Photo by: OpenStage Theatre & Company
The new musical Dorian Gray reveals the tantalizing true reasons why women wear makeup, why men pump iron and why everyone in western society past the age of 25 is so keen on preserving their nubile good looks.
The prettier you are, the younger-looking you are, the closer you are to perfection, the better chance you have of gratifying your sexual desires, possessing power and ultimately being successful in life.
The musical, now playing at the Lincoln Center in Ft. Collins is the story of Dorian Gray (Paul Green) a naCB/ve, young, English gentleman who was blessed with good looks by the gods. He’s blond, blue-eyed and has piercing pectoral muscles–all of this, the Western ideal of beauty. Owning these good looks, Dorian is mentored by a former playboy Lord Henry (Charlie Ferrie), who teaches him that beauty and youth are the prized possessions, and they should be used to fulfill all your wants and wishes. And as Dorian falls for this premise, he becomes cocky, and his attitude and sentiments grow ugly, yet, his beauty does not. The only revelation to Dorian’s fowl nature is seen in a painting, locked in the attic.
For the most part, Dorian Gray has a noteworthy plot. It plays like a early 20th century Melrose Place. There are cheating wives and husbands, drug dealers, prostitutes, hidden homosexual affairs and even murder. What college student wouldn’t want to see that?
The performers save the day, especially Green, Ferrie and Devora Millman, who plays Lady Victoria. The one scene where the cast dances around grabbing their crotchs and yelling lewd sex jokes is hilarious. It’s the most liveliest scene. The performers act with such frank personality that your bound to enjoy it.
However, there are some things Dorian Gray can do without. It could do without so much dull singing. With lyrics like “Ordinary women are like kittens, they should be drowned at birth…actresses are different,” this musical isn’t winning any Tony. Other duets are even worse; they seemed to have been yanked right out of a Disney movie. And some of the wannabe-witty dialogue is so clichCB) and boring that you only laugh to be polite. Inserting some of Oscar Wilde’s dialogue (the musical was based on his book) would have helped.
What Dorian Gray was missing was some concrete explanations to some of its bizarre tendencies. It never explained why Dorian was so admirable. Yes, he was the embodiment of Michelangelo’s David, but he acted despicable with his friends and lovers. Who would want to date a complete jerk?
And though the musical bluntly tries to promote the idea that beauty doesn’t lead to happiness, it never justifies itself for telling the audience that being old, fat and poor is ugly.
And it use to be that women were the only ones that wore makeup and cared about their looks. But in this musical men also have to look out for wrinkles and gray hair. This would have had great potential for some serious laughs.
With the combination of a soap-opera plot, some spectacular performers, the musical was well-worth watching, all three hours of it.
Details about the musical. The Picture of Dorian Gray
Performances of Dorian Gray are on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., Aug. 24 through Sept. 21, with one Thursday performance on Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and three matinees on Sunday, Sept. 8 and 15 and Saturday, Sept. 14 at 2 p.m.
Performances take place at the Lincoln Center Mini-Theatre, 417 W. Magnolia St., Fort Collins, Colorado 80521.
Individual ticket prices are $16 for adults and $12 for seniors and students. Matinee tickets are $10 per person.
Tickets are available through the Lincoln Center box office at (970) 221-6730. Box office hours are Monday through Saturday, noon-6 pm.
