Review: Gilded ‘Aida' is easily forgotten

A visually pleasing but overblown production of the Elton John-Tim Rice musical visits Reading as part of the Broadway on Sixth Street Series.

By Stephanie Caltagirone

Reading Eagle Correspondent

“Aida” is one of those shows that's kind of like cheap chocolate; it looks great all wrapped up but is easily forgotten, except for the slight queasy feeling you get once you've consumed the whole box.

“Aida” is entertaining in small parts.

A touring production of the Broadway musical visited the Sovereign Performing Arts Center Tuesday as part of the Broadway on Sixth Street Series.

Based on the Giuseppe Verdi opera about the forbidden love between captured Nubian princess Aida (Marja Harmon) and Egyptian captain Radamés (Casey Elliot), the show has grand aspirations.

The music is written by Elton John, so it's pure pop confection with lots of piano and a few heavy drum lines for the Alvin Aileyesque choreography of Sarita Allen. But the lyrics by Tim Rice are completely forgettable and, at times, downright laughable, like the clunkers “Another Pyramid,” “Not Me” and “Like Father Like Son.” Only the love song “Elaborate Lives” is memorable.

The touring production's costumes by Emilio Sosa were beautiful and the scenery by Neil Patel and lighting design by Charlie Morrison were first-rate. Even the sound was crystal clear.

But the book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang runs in fits and starts, with unwieldy dialogue. And the mishmash concept of ancient Egyptians with guns and French Foreign Legion costumes and slaves with yellow mop buckets never jells.

That said, Leah Allers as Egyptian Princess Amneris lit up every scene she was in. With her big voice and outsized personality, her time on stage was a delight, whether in her comic number, “My Strongest Suit,” or the wistful “I Know the Truth.”

Harmon overcame bad writing to make the doomed Aida a majestic presence, and belted out every song.

Elliot didn't fare quite so well as the cocky Radamés. He certainly has a very nice chest, which was on display through much of the first act, but he faltered at creating a decent hero. He was also so derivative of Adam Pascal, the original Radamés, that during the show I kept thinking, “He'd make a really great Roger in ‘Rent.'”

Tour director Daniel Stewart (Roger Falls directed the original Broadway production) kept the action moving, but almost every scene was so overblown, it was kind of like watching an action picture without the special effects lots of running around but no explosive payoff.