The long-awaited epic adventure has finally arrived! Returning to their first, live-in-person performance, the Baltimore Rock Opera Society is rocking Glitterus: Dragon Rising onto their home stage at the Zion Lutheran Church this spring! Playing mid-May through the first weekend in June, this epic quest-rock-musical, in true BROS style has everything one could hope for from a BROS show— including a zany but impressively well-scripted plot, astonishing costumes and set pieces, giant puppets, and wild, blazing living rock music. Directed by Amanda Rife with a house band led and conducted by Darmock (aka Cynthia Schatoff) there is a really impressive, out-of-this-world, brand-new, all-original rock opera just wanting to be discovered!
With a Story Team (Sarah Burns Gilchrist, Jay Weixelbaum, Sarah Weissman, Mike Martino, Bobby Harris, and Jamie Ginsberg), Script Masters (Jamie Ginsberg, Sarah Doccolo, Lance Bankerd, Greg Bowen, Amanda Rife), and Music & Lyrics Team (Jay Weixelbaum, Joseph Mulhollen, Greg Bowen, Erica Patoka Cerquetti, Darmock, John De Campos) Glitterus: Dragon Rising is a mythological tale of fantastical proportions that utterly defies description. How one ever accurately describes the plot of a BROS show without writing a dissertation-length, point-by-point, chock-o-block with spoilers-style paper is beyond me. This one seems to be an epic quest of sorts— to find the missing eggs of Glitterus— the last dragon in this post-apocalyptic-style dystopian planet. But such a description can hardly describe all of the epicness one encounters inside a BROS show. The nuanced script— loaded with sexual innuendo, sex puns, and a whole bunch of other fun things whilst still making narrative sense— is original, innovative, and what one comes to expect from BROS show in so much that it’s fantastically out-of-this-world and yet so thoroughly hilarious and enjoyable and crazy that you can’t help but love it.
The only problems one truly encounters in this particular BROS’ production (which has been somewhat of a stumbling block for them in many of their productions in years past) is their ability to swiftly and effectively execute scene changes. Glitterus: Dragon Rising is victim to this pitfall, though not as massively as previous productions. There are some scenic transitions that have no interstitial music or underscoring while others do. There appears to be no rhyme or reason to why certain scenic shifts have “scene-change music” and others don’t; it’s simply inconsistent. Other than leaving awkward periods of waiting, this doesn’t seem to impact the show’s overall pacing as the production comes in just over two hours including the intermission. Sound balance is also a challenge for BROS (regardless of where their productions seem to occur) mainly because the house band is so loud and rocking— as you’d expect and want them to be— that even with microphones (perhaps just not properly balanced?) the lyrics often get lost when being sung. These standard hiccups aside, Glitterus: Dragon Rising is pretty spectacular just from a sheer visual standpoint.
Where does one even start to laud the praises of the creative team when it comes to the show’s aesthetic? Everything is handmade. The costumes, the sets, the magical and special effects— and this show we’re hunting for enigmatic glowing dragon eggs lost to time and space so you can be damn sure there are some impressive special effects— all of it is constructed by the BROS and their unending team of fabulous creators. Another signature hallmark of a BROS show is the inclusion of puppetry; Glitterus: Dragon Rising does not disappoint. Nobody wants to spoil the big surprise at the end— but it is a show about a dragon. Dragon Designer, Sam Hanson, has really pulled out all the stops when it comes to revealing Glitterus. Manipulated by the movement team (Lake Potter, Samantha Ankrom-Chickering, Lindsay Landolfi, Sam Brunner), it is truly the jaw-dropping spectacle you’ve come to expect from the conclusion of every main stage BROS show. (And of course when Glitterus in a much more digestible, ‘human-sized’ re-enactment, Jayné Harris gives her vivacious life, flapping around in stunning pink with fan-wings for miles and a sizzling hot voice suitable for a fabulous femme dragon of patriarchal-crushing power!)
There are other creatures too (compliments of Creatures Designer Justin Sabe and his assistant Tracey Townsend and their team— Jen Ching, Mika Nakano, Vi Lee, Winston Hargis, Jenn Herbert, Chris Reuther, Dane Hansen, Aaron Thomas, John W T, Rachel Hashoian). These designers and their team of creatrix masters wholly encapsulate the notion of fantasy in a dystopian world, giving it a vibrant and virile life on the stage.
There are astonishing projections (coming at you by way of Projections Designer Johnny Rogers), which include some shadow-play— useful for the scene with the Trolls— and the lighting (with a bunch of different names depending on which aspect we’re talking about) is stellar, particularly when it comes to matching the vibes of the songs. That’s one team the music & lyrics team has super-succeeded at with Glitterus as well, adding a unique variety of ballads and more dreamy-lullaby style songs to balance out some more of the heavy, up-tempo rocker numbers. And of course the house band— Nameless This Time?— (led by Conductor and Bassist Darmock, with John De Campos on drums, Josh Weiss on electric & 12-string guitar, Sebastian Ochoa Arguijo on electric guitar, Kelly Jentis on keys, and Jacob Deaven on wind synth) amps up the volume, the energy, and the overall experience of a live rock musical all about a dragon.
Costumes are on point (Designer Ag Sherman, assistant Darcy Elliott, with a whole slew of folks assisting on assembly as well as Cheri Felix on wigs, hair, and makeup) and really give the fantasy edge to the performance. There are those in Tallum— the ‘metal’ urban world and those who heed the calling of Glitterus— more earthly and elemental in their nature. And the dichotomy of costume magic happening in these two groups is astonishing. The featured five— Valstead, Mixi, Ketya, Ahlia, and Brigid— give you a true sampling of each of the elements in their elemental couture— fire, water air, earth, and of course metal— it’s quite the show.
The ensemble (Patrick Staso, Lincoln Goode, Markayla Black, Trevor Lynas, Steven Pingel) add an incredible sound when they’re singing and moving and dancing all throughout the performance. Be awed and amazed by the serenely hypnotic Fortis (Kerry Brady and Tina James) whose mushroom-lightup-dome caps are one of the coolest micro-features in this production, and their eponymous song, which echoes all of that soothing, mesmerizing charm of mother earth and the woods.
The opposite of serene and soothing is the fantastically fabulous, screaming party queen, Zeth (Isaih Dorsey.) Fabulous from tentacled cape down to shimmer nails and all the glorious glitter makeup in-between, Dorsey’s Zeth is a bit like on of the traps Homer encounters in the Odyssey; a siren-like snare designed to impede progress of the quest! And Dorsey slays the song “Party Trap” showcasing some ferociously fierce vocals during this scene.
The wildly spunky, spontaneous and astonishingly awesome four (who then become five) are true representations of the four primary elements incarnate, from the way they walk and talk to the way they sing and dance— Ketya (Greg Bowen) is lighter than air, Valstead (Carly Pursely) is an inferno of power, Ahlia (Michelle Shellers) is deeply rooted and grounded and largely in charge, and Mixi (Kat Duque) bubbles like a giddy brook all along the way. These four lend their spirited and talented voices to the show all throughout the performance, each one bringing unique qualities and personalities and making the production a truly memorable one. Good luck picking a favorite!
Where there are heroes there are inevitably villains. Vin (Shoshana Davidoff-Gore) is one such villain. Vile, cruel, maniacal and driven by greed for power (and totally rocking a pair of assless leather pants in the second act) Davidoff-Gore’s Vin is really the epitome of iconic BROS’ show villain. Davidoff-Gore’s epic powerhouse vocals align with the music for “Sate of the City” and “The Wizard’s Plan” and there is no denying the delightfully wicked ways in which the character plots nefarious deeds, loaded with sexual innuendo, of course; it’s that kind of show!
Torn Asunder may be a song name in this show but it’s also an accurate representation of the internal conflict that Brigid (Liz “Nic Cole” Unaeze) struggles with as Captain of the Guard of Tallum turned Daughter of Metal. With a voice that’s smooth and pure and extremely powerful, you get to feel all of Brigid’s feelings when Unaeze sets to singing. It’s remarkable watching this character on her own personal journey of self-discovery.
Get ready to rock out with your— well— with your Glitterus out! Because this dragon is fierce; this show is fantastic; and truly a wild and crazy, really fun BROS show like no other.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours with one intermission
Glitterus: Dragon Rising plays through Saturday June 4, 2022 with Baltimore Rock Opera Society (BROS) at Zion Lutheran Church— 400 E. Lexington Street in Baltimore, MD. Tickets can be purchased in advance online.
