The End of Oak Street

Last night I went to see The End of Oak Street with my nephew.  We have both been anticipating this all summer and we really enjoyed it.  Denise Platt (Anne Hathaway) and her husband Greg (Ewan McGregor) are at odds with each other and with their dull suburban life.  Their children Audrey (Maisy Stella) and Brian (Christian Convery), who have problems of their own, have begun to notice the strain between them.  One night there is a strange atmospheric anomaly that produces an unusually bright light and causes a power outage.  When the power is still off in the morning, they go out to investigate and discover that their entire neighborhood has been transported back in time to the Jurassic period by a wormhole and that dinosaurs are roaming the streets.  They barely escape from the ensuing carnage and barricade their house in order to stay safe.  However, Brian sneaks out hoping to rescue his dog Starbuck and soon Audrey and then Denise and Greg go out to look for him.  They eventually realize that they must work together if they are going to survive.  This is a campy homage to the action adventure movies that Steven Spielberg used to make in the 1980s and if you can view it through that lens you will definitely have a good time with it.  The dialogue is sometimes a bit clunky and the ending features some major plot holes (I suggest that you don't think too much about the time paradox) but it hardly matters.  I loved the nostalgia and the 1980s aesthetic used throughout, especially a needle drop that had me singing out loud, but my nephew thinks that the filmmakers should have used 35mm film stock from that era for more authenticity.  I also loved the poignant family dynamic in which the fear of losing each other brings them closer together (Hathaway and McGregor do a great job portraying this).  Finally, I especially loved the truly frightening (and at one point amusing) action sequences involving the dinosaurs.  Showing the impact of the dinosaurs before actually revealing them is very effective at building tension and seeing them wreak havoc in a suburban environment is unusual and therefore very unsettling.  This is a really fun summer blockbuster and I recommend that you suspend your disbelief and just go with it (Gen Xers who grew up with Steven Spielberg movies are sure to love it).

Six The Musical Live

I think the musical SIX is incredibly clever (it is framed as a pop concert and the queens are modeled on contemporary pop stars) and I love it so much I drove to Las Vegas to see the Broadway touring production at the Smith Center and then I saw it twice when it came to the Eccles Theatre in SLC.  I was, therefore, beyond excited when I learned that the original West End queens, Jarneia Richard-Noel as Catherine of Aragon, Millie O'Connell as Anne Boleyn, Natalie Paris as Jane Seymour, Alexia McIntosh as Anna of Cleeves, Aimie Atkinson as Katherine Howard, and Maiya Quansah-Breed as Catherine Parr, reunited in June and July of 2022 to film performances at the Vaudeville Theatre in London for a theatrical release.  I was able to see the proshot yesterday with a large crowd and it was so much fun!  The former wives of of King Henry VIII get together to determine who suffered the most and decide upon a singing competition to crown a winner.  Catherine of Aragon sings "No Way" and argues that she agreed to leave her homeland at 15, come to a country where she didn't speak the language, marry a man who died soon after, spend seven years in a nunnery, then marry the man's brother but she did not agree to be replaced.  Anne Boleyn sings "Don't Lose Ur Head" and argues that everyone overreacted when she just wanted to have a little fun (what was she meant to do?).  Jane Seymour sings "Heart of Stone" and argues that she suffered the most because she loved Henry the most but he only loved her because of her son.  Anna of Cleeves sings "Get Down" and argues that she was rejected by Henry because of her looks but concedes that she probably won't win the competition because she made the most of her situation.  Katherine Howard sings "All You Wanna Do" and argues that all of the men in her life, including Henry, used her for one thing without her consent.  Finally, Catherine Parr sings "I Don't Need Your Love" and argues that, even though she survived, she sacrificed true love for an arranged marriage with Henry.  They ultimately decide to abandon the competition because they do not want to be defined by Henry and rewrite their stories in "Six."  All six queens give powerful and electrifying performances in which they belt out their songs with enthusiasm, engage in banter with each other that is hilariously catty, and execute the stylized choreography with precision.  I especially enjoyed Paris's emotional rendition of "Heart of Stone" (my favorite song in the show) but the highlight for me was Atkinson's version of "All You Wanna Do" because her voice and facial expressions slowly change (I loved all of the close up shots) with each verse as she realizes that her beauty is more a curse than a blessing.  I loved having a front row seat for the sleek scenic design, the dramatic lighting, and the sassy costumes that feature both a Renaissance silhouette and enough bling to rival any pop princess.  My only complaint (and this is also my complaint about the stage show) is that it is over very quickly.  This reminded me of a concert film (complimentary) and I love that this entertaining show can now be experienced again and again!  It is in theaters for a short run so, whether you are a long-time member of the "Queendom" or have never seen it before, I highly recommend getting a ticket.

The Pirates of Penzance at Murray Park Amphitheater

When I got home from my camping trip, I had just enough time to dump all of my gear in the garage and get cleaned up before I went to see The Pirates of Penzance at Murray Park Amphitheater with my sister Marilyn last night.  We brought a picnic to eat in the park before the show and then we both really enjoyed this delightful production of Gilbert and Sullivan's comedic operetta.  When Frederic (AJ Klomp) reaches his 21st birthday, he decides to leave the band of pirates to whom he has been mistakenly apprenticed and soon meets Major-General Stanley (Aaron S. Williams) and his daughters, falls in love with his youngest daughter Mabel (Meg Steele), and enlists the Sergeant of Police (James Jenkins) and his men to arrest the pirates.  Chaos ensues when the Pirate King (Tyler Oliphant) and Ruth (Brandi Washburn), Frederic's former nursemaid, tell him that he was born during a leap year and, since he has only had five birthdays, he must continue to serve his apprenticeship.  It takes Queen Victoria to save the day and reunite Frederic and Mabel!  The staging is so much fun because it involves a lot of physical comedy and I frequently laughed out loud.  I especially loved the scene in which the Pirate King and Frederic argue about what to do with Ruth because a group of pirates roll her back and forth between them and the scene in which the pirates and the police try to escape from the Major-General in the courtyard because they hide in plain sight!  There are also some really fun interactions with the audience because the daughters approach the secluded beach where Frederic is hiding and the pirates advance on the Major-General's courtyard by walking through the crowd.  The choreography is also a highlight, particularly the tap dancing by the policemen in "When a felon's not engaged in his employment" and their other songs (I don't think I've ever seen the policemen tap before and it is such a great fit for the characters).  I loved all of the performances.  Klomp, Steele, and Oliphant (I've seen him in this role before) have beautiful voices but Williams is absolutely hilarious in "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" (he got singing so fast that he lost his way but he covered it up brilliantly) and Jenkins is completely over the top (I especially loved all of his high kicks).  The set features a rocky coastline along the sea and includes multiple levels that provide for some highly amusing moments (my favorite is when the pirates climb down from behind the rocks) and the colorful Victorian-era costumes are surprising but effective (the caped greatcoats worn by the policemen are very dramatic and I loved the use of light green for the Major-General's military uniform).  I love seeing outdoor performances in the summer and last night was perfect because it was cool without being too cold and the show is so much fun!  I highly recommend it but it is closing tonight so act quickly (go here for tickets).

A Week of Solo Camping 2026

I had such a great experience on a solo camping trip last year so I decided to do it again and spent the week at my favorite campground.  I love the Aspen campground because it is surrounded by pine trees, mountains, and the North Fork of the Duchesne River and I find it incredibly peaceful.  My campsite was quite isolated and I really enjoyed being on my own.

I was really happy to be in the mountains because it has been so unbearably hot in the valley lately and the temperatures were much cooler.  It was cold enough to wear a hoodie and make a fire and I loved it!

It rained most of the time but I didn't mind because I spent the time inside my tent reading and listening to the storm outside and it was very cozy.  I was still able to explore all of my favorite places along the river in between rain showers.

There is a rock formation known as "Old Stoneface" along the river and I am fascinated by it!  I probably have 812 photos of it but homage must be paid every time I visit.

The sun finally came out for most of the day on Thursday and it was so lovely to sit outside surrounded by pine trees (which smelled amazing after all of the rain).  There was an aggressive chipmunk and lots of birds (even a few blue jays) but it was so quiet and peaceful.  I especially loved listening to the river.

The sunsets every night were beautiful!

I had the best time on this camping trip and, once again, I learned so much and proved so much to myself!

Note:  I am happy to report that I did not blow out a tire off-roading this time!

Cyrano de Bergerac at Parker Theatre

I love Edmond Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac but it is not performed very often (I've only been able to see productions at PTC and the Utah Shakespeare Festival with Patrick Page and Brian Vaughn, respectively, in the title roles) so I have been anticipating a new adaptation at Parker Theatre ever since the 2026 season was announced. I was able to see it last night and I had goosebumps all night! Cyrano de Bergerac (Roger Dunbar) is a brilliant poet and swordsman who often makes enemies with his razor sharp wit. He is hopelessly in love with his cousin Roxane (Kristi Curtis) but he is afraid to tell her because he has an unusually large nose and doesn't think she could love someone who looks like him. She confesses to Cyrano that she loves a handsome soldier in his regiment named Baron Christian de Neuvillette (Russ Maxfield) and asks him to protect him in battle. Because he wants Roxane to be happy, he helps the simple Christian woo her by writing eloquent letters for him to give her. Roxane and Christian eventually marry but he is soon sent to war and Cyrano continues writing letters to her on Christian's behalf. She is so overcome by these letters that she comes to the battlefield to tell Christian that she fell in love with him because of his looks but now loves him for his soul. Christian wants her to love him for himself rather than for Cyrano's words but he is killed before he can confess the truth. Roxane is so brokenhearted that Cyrano writes her a farewell letter from Christian. She retires to a convent to grieve and Cyrano visits her every week for the next fifteen years to give her news of the world. One day he arrives late for his visit because he has been mortally wounded by one of his many enemies and asks Roxane if he can read Christian's final letter to her. As he reads aloud before succumbing to his wound, she realizes that he is the one who wrote it and that he has loved her all of these years. One of the things I really love about the Parker Theatre is how well they adapt classic pieces of literature to make them more accessible to modern audiences (if I was still teaching I would definitely try to arrange field trips for my students) and I loved what they did with this play. Audiences are sure to love it because there are scenes filled with adventure (Cyrano singlehandedly fights one hundred swordsmen), wit (Cyrano composes a poem about his nose while dueling with a rival who insulted its size), humor (Christian repeats Cyrano's words to Roxane in a hilariously stilted way) romance (Cyrano finally opens his heart to Roxane underneath her balcony because she cannot see him and it is incredibly swoonworthy), and tragedy (Roxane is heartbroken when she realizes that she loves Cyrano too late). The performances, in these scenes particularly, are brilliant and show the tremendous range of the actors. I also loved the dynamic fight choreography, the detailed set design (it reminded me of the sets used in the Englestad Theatre at the Utah Shakespeare Festival with its wooden balconies, arches, and doors), the gorgeous period costumes, and the makeup design for Cyrano's nose (it is truly spectacular). Finally, this is performed in five acts and I enjoyed the projections on the curtain during the set changes and I also liked the title descriptions projected on a scrim at the beginning of each act. This production is incredibly well-done and I highly recommend it. Tickets may be purchased here for performances on Fridays and Saturdays through August 29.