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SCERA shell presents Aida

Watching a love triangle set to music and dance may not be considered a great way to spend an evening, but the lure of ancient Egypt and the world famous title of “Aida” can pack a theater.

Thursday was the opening night of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Tony Award-winning musical, “Aida,” playing at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre in Orem. A Disney-backed show, the long-running Broadway hit runs through Aug. 13 Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays starting at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $8 to $14 and patrons without reserved seating may bring a blanket or rent a chair for $1 to view the show.

The cast of 44 people has been rehearsing for just over five weeks, working not only on music and dance numbers, but also concentrating on the story “Aida” tells.

“We fought to direct this play,” said Kathryn Little, who is co-directing the show with her husband, Howard. “I love the story and the music. You can’t beat Elton John, and the story is compelling. There’s nothing better than a really good love story, and it’s a really good love story. It also has action and enough spectacles and dancing. It’s kind of a show that has it all.”

Based on Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, the musical tells the tale of Aida, a Nubian princess, who falls in love with Radames, her Egyptian captor. Their romance is in peril when the lovers discover the way to end the war between their fighting nations is for Radames to marry an Egyptian princess. The two are forced to face death or part forever.

“The stakes are always high for each of the characters,” said Adam Gardner, who plays Radames, in an email. “So whether they’re speaking, singing or dancing to tell their story, the audience is drawn by that need to resolve the conflict at hand.”

Influenced by Egyptian tombs, trap doors and hieroglyphs, the set is a major part of the production.

“I did a lot of research before designing the set and found different elements and different feels I wanted to use,” said Travis Coyne, the shows set designer and a member of BYU’s design and production team. “The set can suggest many locations. We don’t get bogged down with scene changes. It allows the show to flow from one scene to another.”

The set is mostly tans and earth tones, while the costumes supply vibrant colors. The lighting used in the show seems to add another layer of color, making the set come to life.

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