Bugs Bunny Hits Broadway

Last week I made the cold, snowy trek to Denver to experience firsthand the sensation that is "Bugs Bunny on Broadway". I never watched many cartoons when I was a kid - my mother always claimed TV rotted our brains and locked me and my brothers outside to frolick in the Rocky Mountain wilderness and be attacked by rabid coyotes instead. A reasonable alternative, I'd say.

So, when I settled into my red velvet seat at the Denver Performing Arts Center I came as a virgin to most of the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons that were about to be presented to me. The premise of the traveling show is that the premier state orchestra performs the original music in perfect synchronization to the short animation pieces. So I relaxed in my chair to watch the Denver Symphony Orchestra perform the music of Wagner, Liszt, and Strauss in time to the Roadrunner tricking Wile E. Coyote once again.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience...I never really listened to much classical music. Besides tapping out a garbled version of "Fur Elise" on the piano every once in a while, I never actually listened to classical music. But listening to the art of famous composers serving as a soundtrack to entertaining cartoons made me appreciate both the music AND the timeless Bugs Bunny classics. The Warner Bros. theatrical series was originally designed in 1930 to promote the sales of sheet music and phonograph records....mysteriously convenient, since Warner had acquired Brunswick Records and four other music publishers just months previously. The 'musical animated shorts' became a hit and the series continued until as late as 2004.

Most "critics" complain that the initial exquisite beauty of the composers' music is lost amongst slapstick cartoon gags, and that one isn't able to appreciate the original purpose and subtleties of the notes when Bugs is giggling in your ears. I disagree....the Warner Bros. cartoons are a fantastic and creative way to expose children and adults alike to some great composers of the last century. Almost everyone I talk to about Bugs Bunny remembers the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series with fond and wistful nostalgia. No one considers their childhood years parked in front of the TV watching those cartoons a waste or that the timeless music is drowned amongst the rabbit's schticks. I think the cartoons and the music enhance each other. The animated shorts are a fun way to bring 'culture' to anyone who appreciates fine art and humor. Bringing the series to Broadway is an even better way to emphasize the significance of the the original score.

Overall, the experience was highly enjoyable. Kids at the show experienced the wonders of Bugs Bunny for the first time and adults fondly relived their younger years as tots ahhhhhing at the wonders of color television. So if you ever feel in the mood for a little nostalgia combined with cheap culture (under $20 if you're a student), trot on down to the DPAC and have yourself some Bugs Bunny on Broadway.

That's all, folks!!