Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at HCT

Utah audiences really love the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (so it is performed a lot) but I am not a big fan because I find it very kitschy (or it could be because I have seen it too many times). I went to yet another production last night at Hale Theatre and, even though I didn't love it, the performances are outstanding. It tells the well-known Bible story of how Joseph rises to become the Pharaoh's second-in-command after his brothers betray him for being their father's favorite with songs that span every musical genre. It is de rigueur for every director to add their own touches to the show but much of the staging, including the Ishmaelites riding motorcycles in "Journey to Egypt," the dancers emerging from a psychedelic VW bus in "Go, Go, Go Joseph," and Mrs. Potiphar spinning tunes in a nightclub with a multi-colored dance floor in "Megamix," is recycled from HCT's 2017 production (I actually enjoyed the staging of "Potiphar" and "Song of the King" a lot more in that version). There are some strange choices with the costumes (the brothers all wear athletic socks and shoes, the Egyptians wear white mid-length pleated skirts, and the ensemble wears weird Heaven's Gate-inspired shrouds in "A Pharaoh's Story"), a few of the sets are underwhelming (particularly the one for "Potiphar") and the choreography is a bit chaotic because there are so many performers on stage and sight lines are often blocked (this is especially true in "Song of the King"). However, the brothers (including Rob Naylor as Reuben, Matt Baxter as Simeon, Ben Lowell as Levi, Brock Dalgleish as Naphtali, Addison Welch as Issachar, Brevan Ita as Asher, Matthew Tripp as Dan, Enzo Willis as Zebulon, Prince Ko as Gad, Eli Zemp as Benjamin, and Alec Powell as Judah) do a fantastic job with the energetic choreography and it is very clear that they are having a blast (they are really fun to watch). I really enjoyed Lowell's vocal performance of "One More Angel in Heaven" as well as Welch's rendition of "Those Canaan Days" (this song always makes me laugh) but Powell really blew me away during "Benjamin Calypso." Bailee Morris has a beautiful voice that is very well suited to the role of Narrator but I sometimes found her interactions with the rest of the cast and the audience to be very stilted. She is especially awkward with a group of children (who were presumably selected from the audience) in the Prologue because she is very over-the-top and they did not respond to her (maybe they need a better vetting process to find more animated children).  Finally, Ethan Kelso, as Joseph, is the reason to see this show because he has both the voice and the charisma required for the role. I loved his renditions of "Any Dream Will Do" and "Close Every Door" (the lighting effects used to create his jail cell are really cool) and his physicality in the scenes with Mrs. Potiphar and the Pharaoh's groupies is a lot of fun. I know that almost everyone will enjoy this more than I did (it needs to join Cats and Seussical as shows I never need to see again) so I recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through October 24.

Note: My attitude about this show could also stem from when I saw the Broadway touring production.  I was so excited to see Donny Osmond as Joseph but, on the night I went, his nephew David (who was the understudy) performed. He was very good but I am still bitter about missing Donny.

Pickleville Playhouse

One of the main reasons for our weekend trip to Bear Lake was to see Trent's niece Jaycee in two different productions at the Pickleville Playhouse.  Some of my friends have raved about this theatre for years so I have wanted to see a show there for quite a while now.  Having Jaycee in the cast was the perfect excuse to finally make the effort.  I was so impressed with the theatre (it reminded me of the Playmill Theatre in West Yellowstone) and with both shows!  Friday night we went to a cookout which is held each night before the evening show (it tasted wonderful) and then we saw The Ballad of Butch and Sundance, an original melodrama that is partially improvised.  Much of what we know about Butch Cassidy (Slater Ashenhurst) and the Sundance Kid (Nathan Kremin) is based on legend rather than fact so this portrays them as performers who become accidental outlaws on their way to Broadway.  Etta Earp (Jaycee Harris) convinces them to kidnap her when they attempt to rob a bank because she wants something exciting to happen to her and this gets the attention of her father Wyatt Earp (Oscar Erickson) who chases after them with his associates Joshua (Atticus Adair) and Jerusha (Mary Davis).  When Wyatt Earp tracks them down in Bolivia, Butch and Sundance convince him to stage their deaths so they can all use the story for a show on Broadway.  This features stock characters, songs modeled on musical theatre standards, and exaggerated acting but I particularly enjoyed the improvisational breaks.  The funniest of these is when Butch and Sundance act out possible causes of death, which have been suggested by the audience, for Wyatt to guess like charades.  Ours included falling into quick sand, being poisoned by a snail, and being bucked off a bronco into a cotton candy machine and it was hilarious because Wyatt could not guess what they were doing (Etta had to tell him that the horse might be from Denver and this made me laugh so hard).  Other funny interludes involved the use of jazz hands, writing a song about Dumbledore, and pretending to be dinosaurs (I loved the physicality of of both Ashenhurst and Kremin).  On Saturday we went to see the matinee of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  The story is a bit problematic but I love it for the singing and dancing (apparently I am not alone because it received 90% of the votes in a survey sent to patrons) and I was definitely not disappointed by this production!  Adam Pontipee (Brayton Wilds) travels from his mountain home to the nearest town to get a wife and finds the perfect candidate in Milly (Reilly Jane Grace).  She agrees to the marriage but is dismayed to learn that she will also have to cook and clean for his six brothers (Oscar Erickson, Atticus Adair, Joey Thompson, Evan Alois, Hayden Stewart, and Will Haley).  Her solution is to get them married off and she teaches them how to go courting but Adam think they are becoming too soft and suggests they simply go get the women (Julianne Ferreira da Silva, Jaycee Harris, Emma Kate Leishman, Melissa Alotta, Mary Davis, and Morgan Horsburgh) they want to marry.  Chaos ensues!  The two leads, Wilds and Grace, are absolutely incredible and I loved their performances of "Bless Your Beautiful Hide" and "Wonderful, Wonderful Day," respectively.  Another highlight is the high-energy choreography, especially in "The Challenge Dance," because the small space is utilized very effectively.  Finally, the costumes are amazing and it was really fun to see the quilts used by the brothers become dresses worn by the brides later in the show.  My family and I thoroughly enjoyed both of these shows (we loved seeing Jaycee perform because she is amazing and appears to be having so much fun on stage) and highly recommend getting tickets (we will definitely be coming back for the fall production).  Go here for information about the theatre as well as tickets to all of the shows and the cookout.

Note:  Teresa and I were singing "Bless Your Beautiful Hide" for the rest of the trip!

Weekend at Bear Lake

I spent last weekend at an Airbnb near Bear Lake with Kristine, Trent, his sister Teresa, and his nephew Nate.  It was so much fun and I had the best time.  We had tons of great food and even better conversation (we definitely laughed a lot).  Our Airbnb was within easy walking distance to the beach and I spent quite a bit of time just hanging out with my camp chair on Saturday.  It eventually got really crowded but I enjoyed the nice weather (even though the water was freezing cold) and the sound of the waves for most of the morning before I went back for a nap.

I am so happy that I got to take this quick trip with my family because it was much needed!

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

I have been anticipating Spider-Man: Brand New Day ever since the trailer dropped because it looked really good! I finally had a chance to see it last night at a Thursday preview I am happy to say that it lived up to my impossibly high expectations!  In fact, it equals Spider-Man 2 (with Tobey Maguire in the title role) as my favorite movie featuring the web-slinger.  Four years after Dr. Strange made the world forget Peter Parker (Tom Holland), Spider-Man anonymously protects New York City from villains such as Mac Gargan/ Scorpion (Michael Mando) and members of the Hand as an unofficial liaison to NYPD Det. Jean DeWolff (Liza Colon-Zayas) and an uneasy rival to Frank Castle/ Punisher (Jon Bernthal).  He is feeling increasingly isolated and an emotional encounter with his former friends MJ Watson (Zendaya) and Ned Leeds (Jacob Balaton) triggers a mutation that enhances his spider senses.  He eventually turns to Dr. Banner/ Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to help him control his new abilities and to Yelena Belova/ Back Widow (Florence Pugh) to help him uncover a powerful new villain (Sadie Sink) for Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman), the head of the Department of Damage Control.  I really enjoyed this more grounded and character-driven story as Peter grapples with the personal sacrifices that come with being a superhero (the message that no one is really alone is a powerful one) and I think this is Holland's best performance as the character (I also think this is the most comic book accurate depiction in the MCU).  I especially loved several poignant interactions that Peter has at various times with MJ, Castle, and Sink's character (Zendaya and Bernthal are really great and have palpable chemistry with Holland but Sink gives an amazing performance and I am really excited to see more of her character).  I also loved the fun action set-pieces, particularly a spectacular fight between Spider-Man and members of the Hand and all of the exhilarating web-swinging sequences.  My only minor criticism is that the scenes with Black Widow don't really add much to the narrative and seem shoe-horned in to set up future events in the MCU (the Hulk's inclusion is a bit more organic).  Still, I really loved seeing this with a large and enthusiastic crowd (I'm actually more excited for Avengers: Doomsday) and I highly recommend it.

Note:  I am now completely obsessed with the song “Loser” by Tame Impala.

Hadestown: The Musical

I really love the musical Hadestown so, even though I had just been to a production the day before, I was thrilled to see the pro shot now playing in theaters last night.  It is absolutely amazing and I felt like I was inside the Lyric Theatre in London where it was captured but with a much better seat than I could probably afford.  The dynamic camera work and editing really give you a feel for the whole experience with lots of wide shots of the entire stage and the crowd along with close ups of the cast which emphasize details that may be missed during a live performance.  I was particularly struck by a shot of Hades and Persephone sitting on the balcony during "Epic I," because my eyes are normally on Orpheus during this scene and it was interesting to see their current dynamic as he sings about their early romance, and by the shot of Orpheus writing his song during "Hey Little Songbird," because my focus is usually on Hades and Eurydice as he tries to lure her to the underground and seeing Orpheus so oblivious makes Eurydice's decision even more relatable.  Of course I loved seeing the five original members of the Broadway cast and all of them gave me goosebumps at various points.  Strangely, Andre de Shields is probably the most restrained Hermes I've seen but I think this really works for the character because he is reacting to the narrative as it unfolds along with the audience.  I especially enjoyed the subtle changes in his voice and facial expressions as the tone becomes darker in "Way Down Hadestown (Reprise)," "Wait For Me (Reprise)," and "Road to Hell (Reprise)." I have always found Reeve Carney to be a bit tentative (I have listened to the Original Broadway Cast Recording hundreds of times) but seeing his performance changed my mind about his interpretation because he is absolutely captivating (I couldn't take my eyes off him during all of his songs).  I was impressed by his facial expressions and physicality during "Doubt Comes In" but I was blown away by his vocal performance of "If It's True" because, even though it is somewhat breathy, it is powerful in context because it shows his desperation.  I get his appeal now!  I love Eva Noblezada's voice so I think I got goosebumps during every one of her songs but her emotional version of "Flowers" just about destroyed me (I had a similar reaction when she calls out for Orpheus during "Wait For Me (Reprise)" because it is so plaintive).  Her chemistry with Carney (her real-life husband) is off the charts, especially in "All I've Ever Known."  Amber Gray is a force of nature as Persephone (see what I did there?) and she absolutely owns the stage in her over-the-top rendition of "Our Lady of the Underground."  I have always been a big fan of Patrick Page (I was able to see him in the title roles for Macbeth at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Cyrano de Bergerac at PTC) and I am so happy that he was able to perform after rupturing his Achilles tendon (I think the boot and cane he uses makes him even more menacing).  I also got goosebumps during every one of his songs but the smirk on his face when the Workers first respond to him in "Why We Build the Wall" is especially chilling because it shows that he enjoys having them under his complete control.  One of the most poignant moments for me was when Hades and Persephone dance at the end of "Epic III" because Gray cannot hide her emotions when an injured Page is able to execute the choreography!  Finally, I also enjoyed seeing the current West End cast members integrated into the production.  Allie Daniel, especially, is mesmerizing as Fate 3 and I liked seeing each of the Workers (Lauren Azania, Tiago Dhondt Bamberger, Waylon Jacobs, Christopher Short, and Ryesha Higgs) have a moment to shine as individuals in "Chant (Reprise)."  I loved this (it is up there with the pro shot of Hamilton for me) and I cannot recommend it enough, especially for anyone who has not seen a live performance of the show.  It is in theaters for a limited run (but I've heard rumors that it has been extended).

Note:  I saw this with The Odyssey (my fourth viewing!) as part of a Greek mythology double feature that the kids are calling "Hadessey."  I spent over six hours sitting in a theater but I regret nothing!