Fiddler on the Roof at CPT

I went with both of my sisters to see Fiddler on the Roof at CPT last night and we really enjoyed this production. In my opinion, seeing this classic musical is a guaranteed fun night out and I noticed that everyone around me (the theatre was packed) had big smiles on their faces during all of the well-known song and dance numbers. I definitely had to stop myself from singing along with the cast during "Tradition," "Matchmaker," "If I Were a Rich Man," "Sabbath Prayer," "To Life," and "Sunrise, Sunset." I loved the choreography and staging because there are obvious influences from the original Broadway production and the 1971 movie but also some fun new details that keep things fresh, particularly when the women and girls circle around the praying men and boys in "Tradition," when Yente is shown alone in "Sabbath Prayer," when the townspeople come on stage to reprise "Tradition" after Tevye rejects Chava at the end of "Chavaleh," and when the Constable and soldiers escort the townspeople out of Anatevka. As always, my favorite numbers were "To Life" because the Russian dance is very high-energy and exuberant, "The Wedding" because the bottle dance is thrilling, and "Tevye's Dream" because I always eagerly anticipate seeing how Fruma-Sarah will make her entrance (when I played her I came up from Tevye and Golde's bed) and it did not disappoint because she flies and it is pretty spectacular! The set is really beautiful with an elaborate thatched-roof house made of wood that opens up to reveal the interior and other large wooden set pieces that come down from the rafters and in from the wings to become the village inn, Motel's tailor shop, and the railway station. I loved the attention to detail, especially the smoke that periodically comes from the chimney, the barrels inside the inn, and the weathered trees all around the proscenium. The costumes are also very striking and I liked the pops of green and yellow used in the women's dresses and the white tattered gown worn by Fruma-Sarah. The large puppets that feature in "Tevye's Dream" are scary but incredibly cool. Finally, the cast is outstanding! Danny Inkley is a boisterous Tevye who emphasizes the humor in "If I Were a Rich Man" and "To Life" but he is also quite vulnerable in "Do You Love Me?" (Golde is played by his wife Wendy Inkley and their interactions feel very authentic) and absolutely heartbreaking in "Chavaleh" (the crack in his voice brought a tear to my eye). I was also impressed with Jordyn Tracy, Chloe Warnas, and Maren Messerly as Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava, respectively, because they harmonize beautifully in "Matchmaker." This production is a crowd-pleaser that the whole family will enjoy and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Mountain America Main Stage through June 18.

Note:  I find it amusing that the 2026 season at CPT includes both See How They Run and Fiddler on the Roof because my two biggest acting roles to date are Miss Skillon and Fruma-Sarah (I was also in the chorus of Damn Yankees but I haven't seen that performed since my high school did it in 1985).

Les Miserables at Tuacahn Amphitheatre

Before I became obsessed with Hamilton, Les Miserables had a 30 year run as my favorite musical.  I still absolutely love it and try to see it every chance I get so I took a quick road trip to St. George yesterday for a production at Tuacahn Ampitheatre.  It was an incredible experience to see such an epic story performed against the dramatic red rock of the ampitheatre!  I have obviously seen this show many times so I really appreciated several bold changes in the staging, particularly the use of the natural backdrop in the Prologue when the prisoners in the chain gang cut the red rock into blocks using pick axes and the use of real farm animals as Valjean searches the countryside for work.  I was also struck by the inclusion of Young Eponine on the periphery in the scenes between Valjean and Young Cosette because it really adds to her characterization and I was incredibly moved when the women place articles of clothing worn by the students who died on the barricade at the edge of the stage during "Turning" and then when the students rise up from the pit to claim them during "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" (this song always makes me cry).  I had goosebumps during "Stars" because the stars projected on the red rock are so beautiful and during the final battle on the barricade because the pyrotechnics are pretty spectacular.  I was very impressed with the cast, especially with how Mindy Smoot Robbins as Fantine, Randal Keith as Javert, Kelsey Lee Smith as Eponine, David Toole as Valjean, and Coby Oram as Marius (the understudy) are able to command such a large stage by themselves in "I Dreamed a Dream," "Stars," "On My Own," "Bring Him Home," and "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," respectively.  The large LED screens feature illustrations reminiscent of the ones used by Victor Hugo in his novel and elaborate set pieces are configured and reconfigured to become the factory and waterfront in Montreuil-sur-Mer, the Thenardiers' inn, the streets of Paris, the barricade, and the sewers.  The period costumes are very much informed by those in the original production but I found the wide-legged trousers worn by the guards and sailors to be very amusing.  This is the biggest show I've seen at Tuacahn (it is even bigger than their 2008 production of Les Miserables) and it is so well-done!  It was definitely worth the four hour drive to see it and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).  It is being performed in the Outdoor Amphitheatre at Tuachan in repertory with Disney's Finding Nemo and Grease through October 23.

Obsession

Last night my nephew and I went to a Thursday preview of Obsession and we both had so much fun watching it with a big crowd.  Baron "Bear" Bailey (Michael Johnston) wants to tell his childhood friend Nikki Freeman (Inde Navarrette) that he has feelings for her but his co-workers Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless) try to talk him out of it (for reasons).  When he misses a perfect opportunity to tell her in a moment of vulnerability, Bear uses a novelty item to wish for Nikki to love him more than anything in the world.  His wish immediately comes true although both he and Nikki recognize that something is amiss when she makes advances towards him.  He eventually comes to enjoy her attentions and they become a couple much to the chagrin of Ian and Sarah.  However, Nikki is increasingly needy, then possessive, and then absolutely terrifying.  Even though he fears for his life, Bear ultimately realizes that Nikki is the real victim and takes drastic steps to cancel his wish.  The scenes in which Nikki shows her *ahem* devotion are so much fun to watch, especially in a packed theater, because they are uncomfortably disturbing (the people in our audience were either laughing out loud or jumping out of their seats and, at one point, I wanted to throw up).  I loved the way these scenes are lit and framed because Nikki is often obscured and that adds to the unbearable tension.  Johnston is perfect as a character so passive that he doesn't even recognize that the girl he has a crush on might reciprocate his feelings without having to go to such extraordinary lengths and watching his downward spiral is oddly compelling (I loved his mannerisms and facial expressions) but Navarrette is brilliant because she is absolutely unhinged (in the best possible way) and yet she is also sympathetic as a woman who has lost her agency.  This is much more thought-provoking that it might seem on the surface but it is so wildly entertaining that my nephew and I had a blast with it.  I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

Hokum

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway last night was Hokum.  The story is a bit messy but there were moments when I was genuinely scared.  Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) is a popular horror author suffering from writer's block (and his own personal demons) so he decides to travel to the remote and atmospheric hotel in Ireland where his parents spent their honeymoon so he can scatter their ashes there.  He is incredibly rude and antagonistic to the staff, including the owner Cob (Brendan Conroy), the front desk clerk Mal (Peter Coonan), the groundskeeper Fergal (Michael Patric), the bartender Fiona (Florence Ordesh), and the bellhop Alby (Will O'Connell), and dismisses their claims that the honeymoon suite is haunted by a witch from Irish folklore.  He also encounters an eccentric local named Jerry (David Wilmot) who lives in the woods and frequently ingests hallucinogenic mushrooms.  He eventually bonds with Fiona (for reasons) and, when she mysteriously goes missing after a Halloween party, he suspects that she might be trapped in the locked honeymoon suite.  He sneaks inside to look for her and becomes trapped and increasingly tormented by a supernatural figure that may or may not be the witch.  This sometimes doesn't know what kind of movie it wants to be (is it an exploration of grief and trauma, a mystery involving a missing person and a possible murder, or a supernatural ghost story?) but there is no doubt that it is incredibly unnerving.  Most of the action takes place in one darkly-lit and claustrophobic location that is only accessible by a creepy elevator and an even creepier dumbwaiter.  The tension builds and builds, more from what you don't see than from what you do, and Scott does a great job communicating his escalating terror (his performance is outstanding because he excels at making unsympathetic characters compelling).  There are some really effective jump scares (someone in my audience screamed) and I loved the use of folklore because I think that always makes the threat more plausible and, therefore, more frightening.  I had a lot of fun watching this with a large crowd late at night and I recommend it to fans of the genre.

Blue Heron

Last night I had a double feature at the Broadway starting with Blue Heron.  This is an incredibly moving look at the fallibility of memory and I absolutely loved it.  The narrative begins with flashbacks to when an eight-year-old girl named Sasha (Eylul Guven) moves to Vancouver Island in the 1990s with her mother (Iringo Reti), father (Adam Tompa), and older brothers Jeremy (Edik Beddoes), Henry (Liam Serg), and Felix (Preston Drabble) and her parents become worried about her brother Jeremy's increasingly erratic behavior.  Events are shown from Sasha's eight year old perspective with images that are hazy and fragmentary as the family settles into their new surroundings (the cinematography is beautiful).  Jeremy's actions are largely on the periphery with little explanation for what is motivating his behavior and dialogue is often muted, particularly when Sasha overhears tense phone calls to family members and conversations with psychologists and social workers.  The narrative then shifts to Sasha (Amy Zimmer) as an adult twenty years later.  She is working on a documentary about the events depicted and, as she views the photographs and videos taken during this period and listens to the interviews with psychologists and social workers with a different perspective, her memories are recontextualized.  She is finally able to reconcile her lack of understanding about her brother and his mental health issues and to absolve her parents for his fate (in an incredibly poignant twist that I will not spoil here).  I really love the theme of art as a way to heal and not only is this theme beautifully and hauntingly portrayed in this film but, because it is semi-autobiographical, the film itself is director Sophy Romvari's attempt to process her own childhood memories.  The structure is very impressionistic but every seemingly random vignette is imbued with meaning that is eventually revealed and I found it spellbinding.  I cannot recommend this enough but be prepared for an emotional response.