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Review
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 6, 2003
TAMPA -- Aida is a mechanical marvel, with a stunning visual package that sets the benchmark for theatrical design, and the Elton John score has the punch and soulfulness that his fans love.
But anyone used to the dulcet tones of a traditional musical might be well-advised to pack earplugs. Disney's cartoony take on the Verdi opera, playing at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, is the loudest show ever. It makes The Who's Tommy sound like a soft serenade.
One good thing about the ear-splitting volume is that it renders lyricist Tim Rice's efforts all but unintelligible. Exhibit A in the case against Rice comes from the kicky clotheshorse number by Amneris, My Strongest Suit:
I would rather wear a barrel
Than conservative apparel.
Aaargh! And that's just one of many lame rhymes. In some ways, though, pointless lyrics don't matter when John's music is so well-crafted and catchy. The songs also have the advantage of being familiar knockoffs from his catalog of pop hits.
For a Honky Cat-style rocker, there's Like Father Like Son. For a syrupy anthem along the lines of Candle in the Wind, there's the show's theme song, Elaborate Lives. For a touching ballad like Your Song, there's the Amneris solo, I Know the Truth.
John's hook-laden score draws attention from the sometimes incoherent melodrama of Aida's book, credited to no fewer than three writers, including director Robert Falls.
Falls has assembled a decent cast, led by Paulette Ivory as the Nubian slave princess who falls in love with the Egyptian army commander, Radames. Ivory is a striking presence with a voice to match in powerhouse numbers Easy as Life and The Gods Love Nubia. She also has a droll way with a punch line, as a connoisseur of thread count in the running fashion gag.
Jeremy Kushnier is more the whiny rock troubadour than the operatic heavyweight you might expect for Radames, but he establishes a gripping relationship with Ivory's Aida, which reaches a peak in their duet Written in the Stars.
As the third side of the triangle, Amneris, Lisa Brescia combines camp and surprising authenticity as the airhead Egyptian princess who becomes a melancholy heroine of some depth.
Micky Dolenz, the one-time Monkees drummer, recently joined the company as Radames' father, the conspiratorial Zoser, and he appears to be feeling his way into the role. His first act number with a robotic chorus line, Another Pyramid, was a mess in Tuesday's performance. Wayne Cilento's choreography for the show is wildly uneven, with the best dancing done by the Nubians.
Aida is memorable for its design. Bob Crowley won a Tony Award for his scenic design (he also did the costumes), as did Natasha Katz for her lighting, and they seamlessly meshed to create one crisply defined stage picture after another.
Highlights include the ingenious museum set that bookends the ancient Egypt story, Amneris' fantastic wedding gown and glamorous shafts of light that crisscross the stage.
This is one show where the audience leaves buzzing about the scenery, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
REVIEW: Aida runs through March 15 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa. Tickets: $24.25-$70.25. (813) 229-7827, toll-free 1-800-955-1045 or www.tbpac.org.