Power trio from Millibo Art Theatre roasts well-known works in a hilarious romp

So, you don’t get opera? Well, you’ll get laughs aplenty from this campy spoof, She Dies, playing at the Millibo Art Theatre in Colorado Springs through Feb. 16. A MAT original, this hilarious 70-minute one-act farce turns opera on its lofty head with snippets of 17 famous opera arias —  each culminating in 17 over-the-top deaths.

Acclaimed soprano Judeth Shay Comstock enchants with her fabulous pipes — adding the classic wobbly long notes — and delightfully overacting the final fatal scene of each aria. Accompanied by Mark Arnest on the ivories, she gracefully collapses into dramatic death scenes in flamboyant period costumes and props.

MAT co-founder and host Brigitta De Pree narrates the action with her signature irreverence while husband, co-founder and professional clown Jim Jackson portrays a dizzying array of comical sidekicks. This triad really creates magic onstage.

After constant giggling, you may wonder how do they come up with this stuff? Seriously creative collaboration clearly intersects with the absurd — which may be the mantra of the MAT. The talented threesome co-created the show combining the best of their special gifts from song to comedy to improv.

Power trio

Well-known to Colorado audiences, Judeth Shay Comstock has performed with the Opera Theatre of the Rockies and Opera Colorado. She has it all, with equal parts finely tuned acting skills and simply amazing vocals. Having honed her comic craft along the way, Comstock was nominated for a Henry award for her role in Dirty Rotton Scoundrels at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

De Pree has been center stage at the MAT since its 2002 inception, working the last three decades as performer, director, educator and mentor to many established and emerging talents on regional stages. An assistant professor of Theatre at UCCS, De Pree excels at improv as she seamlessly floats through every moment with fluidity and effortless wit.

Jim Jackson has been delivering laughs in the circus and theatre for over 50 years, having clowned his way through the U.S., Canada and the UK. Nearly every MAT show features the Jackson/De Pree  yin & yang vibe as engaging bookends to the show. From plays to circus arts to cabaret shows, their pairing is magical.

Birgitta De Pree and Jim Jackson in ‘She Dies.’ | Photo: Nina Koch

An operatic roast

None of the greats are sidestepped in this farce: It’s an equal opportunity roast of sorts. From Puccini to Rossini to Mozart, Bellini and Bizet, composers might be aghast at the folly. From stabbings, to poisonings, and venomous snake bites, the heroine croons her final note as De Pree indignantly dings the bell and announces she dies.

 Among my favorite bits: an unexpected stunt double who takes the death fall from atop the ladder. Not to worry, as it is only a Barbie doll. Just when you think it can’t get any cornier, they up the ante.

While De Pree is center stage all 70-minutes, there is much ado backstage as Comstock and Jackson switch up their costumes and personas with the aid of well-organized stage management behind the curtain. Accolades to thoughtful and creative staging!

The show’s final minutes is Comstock’s stunning delivery of the soprano aria from the  Madama Butterfly (1904) by  Puccini. Un bel dì, vedremo (“One fine day we’ll see”) is one of the most popular pieces in the entire soprano repertoire — a real heartbreaker as she imagines the return of her absent love, Pinkerton. It is a lush and elegant finale to this unique show. Don’t miss it.