The good news is that, through the miracle of YouTube, people who missed the show can see at least that part of it. And if you saw it and loved it, you can show all your friends what they missed.

Rick changed up some of the voices since this was taped and it’s not as good as seeing it live, of course, but it’s still amazing.

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Rick Miller IS MacHomer (and, oh, 50 others)

“MACHOMER”

When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 6; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 8

Where: Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theatre, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway

Tickets: $12.50-$35, 255-3232.

Grade: B+

And some people think Robin Williams needs medication…

Rick Miller brings “MacHomer”–his wildly acclaimed, one-man mashup of Shakespeare and the Simpsons–to the Bon Vivant this weekend. And before I get any further, I have to admit that I haven’t seen an episode of “The Simpsons” in my life (yeah, I know, I’ve missed one of the great sitcoms in TV history but, in my defense, I don’t watch much of the tube at all).

So I was expecting to miss a lot of the references. Fortunately, Miller does his best to bring non-Simpsonites like me into his world. During the entire 80 minutes of the show, animated clips play on a screen behind him, which serve to introduce each character as his or her voice is first heard. They also provide a constantly and humorously changing backdrop to the action.

The performance was certainly as frantic as advertised. Miller tears through over fifty voices, representing characters from the animated series (sadly, Bart himself plays only the briefest of roles), an assortment of Scots (among them Sean Connery, Shrek and the head of Mary, Queen of Scots) as well as other, unrelated Simpsons (you can probably guess who).

The story stays surprisingly close to the original play. The “MacHomer” web site claims that the work is 85% Shakespeare. Still, the gags are 85% Simpsons and if you’re not an avid follower of the show, you may wonder what everyone else is laughing at. Plus, the voices come so fast and furious it can be hard to keep up.

Still, with a show as full of gags as this one is, there are plenty to go around. And Miller delivers them all with the confidence of Bart and an energy level worthy of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.

Miller wound up the evening with a performance of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” as sung by “the twenty-five most annoying voices in music”. Sure, he’s does the easy ones like Bob Dylan and Aaron Neville. But he also throws in a ton of impersonations I’ve never heard anywhere else–including Elvis Costello, Leonard Cohen and Andrea Bocelli–and nails every one.

Miller explained to some of the fans after the show that he only performs “MacHomer” a couple months out of the year as it simply gets too exhausting. But it’s so successful that it pays for all the non-commercial stuff he does on tour, in New York and in his current hometown of Toronto–including, get this, a 9-hour monster of a play titled “Lipsynch”.

Yep, the guy definitely needs some kind of medication.

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Post from: Colorado Springs Arts Blog

Bill Reed did a preview of a guy playing at the Studio Bee Showcase on Thursday, and his interview will dissuade you from ever considering a career in music.

Lauren Arnest (yes, wife of that guy who used to set next to me) wrote brief previews of a show at Smokebrush and a Chamber Orchestra concert.

Noel Black does our cover story, an overview of the Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, which is more than stereotypical chick flicks.

R. Scott Rappold does enviable research for his story about the All Colorado Beer Festival.

Nathaniel Glen waxes poetic about La Casita.

And Brandon tells you why you should tolerate Jim Carrey this season.

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A detail from Lance Green's "Out of Egypt"

“ENTITIES: REFLECTIONS OF A BYSTANDER PAINTER”

When: 5:17 p.m. to 12:17 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13

Where: Rubbish Gallery, 17 b Bijou St.

Admission: Free

Contact: 440-5638, 388-3623, rubbishgallery.com

You’ve probably seen Lance Green’s work around. A little painting at the BAC maybe or at a restaurant in town. The work, I think, is typically pretty interesting, a figure usually that vague and often menacing. The kind of thing you might glimpse in the background of a really cool ghost film.

Check it out at ”Entities: Reflections of a BystanderPainter” opens Friday at Rubbish Gallery. Musician Jeff Sampson will perform. Also this month at Rubbish:

• 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. Nov. 20 — Poetry and music by DragonsWing
• Dec. 5 — J9 Glass Presents MAGNIFY

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A scene from Britten's "Paul Bunyan" performed by students of the Central City Opera's 2004 Bonfils-Station Foundation Artists Training Program. / Photo credit Mark Kiryluk

“OPERA ROCKS THE ROCKIES”

When:  7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6

Where: Colorado Springs Conservatory, 1600 N. Union Boulevard

Admission: Free; 577-4556, centralcityopera.org

So you missed the summer season at Central City Opera.

On Nov. 6, the company is coming to the Colorado Springs Conservatory as part of ”Opera Rocks the Rockies,” a week-plus tour of the state. In its 13th year, they perform for more than 100 communities and about 100,000 people.

The award-winning program features Bonfils-Station Foundation Artists Training Program students Claire Kuttler, Amanda Russo, James Baumgardner and Jonathan Cole as well as graduate and doctoral level students in Colorado State University’s opera theatre program, including Margaret Higginson, Wei Wu and accompaniest Beth Nielsen.

They will perform the “Flower Duet” from Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” as well as vignettes from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld,” Ned Rorem’s “Our Town” and other works.

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French works of the period are melodic, breezy and sometimes quite light. And there’s nothing wrong with that because there is also a delightful accessibility, a romance even, to this repertoire, which in included pieces by Dukas, Chausson, Saint-Saëns, Fauré and Ravel. Debussy, I’m sorry to say, was sadly missing from the line-up this evening.

If there was a star that night, it would have to be violin soloist Michael Hanson, concertmaster for the orchestra. First, Hanson navigated Chausson’s lush Poème quite handily and with real feeling. But it was in Saint-Saëns’ violin showpiece, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, that he really shined, moving from lyrical sections to the bowing and fingering that wore me out just watching it.

The orchestra followed Smith’s lead to flawless effect with a stunning clarity and precision. And I’ve seldom seen a conductor as plugged into an orchestra as he was. That relationship was evident the performance.

The highpoints of the evening, though, came after intermission. The two Ravel works – Valses Nobles et Sentimentales and La Valse – were superb. Both are interpretations of the waltz, of course, but Ravel, ever the pointillist, deconstructs the sound. That’s especially true in La Valse, where he juxtaposes pure waltz sound with an unexpected perversion of it — turbulance, uncertainty, yearning. Although firmly tied to traditional melody, it’s a collage that feels curiously modern. Lovely.

“WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS”

Colorado Springs Philharmonic

WHEN: 2:30 p.m. Oct. 25

WHERE: Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.

TICKETS: $14 to $54; csphilharmonic.org

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CHANDRA LEE SCHWARTZ and DONNA VIVINO in "Wicked" / Photo by Joan Marcus

DENVER • Before buying a ticket to “Wicked,” you may want to ask yourself one question: Do I love, like or barely remember “The Wizard of Oz?”

Yes, the performances in “Wicked” are all top-notch and the production explodes on the Buell Theatre stage like a witchy Macy’s parade. But what drives this Tony-nominated über-hit, which plays through Nov. 15, is deep affection for the “Oz” canon.

In fact, if you’re a big enough fan to own a pair of ruby slippers — as at least one member of the packed house did on opening night — more the better.

But even then, this pat distillation of Gregory Maguire’s best-selling book rises only to the level of “Well, I’m glad I finally saw it.” That’s thanks, in large part, to a second act that has some clever moments but flounders to tie up loose ends.

Yes, I was surprised, too.

The production, which is making its third appearance in Denver, sets out to dazzle from the moment the curtain goes up. A mechanized dragon lowers over the stage, huffing and clawing at the air now and then. The set, which was designed to reflect W.W. Denslow’s illustrations for the Frank Baum novels, grinds and moves and shifts throughout the show like it’s had five Red Bulls too many. And Susan Hilferty’s costumes are gloriously quirky and quite beautiful.
There’s certainly plenty to look at.

A bullet train exposition handily takes care of the novel’s beginning, and the musical quickly settles into the stories of two key Oz witches — the lime green Elphaba (Donna Vivino) and Galinda (Chandra Lee Schwartz), — who are enemies, then best friends, then rivals, and because it’s a musical, friends again.

Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (“Fosse,” “Godspell,” “Pippin”) has some nice moments with tunes that aren’t so much hummable as smart and very funny. “What is This Feeling?” and “Popular” are well worth adding to your iTunes queue.

“Don’t be offended by my frank analysis,” Galinda sings in the latter, her promise to renovate Elphaba’s all-too-thoughtful existence. “Think of it as personality dialysis.”

Both Vivino and Schwartz have excellent voices. And as a bonus, Vivino’s speaking voice sometimes reveals tinges of Judy Garland’s tremulous delivery. As actresses, they easily command the stage even in the midst of this three-card Monty of a set. Like Richard Kline as the Wizard and Randy Danson as Madame Morrible, both leads are funny and charming and quite likable.

But by the second act, “Wicked” runs into a storytelling ditch. Every song feels exhaustingly like a climax. The plot barrels along like it’s on a schedule to a happy ending, and rushing, willy-nilly, to connect the dots between “Wicked” and its source material.

Some of “Wicked’s” “Oz” touchstones are quite clever.

“There’s really no place like home,” says Elphaba early in Act 2. We laugh like it’s a family joke.

Although I’m sure the Ellie Caulkins Opera House couldn’t have accommodated this elaborate set, I selfishly wish “Wicked” had performed there instead of at the Buell. I left the two-plus-hour performance feeling like I’d been folded into the middle seat on a Trans-Atlantic flight.

Contact the writer at 476-1602 or tracy.mobleymartinez@gazette.com

“Wicked,” a Broadway touring production

When: Through Nov. 15

Where: Buell Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Speer Boulevard and Arapahoe streets, Denver

Tickets: $45 to $135; (800) 641-1222, denvercenter.org

Something else: Register for a daily drawing for $25 seats up to two and half hours before performance. Limit two tickets and in-person only.

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VISIT DENVER AND DENVER OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

ANNOUNCE TWO-FOR-ONE TICKETING PROGRAM

Weekly Deals Provide Consumers With Unparalleled Discounts on

Upcoming Events and Entertainment

DENVER (October 21, 2009) – VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau, in conjunction with the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA), announce DENVER 2 for 1 TIX, a new offering aimed at providing residents and visitors to the Mile High City with discounts on tickets to award-winning theater, world-class museums, seasonal musical performances, and additional ticketed events.

The program creates awareness of Denver’s diverse cultural organizations and collects the city’s top values when value is king. Each week, deals from up to eight cultural and entertainment organizations will be featured online at www.DENVER2for1TIX.com, where Denver residents and future visitors can also sign up for a weekly e-mail.

“What a great way to kick off the fall-winter season,” said Melissa Marano, marketing director, Denver Center Theatre Company. “We are thrilled to be included in the launch of the DENVER 2 for 1 TIX program, delivering great offers for high-caliber theater in a new way.”

“Value is a great way to reach consumers right now, and the DENVER 2 for 1 TIX program makes it easier for our deals to reach new audiences and to stand out to current ones,” said Tonya Malik, marketing and public relations director, Curious Theatre Company.

Denver’s top theaters and cultural attractions will offer an ever-changing lineup of tickets, all with 2 for 1 discounts, including Denver Film Society at the Starz FilmCenter, Museo de las Américas, PHAMALY, Swallow Hill Music Association, Denver Center Theatre Company, the Hi-Dive, Curious Theatre Company, the Newman Center for the Performing Arts in the opening week alone.

“Denver has always had great offers for every price point, but previously, we didn’t have a way to share it with the public in a concentrated effort,” said Jayne Buck, vice president of tourism, VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The DENVER 2 for 1 TIX program makes it easy to find what’s new, what’s hot, where the city’s hidden gems and the city’s best deals are, all updated on a weekly basis.”

To be featured in the Denver 2 for 1 TIX program, participating organizations must make an offer of “2 for 1” or an equivalent discount (approximately 50 percent) on admission or tickets.

“Denver is a city that supports its arts and culture – we’ve got world-class museums, the second largest performing arts complex in the country, and a community that has voted for 20 years to dedicate tax dollars toward support of the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District,” said Erin Trapp, director, Denver Office of Cultural Affairs. “This is a way to help small and large cultural organizations showcase their great offerings and special savings to a much larger audience.”

The new program completes the one-stop shop for culture and entertainment already available at www.Denver365.com, which provides a complete listing of all events happening throughout Denver and the surrounding area.

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The full-ish house cheered, wooped and clapped as the orchestra leaned into the opening strains of John Williams’ indelible score for “Star Wars.” You could almost feel the synapses sparking as memory, story and music all coalesced in that one all-too-brief selection.

Unfortunately that kind of transportive moment was all too rare Saturday night as the Phil kicked off its out-of-the-box pops season.

The evening, which also celebrated the All Pikes Peaks Reads 2009 space programming, started with conductor Thomas Wilson’s voice over the Pikes Peak Center’s invisible sound system.

“This is Captain Wilson of the space station philharmonic,” he started.

Then Wilson, wearing a blue, NASA-style jumpsuit, made his entrance descending on a tether from the stage rafters.

It was just the beginning of Wilson’s affectionate MCing of repertoire that he obviously loves. The orchestra followed suit with only a few missteps, including occassionally muddy sound in the brass section and akimbo pacing between the soloists and the rest of the orchestra.

The first selection set the tone for most of the evening: “The Twilight Zone: The Movie” was a nice enough but anonymous piece that begged for storytelling to fill in the musical picture. Ditto for “The Last Starfighter,” “Lost in Space,” “Total Recall,” “Predator,” “Cocoon” and even the main theme from the new “Star Trek” film.

Which made me wonder if scores can really stand on their own. They’re made to support and further on-screen action so any complexity would likely be lost in the shuffle, or worse, distract from the story.  So what are you usually left with? Melodic pleasantries. Rousing marches. Mood-setting interludes.

That all works, though, when you come upon pieces tied to scores (and films) that are milestones in our cinematic collective consciousness — anthems like Williams’ “Star Wars” or David Arnold’s “Independance Day” or even Arnold’s yearning “Stargate” or Jerry Goldsmith’s icy and uncertain “Alien,” the latter being the most musically interesting and unexpected piece of the evening.

Not everything needed to be a blockbuster, of course. And the fact that this was the second concert of the same theme (the first in the Spring timed to the beginning of the All Pikes Peak Reads program) probably narrowed the choices.

Even a few more of the sci-fi canon –  “ET,” “Superman,” “Star Trek’s” TV theme, “Jurassic Park,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and others — would have taken the evening from pleasant enough to the kind of exciting and enriching entertainment that opens doors to more challenging orchestral music.

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