Dorian

Oscar Wilde was a wit and a dandy, but don't confuse his behavior with artifice: he was fully capable of explicating his own vanity and doing it in style. Such panache is what has made his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a trans-generational success. But transferring this deeply psychological and erudite novel to the stage, in the form of the musical Dorian, has proved to be too great a challenge for James J. Mellon and his co-creators.

While there are many bright spots in this production, particularly the bluesy vocals of Regina Le Vert and Nikki Nenee Daniels and a few hot dance numbers, the last act gets so lost in Dorian's self-analysis and the convoluted story line that we breathe a sigh of merciful relief when the end comes.

Dorian runs through September 29th at the Buell Theatre. 303-893-4100.

Bob Bows