Wuthering Heights

Last night I finally had the chance to see Wuthering Heights at the Broadway and, even though they may take away my English degree, I liked it.  The volatile Mr. Earnshaw (Martin Clunes) returns to Wuthering Heights, his Gothic estate, with a young boy (Owen Cooper) rescued off the streets.  His daughter Catherine (Charlotte Mellington) adopts him as her pet, names him Heathcliff, and the two become inseparable, much to the dismay of Catherine's paid companion Nelly (Vy Nguyen), the illegitimate daughter of a lord.  Cathy (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) develop unrequited feelings for each other as the years pass but Mr. Earnshaw lets Wuthering Heights fall into disrepair through his drinking and gambling so she contemplates marrying Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif), a wealthy textile merchant who lives in neighboring Thrushcross Grange, to escape her circumstances.  She encourages his attentions and accepts his proposal but reveals her love for Heathcliff to Nelly (Hong Chau) and has second thoughts.  However, Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights unaware that Cathy loves him so she reluctantly marries Linton.  Her life at Thrushcross Grange is luxurious but empty so when Heathcliff returns as a gentleman with a mysterious fortune she begins a passionate affair with him.  Cathy is overcome with guilt and ends the affair so Heathcliff marries Linton's ward Isabella (Alison Oliver) to make her jealous which leads to tragedy.  Emerald Fennell takes many liberties with the novel by Emily Bronte to emphasize the tragic love story between Cathy and Heathcliff but what this version retains, in my opinion, is the scathing criticism of the rigid class system with the character of Nelly.  Much like Farleigh in Saltburn, Nelly is not a member of the aristocracy as represented by the Earnshaws (or even the wealthy merchant class represented by the Lintons) but neither is she a servant like Heathcliff.  She does not seem to belong but she holds herself above all of these characters and manipulates their self-indulgent and self-destructive behavior to emerge as a survivor.  In addition to this intriguing social commentary, I absolutely loved the bold visuals.  The juxtaposition between Wuthering Heights, which is dark and foreboding and dominated by the intrusion of nature, and Thrushcross Grange, which is unnaturally bright and colorful and full of artifice (even in the costumes), is very striking and symbolic.  I also enjoyed the gorgeous cinematography on the moors and the atmospheric score.  Robbie and Elordi have tremendous chemistry (although I was expecting their scenes to be a lot more erotic) and I liked that their characterizations are appropriately unsympathetic but I was much more intrigued by the performances from Clunes, Oliver, and Hau.  I definitely enjoyed this more when I viewed it as inspired by, rather than adapted from, the novel and I recommend it as such.

Singin' in the Rain at Hopebox Theatre

I had the best time seeing Singin' in the Rain at Hopebox Theatre last night because the show is a favorite of mine and they did a great job with it! Don Lockwood (Braden Charles Hull) and Lina Lamont (Caitlin Olsen) are popular silent film stars in the 1920s.  They are working on their latest collaboration but, when Monumental Pictures is forced to transition to "talkies," Lina's obnoxious voice and terrible acting threaten to ruin the picture. Don's best friend Cosmo Brown (Garrett Stephenson)  suggests that they dub Lina's voice with that of Kathy Seldon (Jordyn Tracy), an aspiring actress with whom Don has fallen in love. Complications ensue when Lina finds out and wants Kathy to keep singing for her. I love this show so much because it features so many big song and dance numbers (you know I love to see tapping) and the choreography in this production is so much fun. The female ensemble really shines in "All I Do Is Dream of You," "Beautiful Girls," and "Broadway Melody" and I also enjoyed "You Were Meant for Me" because it features some fun effects and Hull and Tracy have a lot of romantic chemistry in this number, "Good Morning" because Hull, Tracy, and Stephenson perform it with so much energy, and "Make 'Em Laugh" because Stephenson steals the show with his physicality and comedic timing. However, the highlight of the show is the iconic number "Singin' in the Rain" because, not only does Hull tap dance beautifully around a lamp post, he does it in the rain! I am so impressed that a small community theatre actually made it rain on stage because it was very impressive (it rained once again when the cast came out in raincoats for the bows). All of the leads have beautiful voices but shoutouts go to Matty Boyd for his lovely rendition of "Beautiful Girls" and Olsen who is an absolute hoot in "What's Wrong With Me?" (she is also really funny in the scene where Lina struggles to use a microphone). The set is also noteworthy because the stage is configured as a large Art Deco Theatre with panels that open to become a screen (the movie footage from The Dueling Cavalier is hilarious, especially when the sound is out of sync with the images) and various set pieces are brought on and off by the ensemble to become other locations (my favorite was the large cake hiding Kathy). The 1920s costumes include some gorgeous flapper dresses and headdresses as well as some dapper suits and sweater vests. Finally, the mission of the Hopebox Theatre is to provide support for someone in the community battling cancer and Heidi Green is the recipient for this production (go here to learn more about her). I had a smile on my face during the entire show and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through March 14.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

Late last night I went to see Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die and it is absolutely bonkers!  An unnamed man (Sam Rockwell) from a dystopian future arrives in the present day and takes all of the patrons of a popular Los Angeles diner hostage.  He is looking for a specific combination of people to help him save the fate of humanity but tells them that, since this is his 117th attempt, he is not very optimistic about their chances for survival.  He eventually coerces Bob (Daniel Barnett), Marie (Georgia Goodman), Scott (Asim Chaudhry), and the couple Mark (Michael Pena) and Janet (Zazie Beetz) to join him and then Susan (Juno Temple) and Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson) volunteer for reasons.  He explains that people in the future have become obsessed with virtual reality to the exclusion of their own reality and, as a result, the natural resources in the real world have run out causing a catastrophic number of deaths.  The only hope for the future is to find the nine-year-old boy responsible for creating the AI that is about to take over the world and install a safety protocol into the program (he doesn't want to destroy the program because he believes that AI is inevitable). However, there are forces working against him and mayhem ensues. I enjoyed the surreal tone and the satirical humor made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion but there is also a powerful message about the dangers of technology that really resonated with me, especially the scene showing students enslaved to their phones.  I also enjoyed Rockwell's performance because he commits fully to the insanity.  His physicality is almost manic and it is fun to watch, particularly when he is trying to convince the customers at the diner that the world is about to end.  I sometimes found the pacing to be a bit off because the action is periodically interrupted by flashbacks to the backstories of some of the characters and, while these are interesting and inform what is happening, the transitions back to the present are jarring.  I also think the third act is unwieldy and goes on far too long (the drawn out explanations of several twists become very tedious).  This was a mixed bag for me but it is entertaining and I recommend it to those who appreciate a bold, if not always effective, swing for the fences.

Emma at West Valley Arts

Last night I went with both of my sisters to see Emma at the West Valley Performing Arts Center. What could be better than spending Valentine's Day with the ultimate matchmaker? After Emma Woodhouse (Morgan Fenner) successfully matches her former governess Miss Taylor (April Fossen) with Mr. Weston (Alvaro Cortez), she decides to make a match for Harriet Smith (Sofia Paredes-Kenrick) next. Despite Harriet's budding relationship with the farmer Robert Martin (TJ Horton), Emma encourages her to pursue the vicar Mr. Elton (Garrett Rushforth) instead. When this plot fails, she selects Frank Churchill (Seth Johnson) as Harriet's next suitor but Mr. Weston is trying to match him with her even though he is more interested in Jane Fairfax (Emily Henwood). Finally, Harriet chooses Mr. Knightley (Clayton Barney) but this makes Emma realize that she has been in love with him all along! Chaos ensues until Mrs. Weston plays matchmaker! This is a very loose adaptation of Jane Austen's novel because there are changes to the narrative that give Emma a powerful pretext for her meddling, Harriet some agency independent of Emma, and Knightley a well-deserved comeuppance for his superiority (many of these scenes received spontaneous applause from the crowd). This adaptation also features a more contemporary sensibility and I particularly loved the use of music from the Bridgerton soundtrack because pop songs, such as "Material Girl" as Emma dresses Harriet for the ball and "Love Story" when Emma and Knightley realize their feelings for each other, are instantly recognizable but the orchestrations are still appropriate for the Regency period. Almost none of the original dialogue from the source material is retained in favor of more modern language. In fact, I think William Shakespeare is quoted (by Mr. Elton) more than Jane Austen (although the most romantic line is still included but it is said by Emma rather than Knightley). I am generally a purist when it comes to adaptations of classic literature but I think this particular version makes Austen's novel more accessible to audiences who may not be familiar with the text, especially when Emma breaks the fourth wall to give the audience her commentary on the goings-on. I also think this adaptation is absolutely hilarious because it is more like a farce than a romantic comedy and this is emphasized by the over the top performances. I loved Fenner in the title role because she has so much chemistry with Barney when they continually bicker and roughhouse (I laughed so hard when they started flicking tea at each other) and with Paredes-Kenrick when she tries to instruct Harriet (the repeated use of biscuits as a reward provide many other laugh out loud moments). I also loved Rushforth's physicality in his interactions with Emma and Mrs. Elton (Bryn Campbell) and Brooklyn Pulver Kohler's facial expressions as Miss Bates. The set, which features panels around the stage that are flipped by the cast to become different locations, as well as the period costumes, which are embellished by different pieces to change the look, are simple but effective. Finally, I was really impressed with the lighting design because it is so striking, especially the red lights that are used whenever Emma mentions her rival Jane Fairfax (my sister Kristine thought that there should have been a similar effect for whenever Knightley mentions Frank Churchill). I had so much fun seeing this show with both of my sisters (we are all big fans of Jane Austen) and I don't think we stopped laughing all night (even my sister Marilyn who is very reserved). This is perfect for date night or a girl's night out and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets). There are performances on Fridays and Saturdays through February 28.

Note: Local Jane Austen fans can also see Sense and Sensibility at Parker Theatre through March 7 (go here for tickets).

Clue at the Eccles

By now I have seen Clue many times (my favorite version was at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and my least favorite was at HCT) so I was really interested in how the staging for the Broadway touring production would compare. I went to the matinee yesterday and it was so much fun! Six guests using aliases arrive at an isolated manor on a dark and stormy night, including the blustering Colonel Mustard (Nate Curlott), the flustered Mrs. Peacock (Madeline Raube), the womanizing Professor Plum (Kyle Yampiro), the dramatic Mrs. White (Sarah Mackenzie Baron), the accident-prone Mr. Green (TJ Lamando), and the glamorous Miss Scarlet (Camille Capers), at the invitation of the mysterious Mr. Boddy (Joseph Dalfonso). It is soon revealed that he has been blackmailing each of them and, after providing them with weapons, he offers to return the evidence he has against them if they kill his butler Wadsworth (Adam Brett). However, Mr. Boddy, the Cook (AT Sanders), a Motorist (Kebron Woodfin), a Cop (Kebron Woodfin), Yvette the Maid (Zoie Tannous), and a Singing Telegram Girl (AT Sanders) are murdered instead and mayhem ensues as the guests try to determine the killer, the weapon, and the location of each murder. The set is one of the best I've seen for this show and includes a mahogany paneled main entry with backdrops for a hallway and dining room that come down from the rafters and doors that open from the wings and rotate on stage to reveal the lounge, the study, the library, the kitchen, the conservatory, and the billiards room. The elaborate choreography as the characters move from room to room while the set is reconfigured is both extremely clever and hilarious to watch, especially when the characters dance as they separate into pairs to search the entire manor. The lighting and sound cues also add to the hi-jinks. The dialogue is incredibly witty and delivered at lightning speed (the joke about the Republican party got lots of laughs and applause), the sight gags are amusing (my favorite was the use of the board game as a map to the manor), and the physical comedy is the highlight of the show (everyone in the cast has brilliant comedic timing). Mr. Green is my favorite character because he is always so hilariously overwrought and I loved Lamando's physicality as he is trapped under two different bodies and a chandelier but Brett steals the show as Mr. Boddy because he is completely over the top in the scene where he reenacts all of the murders (his imitations of all of the other characters are so spot-on that the audience was hooting with laughter). I probably didn’t need to see this again but I really enjoyed it. I recommend attending one of the two remaining performances (go here for tickets) if you are in need of a laugh.

Note: I still prefer the production at the Utah Shakespeare Festival but this is a close second!