This is part of an ongoing series of theater reviews of local high school productions, written by high school students, that will appear on AnnArbor.com. This week, Pioneer High School's Daniel Mozurkewich (see bio at end of story) reviews Huron High School's production of the musical "Aida," which ran this past weekend.

Darren Fedewa as Radames and Ashwaty Chennat as Aida in Huron High School's production of Tim Rice and Elton John's "Aida."

“Aida” — with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, as well as a book by Linda Woolverton — tells the story of a love triangle between a Nubian slave, Aida, her Egyptian captor, Radames, and his betrothed princess, Amneris. Needless to say, Radames fall for Aida, and begins his transformation from a heartless war machine to a sympathetic human being.

Apparently Disney gained interest in “Aida” because of a children’s book based on the Verdi Opera. This influence clearly manifests itself in the musical, where cheesy, tagline bits of dialogue such as, “If you don’t like your fate, change it” abound.

The character transformations are also sudden and undeveloped, which is surprising considering the play presents internal conflict right and left. The exception here is Amneris’ second act song, “I Know the Truth,” which is a much-welcome moment of wisdom and maturity in the play.

However, Elton John’s score, while not inspired, provides a good number of memorable ballads, which, while not dramatic masterpieces, serve their function well and often entertain.

The Huron Players do an admirable job dealing with this material, but all the same, they don’t quite salvage the show. While the play is well-cast, the piece lacks a dramatic urgency necessary to sell the drama to the audience. This is not any individual’s fault, rather an overall deficiency in the production.

Much of the play deals with themes such as eternal love, life and death, and war, and yet, the stakes of the situations being presented never seem to be fully realized onstage. To name one example, when Aida is informed that the secret of her being a princess has been spread among the Nubian slaves in Egypt, she seems merely annoyed, even though this could result in her execution. Throughout the play, the stakes seem unnaturally low, although this improved slightly in the second act.

The vocal quality is good for the most part, but the entire cast seems to be singing in a reserved, almost choral style which seems inappropriate for Elton John’s pop score, which demands belting and vocal intensity.

Even so, the Huron Player’s clearly have talent, with Ashwaty Chennat portraying a very sympathetic Aida, Darren Fedewa showcasing an absolutely gorgeous tenor voice as Radames, and Chloe Biermann bringing a welcome weight and maturity to her portrayal of Amneris. Dan Ehrlich must also be mentioned for his portrayal of Zoser (Radames’ father), in which he displays a commendable comic charisma and stage presence.

The technical elements for “Aida” are fantastic. The set effectively sets up the different locales of the play (the transition from a modern museum to ancient Egypt is particularly effective), and the lights are perfect in setting the mood from scene to scene. A particularly memorable scene on the banks of the Nile features a tree backdrop that gives a reflection effect, starry lights, and a moon projected onto one of the set pieces. Sound even chips in, providing a water ambiance that completes the scene exquisitely.

The costumes are also well done. While not period-authentic, they mimic the modern style and mood of the play, and they make a flashy and engaging addition to the production. A particularly memorable effect is a dress of Amneris’, which opens up into gold, bat-like wings momentarily at a key moment in the opening of the show.

A mention must also be given to Brian Carbine’s choreography, which, while simple, is incredibly effective in conveying mood and energy in the numbers in which it is utilized. Often it even adds humor, and the opening night audience often giggled at particularly clever moves performed by the capable ensemble.

“Aida” is not a great musical, and the Huron Players make an admirable attempt to pull it off. But if the show had been given more weight and intensity, the production might have outshone the material and given it power and life.