November 2006

Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA features glorious pop-rock score

The newly conceived North American touring production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA, the award-winning timeless love story, makes its Eisenhower Auditorium debut in two performances at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, November 28 and 29.  Based on the story from the classic Verdi opera, AIDA is a new musical with Elton John’s modern score.

Winner of four 2000 Tony Awards, Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA bursts with contemporary energy chronicling the love triangle among Aida, a Nubian princess stolen from her country, Amneris, an Egyptian princess, and Radames, the Egyptian soldier they both love. AIDA is an epic tale of love, loyalty, and betrayal with an exhilarating Tony and Grammy award-winning score by John and Tim Rice, their first collaboration since writing the music for the worldwide phenomenon The Lion King.

“AIDA is not opera,” John says. “It’s truly a pop musical with spoken dialogue and all kinds of recognizable song types: urban-based rhythm and blues, gospel inspired songs, ballads, and, of course, Crocodile Rock songs.”

AIDA features music by John, lyrics by Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang. AIDA was originally directed by Robert Falls and produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. Big League Theatricals, Inc., which produced the North American tour of Miss Saigon that appeared at Penn State in 2004, has conceived and developed this new touring production. Staging is by T. J. Young and choreography by Sarita Allen. The design team for the new production includes Neil Patel (scenery), Emilio Sosa (costumes), and Charlie Morrison (lighting). 

“AIDA is filled with glorious pop anthems” writes a critic for the Detroit Free Press, while a USA Today reviewer praises the “crowd-pleasing score.” Time proclaims AIDA is “a big, bright show with luscious Elton John melodies.”

The production coming to Penn State opened at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in September and continues on an eighty-five-city North American tour through April.

“As Aida, Marja Harmon demonstrated her amazing voice, from sweet, soft ballads to a powerful spiritual,” writes a critic for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “Casey Elliott, playing Radames, showed a solid voice that can handle both the gentle duets with Aida and louder songs with more intense demands. As Amneris, Leah Allers was delightfully funny, delivering her witty lines with perfect timing. … With a beautiful singing voice, Allers heralded the virtues of being well-dressed in ‘My Strongest Suit,’ a fun rock ’n’ roll tune reminiscent of ‘Crocodile Rock.’ ”

Allers, a Los Angeles native who studied musical theatre at UCLA, says she gains strength from the music and the audiences.

“It’s so much fun that I don’t get tired. I have so much energy because it’s just so exciting. Every day is a new adventure, so that fuels me,” Allers says.

“We’re all really happy with the feedback we’ve been getting,” she says. “The audience reactions have just been phenomenal. We get standing ovations every night, which is always such a fun experience for us.”

Like Harmon (Aida) and Elliot (Radames), Allers is making her first appearance in a national musical theatre tour. “All three leads were all newbies to touring,” Allers says, “so it’s kind of a cool first experience for all of us. We can bond over it.”

Allers’ character, at least in the first act, is more about style than substance. “She definitely starts off as sort of a Paris Hilton type, but with much more of a sense of humor,” Allers observes. “It’s so fun as an actress. She has such a great character arc. She’s basically the comedic relief through all of Act I. And it’s so fun because the audience just roars with laughter and just really responds to Amneris’ character. … I sort of get to channel my own zaniness into it. I have an outlet for my inner goofball.”

As Amneris, Allers performs the first and last numbers in the musical. ”My character in the beginning and then the end is in her narrator role …,” Allers relates. “She brings audiences into the world of AIDA, which is so cool. And then at the end, she recaps what we’ve learned and finishes the show in the last piece that she sings. And she takes her place back on the balcony in the same costume that she started the show in.”

While this AIDA is not the Verdi opera, the story conveys the same message. “The theme throughout the show is that love is timeless. So the sets and the dreamlike quality of the show support that theme that love lives on through all time periods and landscapes,” Allers says. “It’s a show that appeals to all ages and types of people. That’s what’s so special about this show. It really has so much to offer.”

Audio description, which is especially helpful to patrons with sight loss, is available for the November 29 performance at no extra charge to ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion that provides insight from a visiting artist or local expert, is offered in Eisenhower Auditorium one hour before each performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity. Seating is available on a first-arrival basis.     

© 2006 Center for the Performing Arts @ Penn State