Ogden-In 1924, Peery’s Egyptian Theater opened in downtown Ogden as a classic movie house patterned after other famous movie houses of the time, including the most famous one in Hollywood. A major restoration in the 1990s by many partners has kept this theater a local gem that Ogden Musical Theatre is lucky to call home. The inspired choice to produce the musical production Aida, with music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, and a book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang in this venue on its 100 year anniversary has absolutely paid off. Before the production even starts the audience is transported to a different place and time. Directed at Ogden Musical Theatre by Mark Daniels, the opening scene of the show takes place in a museum made to replicate ancient Egypt. Set designer Marilyn Montgomery has done such an impeccable job of making the set combine with theatre that it is almost impossible to tell where the set ends and where the theater begins. It is also important to note that the set design works so seamlessly with the lighting design by Daniel Garner to create true spectacle. Some of the best moments of this were in the numbers My Strongest Suit, where the color schemes made a lot of splash, and the opening of act two, A Step Too Far, where the LED lights on the stairs combined with the traditional overhead lights made for a visual treat. Finally, the use of the historic starlite ceiling during Written in the Stars was inspired.
The costume design by Stephanie Petersen also had time to shine, especially during the iconic fashion show in My Strongest Suit. The jovial color choices in that number made the visual palette refreshing. It was fun to see a lot of color elements throughout the production. These choices represented a bit of a different take than I have come to expect with the show, and the results were impressive.
The musical direction of the whole ensemble, by musical director Jake Heywood, had some strong standout moments. The acapella section of the act one finale, The Gods Love Nubia, was chillingly beautiful and reverberated through the 100 year old hall. Allie White, playing the character of Amneris, was utterly charming. She started as a frivolous fashionista and ended as strong empress. From the opening notes of the show to her powerful eleven o’clock number I Know the Truth, White was an absolute delight to watch. One of my favorite moments was during My Strongest Suit when I watched her wink at a young girl in the front who was likely dreaming of wearing the fabulous dresses and singing the power ballads.
Jordan Strong as Radames and Alexsys Campbell as Aida complete the trio of important main characters is this production. A show about a fated love triangle, chemistry is essential, and all three players had this in spades. Strong perhaps came off too strong (pun intended) in his tough guy approach in the beginning, so it took a bit to come around to him in the end. This was perhaps felt the most in the song Like Father, Like Son with his father, Zoser, played by David Jarvis, where Zoser is supposed to be the bigger creep, so it left me wondering if father and son were a bit alike. Both Jarvis and Strong had astounding vocals, and backed by the great choreography by Lindsey Poll and recognition owed in any scene with Zoser to fight captain Ai Ke Woods, this song and Build Another Pyramid perfect visually.
Campbell personified the emotional battle of Aida in impeccable fashion. The iconic battle between love and duty to her country is shown so well in the song Easy as Life, and she also shows her emotions in the title song Aida with great display. Actor Kaplan Keener as Mereb also added some excellent poise and decorum as he advises Aida about the status and difficulties of her people under the oppression of the Egyptians. During the beautiful quartet Not Me Keener, Campbell, Strong, and White brought together the vocals and the emotions in a way that was exactly what has given this musical the staying power for 24 years. Some of the actors did strain for some of the notes because of the difficulty of Elton John’s music, and what I can only imagine was a grueling rehearsal schedule. From the comparison of their vocals throughout the entire show, it sounded like tired voices more than lack of skill, and I hope that a good day of rest will help these strains disappear before the rest of the run. Catching the experience of the set design alone in the iconic Peery Egyptian Theater is well worth the price of admission to Ogden Musical Theatre’s Aida.
