Cast list for Ignite's production of "The Great American Trailer Park Musical" announced

The Ignite Theatre Company has announced its cast list for the spring production of "The Great American Trailer Park Musical," a comedy penned by Colorado-based David Nehls. The show will run at the Aurora Fox theater from April 20 to May 6.
Find the full cast list after the jump.

Q&A with Tonnocus McClain from the touring production of "The Lion King"

Even after a year as an ensemble member in “The Lion King,” Tonnocus McClain is still amazed by the sheer scope of the musical. At 14 years old, the musical continues to set the standard for big-budget Broadway musicals, drawing regular, sold-out audiences for its touring shows and giving theater a degree of accessibility and commercialism that’s kept the craft alive.

McClain, who attended high school in Colorado Springs, chatted about his history with the touring production, as well as the elements that have kept him a part of the cast.

Q&A with Tripp Fountain from touring production of "Hair"

Courtesy Photo

Taking on an ensemble role in the musical "Hair" offered Tripp Fountain the chance to take a trip through time. As a cast member in the psychedelic musical, Fountain found a newfound appreciation for the social upheaval and shifting morals that marked the 1960s. More importantly, however, starring in the show gave the Colorado native a chance to come home. A graduate of Lewis Palmer High School in Monument, Palmer says the production of "Hair," which will run at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts until Oct. 16, has given him a unique brand of homecoming.
The Sentinel caught up with Fountain to talk about his roots in Colorado, as well as the legacy of the social movements explored in "Hair," a piece that spawned pop music hits and documented the cultural legacy of a generation.

"Uncle Jed's Barbershop" preview: Q&A with Leonard Barett Jr.

Leonard Barrett Jr. (Photo courtesy of Max Talent)

Leonard Barrett Jr. will help bring a dose of local talent to this weekend's performance of the musical "Uncle Jed's Barbershop" at the Aurora Fox theater. The veteran actor and singer has graced the stage in Aurora before as a regular company member at PHAMALY, and he's carved a niche locally with his regular slate of concerts and one-man shows. The Sentinel talked to Barrett about working with a Broadway crew for "Jed" and his own dual role in the staged concert reading.

"Uncle Jed's Barbershop" preview: Q&A with Ken Prymus

(Photo courtesy of Ken Prymus).

This weekend's staged reading of the musical "Uncle Jed's Barbershop"at the Aurora Fox will offer Ken Prymus a chance to revisit the Denver theater scene. The Broadway veteran made stops in Denver for touring production of "Cats," "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Cinderella" on larger stages; his title role in the musical penned by Kenneth Grimes, David Wohl and Susan Einhorn offers the chance to perform for smaller crowds in a more intimate setting. The musical, based on the award-winning children's book by Margaree King Mitchell, tells the story of Jed, the only barber in a small town in 1920s-era Arkansas. The Sentinel caught up with Prymus to talk about the role and how the musical has evolved in the past decade.

Aurora's own Billy Elliot reviews 'Billy Elliot: The Musical'

Kenny Allen, center, poses with Kylend Hetherington, left, and Lex Ishimoto, right, on May 13 at the Buell Theatre in Denver. Hetherington and Ishimoto are two of the four actors who play the titular role in the touring production of "Billy Elliot: the Musical" at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts until June 5. (Photo by Adam Goldstein / The Aurora Sentinel).

Earlier this month, we ran a feature about Kenny Allen, the 10-year-old Aurora student from Rolling Hills Elementary School whose passion for dance mirrors the lead character from "Billy Elliot." Allen spends several hours a day in one of the two Miller's Dance Studio locations in any given week, honing his skills in ballet, jazz, hip-hop and other dance forms.

Last week, Kenny joined his mother, father and sister to take in a performance of the London musical that's currently running at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Before the show, the family got the chance to meet two of the four actors playing the titular role in the show and watch them rehearse.

We asked Kenny to give us his feedback about the show and its underlying message. Find his enthusiastic and straightforward review after the jump.