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Lord of the Flies. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is an anguished meditation on the nature of evil. Golding, who fought in the Royal Navy during World War II, was acutely aware of the horrors of which humankind was capable when he wrote this novel, which was first published in 1954 — a time when the English still considered their country the locus of all that was stable, good and civilized in the world. He did not believe that the Germans had a particular propensity for savagery, but rather that this propensity existed in every human breast. So he created a scenario in which a group of British schoolboys — roughly half of them literal choirboys — are stranded on an unnamed island and forced to create their own society. Freed from the influence of the world they’ve left, they rapidly devolve into violent anarchy. In staging Nigel Williams’s strong, clean adaptation of the book, the Denver Center has accomplished something rare: a production that will thrill and inform the intended teenage audience (violence, action, symbolism, lots of plot) while providing an absorbing evening for adults. At the beginning, the boys see the island as a paradise. They accept the leadership of the kindliest and most thoughtful boy among them, Ralph. He in turn protects — at least most of the time — the vulnerable Piggy, who has asthma and poor vision. But choir leader Jack breaks off from the group, lures others to follow him, and sets up a hunt. Having managed to kill a wild pig, Jack and his followers bloody their faces, paint their bodies, perform wild dances and become more and more dangerous, until the saner souls on the island find their own certainties wavering and themselves in acute danger. Only Piggy, with his unique combination of courage, fussiness and conventionality, never loses his blinkered faith in society’s norms. Director Anthony Powell’s production is supple, fast-moving and absorbing. The actors commit themselves wholeheartedly to the action, both physically and emotionally, racing down the aisles, leaping athletically from rock to rock, maintaining their intensity throughout. Presented by the Denver Center Theatre Company through November 2, Space Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 303-893-4100, denvercenter.org. Reviewed October 9.
The Unsinkable Molly Brown. The Unsinkable Molly Brown is one of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s most ambitious productions to date: The company has spared neither pains nor expense in having Meredith Willson’s 1960 musical, which was fairly insipid, reworked and remounted. This iteration began life as part of the 2009 New Play Summit, when writer and lyricist Dick Scanlan, a three-time Tony winner, brought his revised version to the city. He improved the script; the issues discussed are much meatier than they were fifty years ago. And Molly Brown is no longer the usual musical comedy heroine who finds love and swaps her rags for riches. She doesn’t end up tamed by a strong guy and she isn’t cutely feisty. In fact, she’s out-and-out bossy, sometimes obnoxiously so. Also idealistic, self-interested, generous and very much in love with her husband, J.J. Brown, whom she helps to attain great riches. Kathleen Marshall, another multiple Tony winner, choreographs and directs. Beth Malone, who just happens to be a Denver native, plays Molly with tremendous energy, intelligence and verve, and Burke Moses is a strong J.J. The tech matches the performances for style and professionalism. Scanlan accomplished a musical shake-up, using songs from the original, finding others from Willson’s oeuvre — some unproduced until now — and changing lyrics where necessary, and Larry Hochman’s orchestration is sharp and exhilarating. There are several big, lively, toe-tapping numbers — although some of the other songs, in particular the love songs, are entirely forgettable. There are other flaws. The love between Molly and J.J. is at the center of the plot, yet the dialogue never feels quite convincing. But for sheer pleasure, this show — a lively swirl of color, music, skill, feeling and form — ranks high. Presented by the Denver Center Theatre Company through October 26, Stage Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 303-893-4100, www.denvercenter.org. Reviewed October 2.
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