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Aida Sail with me on Egyptian waters as we land at the Music Hall for the opening night of Aida's national tour stop here in Dallas. I must confess I was wondering how this new Aida would measure up to the magic, beauty, and emotion of the Broadway production, especially the three leads. A sigh of relief came when I saw that the scrumptious lighting, sets and costumes stayed for the most part, intact as in its sister production. Natasha Katz's Tony award winning lighting design remains the same as on Broadway, in eye blinding colors, lines, and formations that bring great power to the music and performances. Take the aria, "Easy as Life," a song Aida sings knowing what she must give up in order to save her father and her people. As the song transcends into higher keys and crescendos, the lighting aims directly at Aida from various points, and match perfectly the emotion of the singing. Bob Crowley's amazing costumes remind one of Versace designs, or of Bob Mackie "gone crazy with beading." Crowley's use of rich and wonderful color hued fabrics add so much to the actors and their performances. Elton John's score is lush, full of pop, gospel, reggae, and techno dance. His ballads are indeed powerful and written in a way to take the vocalists to a higher range, bringing applause during mid-song. Kudos must also go to Wayne Cilento's techno/hip hop/MTV styled choreography. The dancing style is energetic and fused with rigid lines that add another level of eye candy to enjoy. Cilento's best choreographed numbers include "Another Pyramid" and "Like Father, Like Son." Simone creates her own vision of her character, Aida, in voice and acting, and thus delivers a regal and magnificent performance. Her vocals tear into the songs "Elaborate Lives" and "Easy as Life" with such force, power, and raw emotion that your heart is left in knots. Patrick Cassidy as Radames is cut from the cloth of those classic leading men we don't see much on Broadway anymore. Tall, muscular, and handsome, Cassidy fits the skin of this confused warrior perfectly. As with Simone, Cassidy has a singing voice that cannot push itself another notch higher than the way the score was originally sung. Cassidy somehow stays beneath these notes. He sounds more legit than rock/pop, but he still sings beautifully with a rich tenor vocal that has a solid vibrato underneath for great support. Cassidy and Simone have great sexual chemistry. They play off of each other with sharp skill and heated passion, so much so that the ending will affect you much more than you thought it would.Their duet of "Elaborate Lives" brings the house down, as they sing with such power and intensity, and when they grasp each other - Simone kisses the muscled arms of Cassidy, while he kisses her neck, and she bends her body back for a high note. It is indeed a powerful moment. This gorgeous ballad is matched with touching and deep felt lyrics by Tim Rice. The chorus of "Elaborate Lives" says:
It is the ending, from the reprise of "Elaborate Lives," to both of them being thrown into the tomb, to going back to the white museum, and then meeting again in modern times, that is incredibly touching. I could hear audience members around me sniff and wipe their eyes. An account of this production would not be complete without a comment on Kelli Fournier's performance as Amneris, the princess who only cares about fashion (but later she grows into a woman who knows she must now run a kingdom). Fournier tends to pull back on holding the high notes out, never really sustaining them. She sings superbly, but seems to back off the high belting notes written in the score. But Fournier is hysterical! Her sharp comic timing and facial expressions bring the house down. She is a scene stealer for sure, but she also has her soft moments, athe strongest example of which is her scorching and heart tugging solo, "I Know the Truth". Also delivering brilliant performances are Jacen R. Wilkerson (Mereb), Neal Benari (Zoser), Merle Dandridge (Nehebka) and the mesmerizing ensemble. Overall, Aida is still a phenomenal musical. Some naysayers and cold observers might say that its too pop/rock sounding, the love story is obvious in how it ends, or that's it too slick and "rock concert" in style and substance. But to me, Aida is a breathtaking achievement in musical theatre. It takes the basic elements of a Verdi opera and brings forth the glory of love and how far one will go to keep that love, no matter the cost. It is truly one of the most emotional and powerful productions to ever grace the Music Hall. With its magnificent trio of leads, a superb cast of supporting roles and ensemble, all wrapped in delicious lighting, set, and costumes, Aida is the musical you cannot miss! If you only go to one musical a year, Aida is the one to see. Aida plays through October 20 at the Music Hall Tickets: the Box office in Preston Center, 6013 Berkshire Lane, or any Ticketmaster location, including Fiesta, Foley's, Kroger, and Wherehouse Music Stores. Also by phone: 214-631-2787 or Online: www.ticketmaster.com. |
