Utah Opera's La Traviata

I was thrilled to be at Capitol Theatre last night for Utah Opera's production of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi because it is one of my favorite operas (I always prefer the tragedies). It was magnificent and I loved everything about it!  Violetta (Lydia Katarina) is a beautiful and glamorous courtesan who lives only for pleasure.  Even though she is suffering from consumption, her patron, Baron Douphol (Christopher Clayton), hosts a lavish party for her and she encourages her guests to sing a wild drinking song.  When she grows too tired to dance, a young man named Alfredo (Isaac Hurtado) approaches her and declares his love.  She resists him because she likes her simple life of pleasure but, when he leaves, she realizes that she is in love with him.  They live happily together in the country until Alfredo's father Germont (Weston Hurt) comes to ask Violetta to end the affair because their relationship is scandalizing the family and ruining his daughter's prospects for marriage.  Violetta tearfully agrees and returns to Paris leaving Alfredo heartbroken.  She attends a masquerade ball hosted by her friend Flora (Julia Holoman) with the Baron but, when Alfredo see her with him, he treats her with such contempt that his father reveals the truth.  Alfredo eventually begs Violetta to forgive him and she dies in his arms.  The music in this opera is very well known and the three leads performed my favorite arias beautifully.  Katarina is thrilling in her passionate performance of "Sempre Libera" as she questions whether her love for Alfredo is worth giving up her life of freedom and incredibly moving in "Addio, del passato bei sogni ridenti" as she contemplates her death.  She also gave me goosebumps with her emotional outburst begging Alfredo to love her ("Amami, Alfredo").  Hurtado did not disappoint with his stirring rendition of the famous Brindisi ("Libiamo ne'lieti calici") but his captivating performance of the aria "De'miei bollenti spiriti" as Alfredo sings of his life with Violetta is especially swoon-worthy.  Other highlights included Hurt's performance of "Pura siccome un angelo" as he begs Violetta to think of his family because it is very genuine and deeply felt and when the Chorus denounces Alfredo for his treatment of Violetta in "Di donne ignobile insultatore, di qua allontanati, ne desti orror!" because it so dramatic.  This production also features six dancers (Maeve Friedman, Emily Marsh, Ruger Memmott, Madeline Nelson, Tyler Schnese, and Brandin Steffensen) who perform a waltz at Violetta's party and Spanish dances at Flora's masquerade ball but I was particularly struck by the reprise of the opening waltz at Violetta's deathbed because the dreamlike sequence symbolizes everything that she has sacrificed for love (I have never seen this done before and it was definitely another goosebump moment).  As always, the sets and costumes are striking (I loved the opulent ballroom and Violetta's dramatic red gown).  I find tragic operas to be very cathartic and this production left me breathless!  I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) because, even if you are not an opera aficionado, you will probably recognize a lot of the music! It runs at Capitol Theatre through May 17.

The Sheep Detectives

Last night I went to see The Sheep Detectives and I absolutely loved it!  I may or may not have had a tear in my eye on more that one occasion!  George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) is a shepherd content to live on his own with his flock of sheep just outside the village of Denbrook.  He interacts more with the sheep (he reads to them from detective novels every night) than the villagers because he has a contentious relationship with most of them.  When George is found murdered, Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), a dim-witted policeman, and Elliot Matthews (Nicholas Galitzine), a reporter desperate for a big break, begin investigating but the sheep soon realize that the two of them are in over their heads and begin their own investigation.  They eavesdrop on the reading of the will by George's lawyer Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson) and determine that the main suspects include Rebecca Hampstead (Molly Gordon), George's estranged daughter, Caleb Merrow (Tosin Cole), a rival shepherd, Ham Gilyard (Conleth Hill), the local butcher, Beth Pennock (Hong Chau), a woman scorned by George, and Reverend Hillcoate (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), a priest with whom George has had mysterious dealings.  The sheep, led by Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Mopple (Chris O'Dowd), Cloud (Regina Hall), Sir Richfield (Patrick Stewart), Zora (Bella Ramsey), Wool-Eyes (Rhys Darby), and twins Reggie and Ronnie (Brett Goldstein), discover multiple clues (and find highly amusing ways to inform Derry of their findings) but they must ultimately accept help from Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) and Winter Lamb (Tommy Birchall), two sheep who have been ostracized from the flock, to solve George's murder.  This is a clever murder mystery (I did not guess the identity of the murderer) that plays with the genre's tropes as the sheep try to figure out what to do but it is also surprisingly poignant with some powerful messages about grief and belonging.  I really loved the cast, especially the voice cast, and all of the performances are incredibly charming (but some of the actors, particularly Chau and Thompson, do not have a lot to do).  I also enjoyed the pacing, the action set pieces, the visual effects (I only noticed the CGI in one scene), and the bucolic setting (I really want to live in an English village).  This is an unexpected delight (it is so much better than I was expecting) and it is now one of my favorites this year.  I highly recommend it for everyone!

Disney's Descendants at the Empress Theatre

I remember watching the Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants with my nephew (I thought it was extremely clever and he loved it) so I was really intrigued when I learned that the Empress Theatre would be performing the stage adaptation this season. I was even more intrigued when I learned that the entire cast would include actors who are all over the age of 45! I had the chance to see it last night with my sister and it was incredibly heartwarming to watch a cast perform with so much obvious joy and exuberance! Prince Ben (Scott Sorensen), the son of Belle (Chalese Craig) and the Beast (Carri Baddley), wants to give the children of Auradon's most notorious villains, who are now imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost, the opportunity to attend Auradon Prep so Mal (Diana Sorensen), the daughter of Maleficent (Crystal Ahlemann), Evie (Amy Hallett), the daughter of the Evil Queen (Carri Baddley), Jay (Brad Goodman), the son of Jafar (Brian Sorensen), and Carlos (James Hutchings), the son of Cruella de Vil (Wendy Sorensen), arrive with instructions from their parents to steal the wand belonging to the Fairy Godmother (Stacy Mayren) so they can use it to break the spell keeping them in captivity. Chaos ensues when the four of them have a difficult time interacting with the sons and daughters of their parents' sworn enemies, especially Audrey (Stacy Childs Hutchings), the daughter of Sleeping Beauty, and Chad (Joel Clark), the son of Cinderella and Prince Charming, but their loyalty to their parents is soon tested and Ben eventually shows them that they can choose their own path. The high-energy songs and choreography are so much fun to watch (my favorite numbers are "Rotten to the Core," "Evil Like Me," "Goal," "Ways to Be Wicked," and "Chillin' Like a Villain") and this is mostly due to the fact that everyone in the cast is having the time of their lives channeling their inner teenagers! Their enthusiasm is infectious and the crowd last night definitely responded with gusto which made the entire experience an absolute blast. I especially enjoyed Sorenson as Ben because he has so much boyish charm (he was the most believable teenager), Hutchings as Audrey because she has the perfect mean girl attitude, Goodman as Jay because he has a lot of swagger, and Clark as the dim-witted Chad because he has some hilarious facial expressions and line deliveries.  However, no one is having more fun than Ahlemann because she absolutely revels in the villainy and I laughed out loud practically every time Maleficent appeared on stage. I really enjoyed her rendition of "Evil Like Me" but her maniacal cackling at the end of the second reprise was the highlight of the show for me! I loved the minimal set, with the brightly colored fairy-tale prep school at one end and the dark and dreary graffiti-covered Isle of the Lost at the other end, as well as the costumes, which feature a matching aesthetic (I was impressed by the attention to detail with the Auradon Prep crest on the sweater vests and cardigans and the black feathers on Maleficent's cape). If this show doesn't put a smile on your face I don't know what will! It runs on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through May 23 and I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Note:  A huge thank you to the Empress for graciously providing me with tickets to this fun and entertaining show!

Come From Away at PTC

I love the musical Come From Away so much and I have yet to make it through a performance without crying. While the tears flowed once again when I saw it at PTC last night, there were elements of the production that I didn't like. U.S. airspace is restricted in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on 9/11 so 38 international flights without enough fuel to return to their city of origin must be diverted to the airport in the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. The nearly 7,000 stranded passengers almost double the population of Gander but the ordinary townspeople rise to the extraordinary occasion and willingly do whatever they can to provide transportation (which involves the temporary resolution of a contentious strike by bus drivers), food (which involves the suspension of all hockey games to use the ice rink to refrigerate perishables), clothing, shelter, and comfort. An ensemble cast of fourteen play multiple roles, often with just the addition of an article of clothing or prop, to provide the perspectives of both the townspeople and the so-called plane people. Their interactions will restore your faith in humanity, especially when a local woman named Beulah (Mary Fanning Driggs) comforts a passenger named Hannah (Galyana Castillo) when she cannot locate her firefighter son in NYC and when another local named Annette (Jessica Rush) allows Ali (Nathan Andrew Riley), a Muslim passenger who has come under suspicion, to use the library to pray. I also loved it when Bonnie (Angie Schworer), an SPCA worker, sneaks on a plane to give comfort to the animals abandoned on board, including a pregnant bonobo chimpanzee. Everyone is forever changed by the experience and I was, as always, incredibly moved by the powerful messages about compassion, community, and the indomitable human spirit. I love every song in the show but I particularly enjoyed hearing "Prayer," because it incorporates elements from multiple religions to provide a beautiful message of comfort and it always makes me cry, "Screech In," because it is a hilarious ceremony to become an honorary Newfoundlander involving copious amounts of alcohol and a codfish and it always makes me laugh out loud, and "Something's Missing" because it accurately describes the often jarring return to normal life after an intense experience and it always makes me long for the unity felt right after the attacks (especially with all of the division in the U.S. currently). I was also impressed by the performances because the cast does a great job differentiating between all of the characters. The standout for me was Rush because her rendition of "Me and the Sky" gave me goosebumps. What was missing from this production for me was the nostalgia for my native land that this show usually evokes. I especially disliked the set because it is too cold, sleek, and modern in my opinion. It is devoid of all of the quirky charm found in the original Broadway production and there are no visual references to Canada (where are the neon Tim Horton's and Molson Canadian signs?). Also, I don't know what dialect the townspeople are trying to speak but they didn't sound like any Canadian I know. I appreciate that they did try to say Newfoundland like a local but it didn't sound right to my ears because the emphasis should be on the third syllable rather than the second. I recognize that I might be the only one who cares but this production is so nondescript that it could have taken place anywhere and that really bothered this Canadian expat. Even though I didn't love this particular version, I still highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) because the show itself is definitely worth seeing and it is sure to warm even the most cynical heart. It runs through May 9.

Once on This Island at The Ruth

The last show I saw before Covid shut everything down was PTC's production of Once on This Island.  I loved this retelling of The Little Mermaid with Caribbean flair so I was very excited when The Ruth announced it as part of the 2026 season, especially since it is not done very often.  I saw it last night and I think I loved it even more than PTC's version!  A Little Girl (Nahla Fernelius) who lives on an island in the French Antilles is frightened by a storm so a group of Storytellers tell her about another girl on the island who once survived a storm to comfort her. This girl is a peasant named Ti Moune (Blythe Snowden) and she is rescued by Asaka, Mother of the Earth (Aria Love Jackson); Agwe, God of Water (Yahosh Bonner); Erzulie, Goddess of Love (Anya Sulimoni); and Papa Ge, Demon of Death (Beatriz Melo), then adopted by Mama Euralie (Koryn Sobel) and Tonton Julian (Oba Bonner).  She believes that she was saved for a reason and, as she grows up, she prays for the gods to reveal her destiny.  The gods decide to intervene again and, when a grand homme (a descendant of the original French plantation owners and their slaves) named Daniel Beauxhomme (JRay Kuhn) is injured in a car crash as a result, Ti Moune falls in love with him even though a relationship between a peasant and a grand homme is forbidden.  When the gods intervene yet again, Ti Moune sacrifices herself for love but her sacrifice ultimately brings the peasants and the grands hommes together and this is why they tell her story.  I loved the message about the power of love and the power of storytelling to unite a community divided by race and class because it is, unfortunately, very relevant at the moment.  I also really loved the percussive Caribbean music (I am strangely obsessed with steel drums), especially the songs "And the Gods Heard Her Prayer," "Rain," "Pray," "Forever Yours," "Mama Will Provide," "The Human Heart," "Some Girls," and "Why We Tell the Story." The entire cast is outstanding but I was particularly struck by Melo because she is so expressive and fun to watch and Snowden because her singing and dancing are lovely and her performance is incredibly emotional. The choreography by Izzy Arrieta (one of my favorite local choreographers) is an integral part of the storytelling and it is lively, energetic, and absolutely captivating.  The costumes feature vibrant colors and patterns and the set, which divides the stage into the beach (it is made of real sand and water) occupied by the peasants and the multi-level plantations occupied by the grands hommes, just might be my favorite at The Ruth (I loved all of the tropical flowers on stage and all around the theater).  This is a beautiful and powerful show that should not be missed (go here for tickets).  It runs in the Lindsay Legacy Theater through July 3.

Note:  One of my earliest memories as a child is seeing a group playing the steel drums on a street corner in Toronto.  I have loved them ever since.