The BVNW theater department is presenting “Aida” on Feb. 9 and 10 at 7 p.m., and Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. I went into “Aida” knowing very little about the show itself; I thought it would be more of a sappy, Egyptian version of Romeo and Juliet, but it was much more than that. The musical follows the love story of Aida and Radames, whose countries are at war. Aida comes to Egypt after being captured and enslaved by the Egyptians, but Aida is much more than an enslaved Nubian, she’s the princess of Nubia. Aida keeps this secret from Radames, who falls in love with her despite being engaged to Amneris, the daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Aida and Radames are told by their parents and citizens of their own countries to deny what they feel for each other, but they follow their hearts anyway.  As Nubia and Egypt continue to war with each other, Aida and Radames’s love seems less likely to have a happy ending.

“Aida” seems to have a traditional musical story, but it’s the music that really makes it stand out from the crowd. Elton John wrote the music for “Aida,” and his style is definitely evident throughout the show. The music was more pop-rock than stereotypical Broadway songs.

The music and emotion in the songs also showcased the characters’ relationships and showed their development throughout the show. Amneris begins singing lighthearted songs such as My Strongest Suit, and then changes to songs such as I Know the Truth, showing her development from an innocent, arrogant girl to a mature woman ready to become Pharaoh.

The music itself consisted of many solo parts that were all played very well by members of the pit orchestra and helped convey different emotions throughout the musical. The hard work of the musicians and actors meshed perfectly and allowed the songs to all be very strong.

“Aida” was not what I expected, but I left the show wanting to listen to all the songs again and again. I highly recommend taking two hours out of your day to go see it; it may help you see musicals in a new light.