This May, Colorado Chamber Players will present Music of Flight: The Falcon, as the culmination of a season loosely based on superheroes and music! 

The Falcon is a world premiere play by Josh Hartwell (Curious Theatre) and directed by theater superstar Betty Hart, with live bird-inspired music paired with a delightfully humorous superhero tale. The production stars Ronald McQueen as The Falcon and Michaela Murray as Darlene, Professor Rosette, Dr. Feely and Ashley.

Performers from the CCP include Paul Primus, Violin; Barbara Hamilton, Viola; Sarah Biber, Cello; and Paul Nagem, Flute.

Performances of The Falcon will be on May 4 and 5, 2023 (11 am and 7 pm each day) at the Studio Loft, Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the DCPA; May 6 @11 am at the People’s Building Theater of Aurora.  www.coloradochamberplayers.org

Music of Flight: The Falcon

Composers through the ages have often represented the natural world in music. Music of Flight shows the dramatic and musical evolution of our superhero, as he searches for his avian identity.  Darlene (and her various make-believe characters) help the Falcon connect with his true character.

Jean-Philippe Rameau’s La Poule (The Chicken) appears with a humorous 1727 version of a hen clucking.

Franz Josef Haydn’s two quartets about avian creatures are represented on the CCP side- The Bird and Lark quartets, from the early 1800’s.

Maria Newman (of the famed Los Angeles film composer family, daughter of Alfred Newman) wrote Pennipotenti for Flute and Strings in 2005 as a musical depiction of four kinds of birds.  Pennipotenti describes the flight patterns of the Dipper; the mournful hooting of the Owl; the agility of the Hummingbird; and the swooping raptor flight of the Falcon.

Bird sounds delight listeners in excerpts from Heitor Villa Lobos’ Jet Whistle for Flute and Cello (1950).

Colorado Chamber Players’ performance invites audiences to experience the superhero – and avian- universe live and in person this May! Tickets start at $10, at http://www.coloradochamberplayerstix.org/

Ronald McQueen (THE FALCON) is a 24 year old Colorado Native and is a graduate of Rangeview High School. He attended MSU Denver, studying Theater and Dance. Ronald has performed recently at Vintage Theatre (Cinderella), esSence Productions (Center Stage series), Control Group Productions (The End), Miner’s Alley Playhouse (Hair), Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center (In The Heights), worked with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and DCPA productions. His work has been described as “A standout performance”, “Top tier acting” and “Gorgeous performance”.

Michaela Murray (DARLENE, PROFESSOR ROSETTE, DR. FEELY, ASHLEY) Michaela Murray’s (she/her) local credits include THEATRE OF THE MIND (Understudy) at DCPA, LITTLE RED (Understudy) at DCPA, Theatre for Young Audiences. Regional work includes: Once on this Island at Town Hall Arts Center; Crowns the Musical (Yolanda), Gypsy (June), and The Drowsy Chaperone (Trix the Aviatrix) at the Vintage Theatre; Heathers the Musical (Heather MacNamara), Spongebob Squarepants The Musical (Sandy Cheeks), Into the Woods (The Witch), and Little Shop Of Horrors (Chiffon) at The Spark Theatre. Training: BFA from Santa Fe University of Art and Design.