or
Complete theater listings
Go to our complete list of in Colorado, including summaries, run dates, addresses, phones and links to every company’s home page. Or check out our listings or
The Running Lines blog
Catch up on John Moore’s roundup of the latest theater news, including Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company’s new season announcement, and complete cast lists for Creede Repertory Theatre’s 46th summer season:
