REVIEW: Music and theater festivals merge perfect setting, sweet arts

BOULDER - This might not be everyone's idea of the ideal destination for a summertime festival get-a-way. After all, it's only an hour and 40 minutes away from the Springs and like our city, sits at the foot and not in the mouth of the mountains. Certainly Aspen, Vail and Telluride have a greater allure. The surprise is that this Front Range city has top-rank offerings in the most beautiful settings found in Colorado.

Feeling mostly like a tourist, I was drawn as if by a powerful magnet to Pearl Street Mall. I was in good company. The street performers were out in force with their guitars, saxophones and paraphernalia stopping the hopeful hordes whenever possible. The locals were nicely removed from this cobblestoned pit of humanity looking oh-so-fit and fabulous on the patios of the numerous and highly-appealing restaurants that line this promenade.

The real destination for this evening was Chautauqua Park, the home of The Colorado Music Festival. This is a spectacular property nestled into the foothills of the city featuring gorgeous hiking trails, beautifully maintained grounds and residences and a concert hall.

The meandering 30 and 40-something casual crowds of the mall were now superseded by elegantly-adorned 60 and 70-somethings - a true reflection of the demographic that keeps classical music alive in the almost culturally-hostile environment that is America in the 21st century.

On tap was the festival's first orchestral concert - Jazz and the Orchestra - conducted by Music Director Michael Christie, who created great excitement and more than a bit of controversy when he was appointed to the position nine years ago as a twenty-something.

Violist and Personnel Manager Ethan Hecht joined the orchestra at the same time as Christie and is one of five Colorado residents who comprise the 80-member ensemble.

"I have played with almost all of the professional orchestras in the state, including the Colorado Symphony and the Springs Philharmonic and this blows everything out of the water. Playing with this orchestra is a thrill beyond compare with any group I've played with. The musicians are phenomenal."

Hecht pointed to the rehearsal process as a key reason for this excellence.

"Everybody shows up knowing their music. Michael (Christie) can spend time making the sound the way he likes it. A first rehearsal here sounds better than the performances of most orchestras."

The proof was in the playing. Trumpets, trombones, saxophones, percussion and solo clarinet pasted the walls with Bernstein's Prelude, Fugue and Riffs, an entertaining, if contrived, "classical" big band creation. Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" Symphonic Picture proved the elegance, beauty and power of the ensemble, a reading most notable for its ability to accurately portray rhythmic minutia amid the full-blooded ecstasy of the composer's grand gesture. It was left to Copland's signature Symphony No. 3 to confirm the artistic greatness of the orchestra. Though not as dense as a Mahler Symphony, our nation's most successful composer offers a score that boldly and beautifully depicts the essence of the American spirit. Guided by Christie's clear and essential gestures, the orchestra played as one, effortlessly portraying the subtleties and bombast of the work. The spectacular sound of the 111-year-old hall was no less a factor in this awe-inspiring reading.

The written program for the evening included what were called "Clef Notes" - a concept that at first horrified this fuddy-duddy critic. Numbers corresponding to brief and perfectly-timed program notes were projected on the walls behind the orchestra during the performance. They were interesting and engaging and offer a real solution to one of the real challenges for the art form these days - finding away to get new listeners appreciating the wonder and depth of classical music expression.


Day two in Boulder began with Seven Chakra Tea steeping by the rushing waters of Boulder Creek at the Dushanbe Tea House by the Pearl Street Mall. Yes, it was "Oh-So-Boulder." I was utterly engaged by the beauty of the surroundings, the perfection of the tea and the complete honesty of my tablemate, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival's Prince of Denmark himself, Stephen Weitz. I had seen the actor last season as Costard, the Clown in "Love's Labour's Lost," and here he was a few hours away from portraying Hamlet, Western art's most revered dramatic character.

"It's too big to worry about. You have to go with what happens. It's really an endurance thing - three hours of blood, sweat and tears."

Weitz, who is co-founder of the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company which provides the festival with their production of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)," is one of a dozen Colorado residents included in "Hamlet"'s cast of 19. After a rain out
of their preview performance, the ensemble had two performances and won't play the piece again until July 22. "I'm not going to get sick of it," joked Weitz.

There would be nothing indoors on this evening. A return to Chautauqua was prompted by the chance to sit out on the deck of the 100-year-old Dining Hall, where an excellent and reasonably priced dinner was served amid the pastoral splendor of the grounds. From there, it was only five minutes to CU-Boulder and the outdoor Mary Rippon Theatre. On this 4th of July eve, four Festival actors gave a fine reading of the Declaration of Independence, evoking memories of the previous night's Copland Symphony, and then it was on to almost 3 ½ hours of Shakespeare.

First, it must be said that the setting is magical. An almost full moon emerged from above the stage at just the right dramatic moment, as if it were following the script. Reflecting the vision of producing artistic director Phil Snead, this was a highly entertaining and swiftly moving production. There was no set period for the action and each actor was costumed from completely different eras of history or fashion. Universally broad readings, especially from Dennis Elkins's King Claudius, enhanced the sense that these players had escaped from an asylum, donning whatever garb pleased them, much like in the 1966 French film "King of Hearts."

So here, tragedy was more like comedy. Weitz had described his vision for "Hamlet" as being as honest as possible and motivated mostly by the next interaction the character would engage in. His devil-may-care attitude was spontaneous and comedic, and if we did experience sadness at his untimely death, it was mostly because the hijinks had to cease. Overall, the acting was excellent with standout performances from Tammy Meneghini's Geertrude, Karen Casl's gender bending Rosencrantz and Gray Alan Wright's

Gravedigger, but the show would not qualify as a "Hamlet" for your bucket list. The Colorado Shakespeare Festival -five plays in repertory through Aug.15
303-492-0554; www.coloradoshakes.org

The Colorado Music Festival - Classical and International Music concerts through Aug. 7 303-440-7666; www.coloradomusicfest.org