Musical about death sparks humor, solace, optimism - #lakewoodnews

Few people actually like thinking about death. But imagine when one actually is Death.

In the musical "Death Takes a Holiday," the embodiment of life's end needs a break and travels to Italy to try to understand human nature a little better.

The show made its regional premiere at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., April 26 and runs through May 15. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 p.m. on Wednesday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

"In a broad sense, this is a show about love and death," said Peter Saide, who plays Death and his human alter ego, Prince Nikolai Sirki. "It's written about a very specific time in history, but the themes in the play are universal."

The time is 1921, and the reverberations of the first World War are still being felt by every person who lived through it. Death has taken on human form as a Russian prince after he spares the life of Grazia Lamberti (Kristen Hahn) and wants to understand why he did so.

"Death is experiencing everything for the first time," said director Rod A. Lansberry. "Nobody really knows this prince is actually Death, which leads to some great comic elements."

An instant attraction between Grazia and the prince leads to a whole host of new emotions for both characters.

"Death is attracted to her life force --; there's just something about her vitality," Hahn said. "For her, the prince speaks so passionately about the world and his experiences, and she is drawn to that."

The show isn't a typical musical, said Lansberry, who described it as having more of a chamber or operatic approach.

"The challenge as a director has been creating a piece that flows," he said. "Most people want to keep a distance from death, and this show needs a clear, concise way to humanize it."

The poetry of the language is beautifully translated into the show's music, Saide added, and uses all kinds of styles to tell the emotional story. Lansberry and the cast worked closely with musical director David Nehls to get everything just right.

Since discussing death is often such a taboo subject, the actors have found a tremendous amount of freedom and camaraderie in being able to talk about the subject as they work through the show.

"I've had really joyous conversations with the cast about death as a part of this," Saide said. "I think it's brave of the Arvada Center to do a piece like this that is a little left of center."

While the show doesn't answer any questions about death or what happens after, it generates a tremendous amount of solace and optimism.

"Matters of life and death are messy. They're not always black and white," Hahn said. "The show encourages making the most of our time on earth, and I think that's a very comforting message."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://arvadapress.com/stories/Musical-about-death-sparks-humor-solace-optimism,212171?branding=15