Shows I have seen since last update: A Chorus Line (Union Colony Dinner Theatre), Hairspray (Arvada Center), Grey Gardens (Vintage Theatre), Moonlight and Magnolias (Vintage Theatre).
Update: Last night, I was lucky enough to have procured two FREE tickets to Izina Menzel. I have a friend who works at the symphony and graciously offered two great seats for my enjoyment. My friend Sara had already purchased tickets in the general admission seating, but we pulled some strings and WALA! She got upgraded tickets sitting next to me and my friend.
For those of you who need a musical theatre lesson: Idina Menzel is hugely popular in the Broadway world. She originated the role of Elphaba in Wicked and also played the original Maureen in Rent. Most recently, she began appearing on Glee.
Anyhow, it was my first time being at Red Rocks, and now I feel completely over-due because the space is beautiful. The Colorado Symphony opened with numbers from A Chorus Line and moved onto My Fair Lady.
Idina didn't come onstage until Act II, which wasn't a disappointment at all because the first act only lasted about 20 minutes. She ended up singing quite a few numbers by John Denver, then moved on to Broadway numbers (Don't Rain on my Parade, No Day but Today, and of course, Defying Gravity)
The biggest surprise of the evening for me, was that I laughed about as much as I would have watching a good comedy routine. Idina told funny stories, from being slightly ignored by Barbara Streisand, to making up rap songs for her newborn. I particularly liked the one about her recent appearance on Glee (which I actually know nothing about). She mocked the ridiculousness of singing Poker Face as an entrance for her mother character. Apparently, it made no sense within the story. She then went on to sing Poker Face.
Idina came on for two encores. For the first one she sang, The Way we Were. The second, Tomorrow.
All in all, an uplifting show. Made me want to do the same thing the next day. Watching the sun come out tomorrow would have been a beautiful backdrop against the carved boulders and the terrific music.
