My Fair Lady at HCT

HCT's production of My Fair Lady is loverly (one of the best I've seen) and it put a huge smile on my face last night! When Professor Henry Higgins (Kelton Davis) and Colonel Pickering (Mark Pulham) encounter a Cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle (Lisa Zimmerman) outside Covent Garden, Higgins boasts that he could pass her off as a duchess at the Embassy Ball within six months by teaching her to speak properly. Even though Eliza is a success at the ball, she only becomes a lady when she compels Higgins to treat her like one! I loved every member of this amazing cast! Higgins is kind of a problematic character but Davis portrays him with a glint in his eye and a spring in his step that makes him very appealing in the songs "Why Can't the English," "I'm an Ordinary Man," and "A Hymn to Him" and I loved his poignant rendition of "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" as well as his vulnerable delivery of the final line because it really changes the vibe of the ending (in a good way). Zimmerman, who has a beautiful voice, gives an incredibly dynamic performance as Eliza because she is feisty in "Just You Wait," "Show Me," and "Without You," charming in "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" and "I Could Have Danced All Night," and elegant in "The Embassy Waltz." I also really appreciated the gradual change in her accent during "The Rain in Spain" because this makes her transformation more believable (I usually find this to be very sudden in other productions). Duane Stephens is energetic and entertaining as Alfred P. Doolittle and Doug Wadley is absolutely hilarious as the lovestruck Freddy Eynsford-Hill (his version of "On the Street Where You Live," which is my favorite song in the show, is a lot of fun). I laughed out loud at all of their antics. Barta Heiner is an adorable Mrs. Higgins and I really enjoyed her exasperated interactions with Davis. I was impressed by the use of props in the lively choreography, particularly a large flower cart in "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," brooms in "With a Little Bit of Luck," a library ladder in "Just You Wait," and pewter mugs in "Get Me to the Church On Time." I was even more impressed by the spectacular set, especially Higgins' elaborate wood-clad study, which includes wrought iron spiral staircases leading to the second level and lots of amusing details (I tried counting all of the different clocks but eventually stopped at five), and the dazzling chandeliers (that seem to dance along with the waltzing couples) and dramatic staircase at the Embassy Ball. Finally, the costumes are gorgeous and, as expected, the gowns and hats worn at Ascot and Eliza's gown at the Embassy Ball were my favorites (I loved the use of gray rather than the usual black and white in the Ascot costumes). Every aspect of this production is outstanding (it really is one of the best versions of this classic musical that I have seen) and I cannot recommend it highly enough but act quickly (go here for tickets) because many shows are already sold out! It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through June 11.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Part Two!

Even though I recently crossed seeing an NHL playoff game off my bucket list, a small part of me was sad that I didn't see the Colorado Avalanche compete for Lord Stanley's Cup.  I have been a fan since the Quebec Nordiques relocated to Denver in 1995 and I have so many memories of watching them in the postseason with my dad.  When both the Avalanche and the Golden Knights advanced to the second round, I realized that they might possibly play each other in the Western Conference Final and I got the crazy idea that I could see a game in Las Vegas (it is faster and easier to drive there than to Denver).  I actually started looking at tickets immediately after Vegas eliminated Anaheim and, when I found one for Game 3 that was only slightly more than the dollar limit I set for myself, I bought it in a fit of madness!  The Avalanche were down 0-2 in the series so this game was huge for them and I was both excited and anxious.  I was also a little bit intimidated to walk into T-Mobile Arena wearing the opposing team's jersey but the Vegas fans I interacted with were very friendly (the fans at the Air Canada Centre, as it was called then, were more hostile when I saw the Avs play the Leafs in Toronto) and there were a lot of other Avalanche fans at the game, especially in my section.  The first period was so much fun because the Avs came out really fired up (like the team I watched all season rather than the team I watched in the first two games of this series) and, when Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, and Jack Drury scored really pretty goals, all of the Colorado fans around me went crazy and we high-fived each other!  I started feeling really optimistic about their chances to win this game because Vegas couldn't seem to get anything going and their one goal was waved off.  However, all of the momentum shifted from Colorado to Vegas in the second period.  Mark Stone scored a power play goal for the Knights 19 seconds in and the Avalanche completely imploded from that moment on.  William Karlsson and Keegan Kolesar scored to even it up 3-3 to end the disastrous second period.  During the second intermission I tried to resign myself to the fact that the Avalanche were going to lose the game because Nathan MacKinnon injured his knee attempting to block a shot in the last few minutes of the period but I still had a sliver of hope because I have seen them rally many times.  That hope was dashed when Tomas Hertl scored the go-ahead goal at 8:21 and Brett Howden scored an empty-netter in the last minute of the game.  I was so disheartened by the fact that the Avs blew a 3 goal lead to lose 5-3 when they have been the team to beat since the start of the playoffs.  I have never seen a team melt down so spectacularly!  It is highly unlikely that the Avs can come back from an 0-3 deficit to win the series so my only hope is that one of the teams in the east can take down the Golden Knights (they have now become my most hated team).  Even though this game was disappointing (the drive home was a long one), I am still really glad that I took this road trip because it is my goal to be more spontaneous this year.

Note:  I have now seen two Stanley Cup playoff games and, in both of them, my team was defeated by Vegas.  Grrr!

No Time for Sergeants at Parker Theatre

Last night I went to Parker Theatre's production of No Time for Sergeants and I was very excited because it had been a really long time since I had seen it (I think it was at HCT many years ago). Will Stockdale (Truman Schipper) is a simple and guileless country bumpkin from rural Georgia who is drafted into the Air Force. He immediately runs afoul of all the other recruits in his barracks except for Ben Whitledge (Zach Harvey) who is desperate for a transfer to the infantry. Will soon starts asking for a transfer, too, and his exasperated commanding officer Sergeant King (Stu Mitchell) punishes him by giving him permanent latrine duty. Will thinks it is a promotion and cleans the latrine so well that King's commanding officer notices him and learns of his excessive punishment. King must now help Will get through the classification exams or face disciplinary measures himself but Will's naivete leads to a series of misadventures. This results in King's demotion to private and his assignment to gunnery school with Will and Ben. Chaos ensues when Will and Ben are mistakenly declared dead by King after their plane gets lost during their first flight. General Bush (Tyler Oliphant) awards them a posthumous medal but, when they suddenly appear at the ceremony, Will and Ben get the transfer to the infantry that they wanted all along so Bush can avoid public humiliation and, in an ironic twist of fate, King is given a promotion to be their commanding officer. This play is so funny (the audience was laughing out loud the entire show which was a lot of fun) and the action is non-stop. The entire cast does a brilliant job with the physical comedy and I especially loved a scene involving a drunken barroom brawl and another chaotic scene aboard a plane being flown by an incompetent crew (I laughed out loud every time the characters screamed in fear). Schipper is incredibly charming as Will (he is basically the straight man in the midst of all of the mayhem) and Harvey is hilariously overwrought as Ben but Oliphant steals the show as the superficial Bush (I loved hearing him practice the same line from his speech over and over). I was very impressed with all of the elaborate stagecraft, including the lighting design, sound design, and projections, used for the plane crash and I especially loved seeing Will and Ben hanging from a parachute. The set is very clever because it consists of riveted metal panels (meant to mimic 1950s military airplanes) that move to reveal the barracks, a latrine, and various offices and the costumes include authentic-looking military uniforms. This was a great show to see Memorial Day weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed the slapstick humor from a simpler time. I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) for one of the performances on Fridays and Saturdays through June 27.

The Mandalorian and Grogu

Last night my sister, my nephew, and I went to a Thursday preview of The Mandalorian and Grogu.  I am a huge fan of the series on Disney+ and I enjoyed this even though it is basically like watching several episodes of the show on the big screen.  Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu are now bounty hunters searching for the last of the Imperial warlords on behalf of the New Republic.  Commander Ward (Sigourney Weaver) asks them to visit the Hut Twins to get information needed to capture the mysterious warlord Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne).  However, the Twins will only disclose this information if they find their kidnapped nephew Rotta (Jeremy Allen White), the son and heir of Jabba.  Djarin and Grogu travel to the planet Shakari to rescue him from the crime syndicate holding him captive but he doesn't want to go back to Nal Hutta (for reasons).  Djarin ultimately finds Coin himself to avoid having to return Rotta to the Twins but complications ensue when they seek retribution for breaking their agreement.  This does have a very episodic feel to it with lots of side quests (I even noticed when each episode could possibly begin and end) and the action sequences become a bit monotonous as Djarin fights one CGI creature after another (my favorite action set pieces are those that reference other films and shows in the Star Wars franchise, such as when Djarin and Grogu take down several AT-AT walkers, when Grogu and the Anzellans attempt to rescue Djarin, and when Ward attacks a droid army with a fleet of X-wing fighters).  I really liked Rotta's character arc as a son trying to move out of his notorious father's shadow (although I thought it was weird that Jeremy Allen White's voice is almost unrecognizable) and I absolutely loved Grogu's development as an apprentice proving himself to his master (I think the scenes in which he cares for Djarin are absolutely magical).  Another highlight is Ludwig Goransson's score, particularly during the scenes on Shakari and the scenes with Grogu on Nal Hutta (the music here is incredible because it evokes such a sense of wonder).  This is a lot of inconsequential fun and, if you are a fan of the series, you will probably enjoy it.

Note:  All I wanted from this movie was to learn how Djarin got the Razor Crest back and the explanation worked for me.

The Wizard of the Kremlin

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway yesterday was The Wizard of the Kremlin.  I found it very intriguing because I love Russian history but also a bit of a slog to get through (can both things be true?).  An American academic named Lawrence Rowland (Jeffrey Wright) arrives in Moscow to research a Russian author when he is contacted by Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano) and invited to his isolated dacha to interview him about his former role as advisor to Vladimir Putin (Jude Law).  Barasov chronicles his rise from an avant-garde theatre director after the fall of communism to become the producer of trashy reality television during the surge in organized crime and then a media mogul as the new class of oligarchs manipulate the rule of Boris Yeltsin (George Sogis).  When the oligarchs realize that Yeltsin's health is declining, they handpick Putin, the balding and nondescript leader of the FSB, to be his successor because they think he will be easy to manage only to have him take control of the media away from them.  Baranov quickly makes himself indispensable to Putin and helps him manipulate public opinion about the Second Chechen War, the sinking of the Kursk submarine, and the invasion of the Crimea (the start of the war in Ukraine).  He also uses internet trolls to destabilize events in the West and propaganda during the Sochi Winter Olympics to change the world's perception of Russia.  However, it is his love for a woman named Ksenia (Alicia Vikander) that ultimately leads to his downfall.  Baranov is a fictionalized character (loosely based on Vladislav Surkov) who is at the fulcrum of Russian history from the dissolution of the Soviet Union to the formation of the current authoritarian regime but the narrative is simultaneously bloated with too much information and superficial without providing any insight.  My mind wandered multiple times during the endless exposition dumps.  Even though Dano, Law, and Vikander give fascinating performances (their inconsistent accents notwithstanding), their characters are very thinly drawn and I didn't really learn anything new about Putin.  I recommend giving this a miss.

Note:  I think this might have worked better as a limited series.