AIDA at ALT - Review

RAVING RICHARD - REVIEW, FOR BROADCAST LIVE ON 6/3/8:
KKIM, 1000 A.M., ALBUQUERQUE, AND 94.7 F.M., SANTA FE
GREETINGS AGAIN FROM THEATRELAND! THIS WEEK, THERE'S NOT ONLY ONE SHOW TO REVIEW, BUT THREE TO PREVIEW-ALL IN MY NEW TUESDAY DATE FOR THESE COMMENTARIES ON GRANT KUCK'S PROGRAM. JUST BY CHANCE, GRANT ALSO SAW THE SHOW I'M REVIEWING--AN ADAPTATION OF VERDI'S OPERA "AIDA" AT ALBUQUERQUE LITTLE THEATRE--AND WE BOTH ARE GIVING IT THUMBS UP, AS IT'S A GREAT PRODUCTION. IN FACT, TO QUOTE WORDS ED SULLIVAN MIGHT USE, IT'S REALLY GREAT!
HOW SO? WELL, IN A WORD, THIS PRODUCTION HAS ALL THE ENTERTAINMENT YOU WOULD EXPECT IN THIS FORM OF MUSICAL. IT’S NOT VERDI'S MUSIC, BUT THE PLOT DOES HAVE SOME RESEMBLANCE TO THE SCRIPT OF THE OPERA- I.E., A PRINCESS FROM TWO WARRING COUNTRIES VYING FOR THE HAND OF THE SAME ARMY CAPTAIN, WITH A CAPTURED FATHER AND A NASTY RULER, ETC., ETC., AS IN THE OPERA. THIS BEING A MUSICAL, IT'S A PLAY, BASICALLY, WITH MUCH OF THE STORY TOLD THROUGH SONG--OVER 20, BY ELTON JOHN.
MOST EVERY MEMBER OF THIS TALENTED CAST HAS A SINGING ROLE, AND EACH HAS A WELL-TRAINED THEATRICAL VOICE. AS GRANT POINTED OUT, IN SOME NON-PROFESSIONAL MUSICALS, YOU MAY FIND ONE OR TWO WHO CAN ACT BUT REALLY AREN'T ACCOMPLISHED SINGERS. BUT NOT SO IN THIS PRODUCTION--ALL THE SINGING AND ACTING IS EXCELLENT, WITH CREDIT EXTENDED TO DIRECTOR BILL POTENZIANI AND MUSIC DIRECTOR MATTHEW NAEGELI (WHO DID SUCH A SUPERB JOB LAST SUMMER IN "MY FAIR LADY).

WITHOUT SLIGHTING OTHERS, AS MY ACCOLADES ARE MEANT FOR ALL, FOUR ACTORS WHO HAVE THE MORE PROMINENT ROLES ARE THE TWO PRINCESSES, APRIL BALL AND EMILY MELVILLE; KIT TURPEN THE CHIEF MINISTER; AND SUITOR JULIAN SINGER-CORBIN. BUT IT’S NOT JUST THE CASTING. ON ALL COUNTS, THIS CONTEMPORARY ADAPTATION OF "AIDA" IS TERRIFIC, FROM THE CLEVER OPENING SCENE TO THE SURPRISING FINALE: THE SET, STAGING, COSTUMING, ORCHESTRAL ACCOMPANIMENT, CHOREOGRAPHY BY STEPHANIE BURCH, AND ALL OTHER ELEMENTS OF PRODUCTION MAKE THIS SHOW A HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON. NO WONDER EVERY AUDIENCE GIVES IT A STANDING OVATION, PLUS THE JOURNAL'S REVIEW OF JUNE 25 WAS ALSO VERY FAVORABLE.
"AIDA" CONTINUES WEEKENDS THROUGH JUNE 15. ALT'S NUMBER FOR TICKETS IS 243-4750, AND YOU'LL THANK ME FOR HIGHLY RECOMMENDING THIS SHOW.
I'LL BE BACK NEXT WEEK WITH GOOD NEWS REGARDING THE UPCOMING MELODRAMA SEASON IN MADRID. THANKS FOR LISTENING!