Exit Stage Left

I'm not necessarily "the best" at keeping secrets. I can do it, if I really have to and I'm pretty good at keeping things from the people who really shouldn't know, but in general I usually slip up and let someone in on said confidential information. Recently developments at work have reached into the deepest darkest confines of my ability to keep a secret and I'm pleased to say that while I might've slipped up to my mom and a few close friends, I was able to keep the news mostly quiet for nearly two months. Go me!

I know I promised I wouldn't write about work, but I'm amending that statement...slightly. I will allow myself to write about work if, and only if, it's something I'd be talking about anyway; i.e. the huge project about which I'm about to fill you in. It's big, it's so big I'm not sure if people understand how big it is, but in time I hope that all comes to the surface (pun intended--read on to see what I mean). ;)

Recently--and officially announced today--Denver was chosen as the city that will launch the world premiere, pre-Broadway try-out of Disney's The Little Mermaid. The show will be based on the 1989 animated film of the same name, directed by superstar opera director, Francesca Zambello with a book by Doug Wright and music by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, with additional songs by Menken and lyricist Glen Slater. The set designer will be George Tsypin, costumes by Tatiana Noginova (couldn't find any good links with her past costume designs) and lighting by Tony Award-winner Natasha Katz.

Denver has played host to just a handful of shows pre-Broadway, none of them on par with a major Disney spectacle. And, I don't mean "spectacle" in a negative sense. Just take a look at that link to Mr. Tsypin's site and tell me that the set for this underwater adventure will not be spectacular!

Out-of-town tryouts, pre-Broadway, were extremely popular in the '50s and '60s. They still happen today, but less frequently. However, Disney has done out-of-town tryouts for all its major successes on The Great White Way: Aida, Beauty & the Beast and The Lion King. When Denver was chosen to be the launch pad for the first national tour of The Lion King the economic impact was huge; amounting to millions of dollars of revenue to the city of Denver, itself, not to mention the attention that then fell on the DCPA. It didn't put us on the map, we've been there for a long time, but it certainly added a desk lamp shining brightly--maybe even a push-pin-- on the Mile High City.

Anyway, sufficed to say I'm thrilled about the development of this project (which I've been following since it was announced nearly six years ago), and I'll undoubtedly be updating as warranted. I can't believe I get to be a part of this world!