Saturday, June 30, 2018

Newsies at HCT

I really love the musical Newsies (go here, here, here, and here for reviews of other productions) so I have been anticipating Hale's production all season. I was really eager to see what they would do with it on their intimate stage and, when I saw it Thursday night, I was certainly not disappointed. It exceeded my expectations in every way.  When Joseph Pulitzer (Ric Starnes) decides to raise the price of newspapers, Jack Kelly (James Bounous) rallies his fellow newsies to strike. With a little help from intrepid reporter Katherine Plummer (Kelly Hennessey Pulver) and Governor Roosevelt (Bradley Moss), the newsies score a victory for all of the children of New York. I loved the entire cast (they are all so incredibly talented) but Bounous and Peter Reid Lambert, who plays Davey, are especially charismatic. I also really liked Pulver's rendition of "Watch What Happens." The big production numbers are absolutely amazing and, as always, I really enjoyed "Carrying the Banner," Seize the Day," "The King of New York," and "Once And For All." I had goosebumps in my very favorite song, "The World Will Know" because it was performed with such passion. The choreography maintains the spirit of the Broadway production (there are plenty of high energy leaps and spins in unison) but there are a lot of touches here and there which keep it fresh and vibrant. I think this production might be the best I've ever seen because the staging is brilliant! I felt so close to the action. The metal towers used to represent the New York City skyline are in the middle of the stage making them three-dimensional and the actors utilize them very effectively. The use of the LED screens around the theatre for Jack's drawings and for the newspaper headlines is extremely clever.  I also loved the use of a vintage printing press during "Once And For All" because it looks like they are really printing a newspaper! I enjoyed this show so much and I highly recommend it!  It runs through September 1 at the Mountain American Performing Arts Centre (go here for tickets) but act soon because tickets will go quickly!

Friday, June 29, 2018

Summer Reading: Before We Were Yours

The next selection on my summer reading list, Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, reminded me a great deal of a previous selection, The Orphan Train. They both shed light on a tragic and little known part of history involving the adoption of children during the Depression and they both employ a dual narrative with a contemporary story merging with one from the past. I enjoyed them both immensely! In the present day Avery Stafford, a former federal prosecutor from a wealthy and prominent South Carolina family, is being groomed to take her father's Senate seat. A chance meeting with May Weathers at a political event at a nursing home causes Avery to begin digging into her family's history. In 1939 Rill Floss lives with her family on a riverboat on the Mississippi River. When her mother goes into labor, her father leaves her in charge of her siblings to go to the hospital. The next morning the children are removed from the boat by a group of policemen who tell them they are going to visit their parents. Instead they are taken to an orphanage run by Georgia Tann for the Tennessee Children's Home Society. The children are mistreated and malnourished and Rill soon learns that they are meant to be adopted by families wealthy enough to pay Tann's outrageous fees. The two stories converge in a way that I was expecting but the predictability did not detract from my enjoyment of it. In fact, I found the resolution to be incredibly emotional. Rill's story, based on the real-life experiences of hundreds of children who were victims of Georgia Tann's illegal adoption for profit scheme, is incredibly compelling and my heart broke for these children who were at the mercy of such evil people while their biological parents who, because of their poverty and lack of education, were powerless to intervene. Avery's story is also interesting because she is fighting against her family's expectations of her and against the social conventions of her class (although I did think that the romance was really cheesy and not needed to advance the plot). The characters come alive off of the page and I spent several nights reading well into the morning to find out what happens to them. I highly recommend this novel!

Note:  Have you read Before We Were Yours?  What did you think?

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Pirates of the Caribbean in Concert

I have become a huge fan of Utah Symphony's Films in Concert series and seeing the latest, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, last night was an absolute blast!  It has been quite a while since I've seen this movie but I quickly remembered why it is my very favorite in the franchise.  This is where we meet Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) for the first time in a swashbuckling tale about trying to reverse a curse on the crew of the Black Pearl.  The movie has a lot of great action sequences and Johnny Depp is so much fun to watch.  Having the iconic score by Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer played live by the Utah Symphony, along with a men's chorus, was absolutely thrilling.  The music is very energetic and I really liked all of the melodies played by the horns.  I particularly liked the music played during Will and Jack's sword fight, during the pirate attack on Port Royal, when Elizabeth finds out abut the curse of the Black Pearl, during the battle between the Black Pearl and the Interceptor, and when the pirates fight the crew of the Dauntless.  There was a huge crowd at Abravanel Hall which added to the festive atmosphere and that crowd erupted into a standing ovation during the final credits.  So much fun.  If you were not in attendance last night, cheer up me hearties because it will be screened again tonight (go here for tickets).

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Pool Day With Sean

Sean and I used to go to a pool near my old house every summer (I used to take Tashena to this pool when she was younger, too).  We haven't gone there since I moved but this year Sean mentioned that he wanted to go back.  We were able to go yesterday and it was so much fun.  When we got there Sean was a little bit tentative so I told him that we could do something else if he wasn't having any fun.  Luckily he was able to make a few friends which meant that I could sit poolside and read my book!  Every time I looked over at him he had a big smile on his face.  It was perfect because it wasn't too hot and it wasn't too crowded.

Note:  The first time I took Sean to this pool, he wanted me to buy him some snacks.  The food isn't that great so I convinced him to wait and I would take him to lunch.  There is a Sonic right by the pool and we ate lunch there.  Now it is tradition to get a Sonic shake every time we go to this pool.

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Utah Symphony at the Gallivan Plaza

In the summertime there is nothing I enjoy more than attending some kind of performance outside under the stars.  Last night my friend Angela and I went to a free outdoor concert at the Gallivan Plaza downtown featuring the Utah Symphony.  It was absolutely wonderful!  I brought a blanket and a picnic and thoroughly enjoyed the music and the breeze.  The orchestra played Huapango by Jose Pablo Moncayo, Symphony No. 25 by Mozart, Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Marquez, and Symphony No. 8 by Antonin Dvorak.  For the encore they played Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa.  Such a fun selection of music!  I really enjoyed hearing Mozart but all of the pieces were lively and exuberant, perfect for a summer evening.  The Utah Symphony will be performing in many outdoor venues this summer and I highly recommend getting a ticket to one of these concerts (go here for information and tickets).

Note:  The people watching was superb last night!  Don't get me started on the three couples sitting next to us...

Monday, June 25, 2018

West Side Story

The next feature in the TCM Big Screen Classics series was West Side Story.  I love this musical so much so it was an absolute thrill for me to see it on the big screen for the first time!  The story about a boy in a street gang who falls in love with a rival gang member's sister, an update of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, is poignant but what makes this movie remarkable are the songs composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondhein, the truly brilliant choreography of Jerome Robbins, and the performances of Rita Moreno and George Chakiris.  I pretty much love all of the songs in this movie but my favorites are "Maria," "Tonight," "One Hand, One Heart," and "Somewhere" because all four of them are so romantic.  I got chills seeing these numbers on the big screen.  Sigh!  The choreography is simply breathtaking and I think that the opening number is one of the best sequences in any musical that I've seen because it establishes the animosity between the Jets and the Sharks with just movement (and the snapping of fingers)!  I also love the choreography in "The Jet Song," "America," and "Cool."  Finally, I think Rita Moreno, who plays Anita, is amazing in this movie, especially in the scene at the drug store when the Jets attack her, and George Chakiris gives a very affecting performance as Bernardo (they both won Academy Awards for their performances).  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this movie on the big screen and I suggest that you see it when it is screened again on Wednesday (go here for information and tickets).

Note:  I love it when old-school movie musicals have overtures and intermissions!

Sunday, June 24, 2018

The Seagull

Even though I studied British literature in college, Russian literature is my passion.  I love the play The Seagull by Anton Chekhov so I have been anticipating this new movie adaptation for quite a while.  I was able to see it yesterday and I loved it!  A group of artists and aristocrats are seething with unrequited love, jealousy, and resentment while staying at a country estate for the summer in turn-of-the-century Russia!  Of course I loved it!  Irina Arkadina (Annette Bening), an aging actress, has come to stay at the estate of her ailing brother Sorin (Brian Dennehy) with her lover Boris Trigorin (Corey Stoll), a celebrated author.  Her son Konstantin (Billy Howle), who lives on the estate, is a young and idealistic playwright who scoffs at his mother's fame because it is not "art" and yet he is jealous of Trigorin's success.  He is also jealous because Nina (Saoirse Ronan), the neighbor girl with whom he is in love, has become infatuated with Trigorin.  There is also a strong ensemble cast including Elisabeth Moss, Jon Tenney, Mare Winningham, and Glen Fleshler who play members of the household who all have their own intrigues.  Chekhov's play is all about subtext so there is not a lot of action and the themes are incredibly bleak so not everyone is going to like this movie.  However, the performances are what makes this movie worth seeing (for people not enamored of Russian literature).  Of course, Bening and Ronan are brilliant but I was really surprised by Stoll's interpretation of Trigorin.  I have always thought of him as a rather feckless character but Stoll imbues him with a vulnerability that was unexpected.  Moss, also, is hilarious as Masha, a woman pining away for someone who will never love her.  It is sometimes hard to translate a play to the screen but I really liked how the filmmakers made use of the locations, particularly the lake.  The production design and costumes are incredibly sumptuous so this film is gorgeous to look at.  Chekhov isn't for everyone but I loved this film.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

I have very vivid memories of spending afternoons at my Grandma Johnson's house when I was a little kid.  She had a large console television in the family room in the basement and I loved sitting right in front of it.  I would watch episodes of Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and then I would watch the exact same episodes again dubbed in French on the French channel (I lived in Canada) because I loved them so much!  I especially loved Mr. Rogers because I felt like he was talking directly to me and he explained things in a way that I could understand.  I loved it when he would walk through his door with some sort of object because that meant that he would show us how that object worked!  I also really loved the Land of Make-Believe!  As soon as you heard the trolley you knew that you would be transported to a kingdom filled with wonderful characters who always had a lesson to teach you.  My favorite character was Lady Elaine Fairchilde because, while most people thought she was the villain, I thought she was just feisty and always stood up for herself!  Because I love Mr. Rogers so much, I had to see Won't You Be My Neighbor?, the documentary about his life, as soon as I possibly could.  Like the man himself, it is just wonderful!  It traces his early days in television, his ordination as a minister in the Presbyterian church, his advocacy for children, the creation of his groundbreaking show, and his lasting legacy.  There are archival interviews with Fred Rogers himself as well as contemporary interviews with his wife, two sons, the program director of WQED, cast and crew from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and close friends.  The overwhelming theme from these interviews is that Fred did not have a television persona.  He was exactly what you saw on the screen: a genuinely good person who truly cared about the welfare of children.  There is a moment when he says that everyone deserves love without having to do anything to earn it that moved me to tears!  I am so impressed by the fact that he wrote every script, composed all of the music, and voiced most of the puppets in the Land of Make-Believe!  He truly was a remarkable man and I think everyone should see this lovely tribute to his life!  Oh how I wish he were still here to bring a little kindness to a world sorely in need of it!

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

For me, and many people will disagree with me, the Jurassic Park franchise has always been about the dinosaurs.  I absolutely love the sense of wonder on the faces of the characters when they see the dinosaurs for the first time in Jurassic Park.  I even really liked Jurassic World, which has its fair share of issues, because the action sequences involving the dinosaurs are really intense and exciting. Last Thursday I went to a preview of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom thinking that, if nothing else, I would enjoy the dinosaurs.  I was a little bit disappointed.  Isla Nublar is now threatened by a volcano and debates arise about whether the dinosaurs who remain there should be protected as an endangered species.  Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), who now heads a dinosaur rights activist group is hired by Eli Mills (Rafe Spall), the head of the Lockwood Corporation, to rescue the dinosaurs and take them to a new island sanctuary and she recruits Owen Grady (Chris Pratt).  It turns out that Mills just wants the dinosaurs for nefarious purposes and is using Claire to access the island tracking system and Owen for his skill with the velociraptors.  The dinosaurs are brought to the Lockwood estate for auction to the highest bidder and that goes about as well as you would expect.  I really enjoyed the sequences on the island as they try to round up the dinosaurs (except for one which actually made me tear up a little bit).  These were really thrilling, especially on an IMAX screen!  But as soon as they leave the island, I found the narrative to be tedious because it turns into an atmospheric conspiracy thriller.  For much of this, the dinosaurs are sedated and in cages as Claire and Owen try to figure out what is going on.  And there are a lot of things going on!  I think that some of the subplots are entirely superfluous, especially one involving Lockwood's granddaughter, and some of the characters are unnecessary, particularly Geraldine Chaplin's character.  There is a spectacular battle with one of the dinosaurs at the end of the film but I wanted more dinosaurs (I also wanted more of Dr. Malcolm!)!  I'm sure that many people will enjoy this movie but I found it to be disappointing.

Note:  For me, the best movie in the franchise is the original Jurassic Park.  It will be screened in concert with the Utah Symphony playing the iconic score at USANA Amphitheatre on September 8 (go here for tickets).  I already have my tickets and I am so excited!

Saturday, June 23, 2018

A Great Season

Last night I took my Mom to Sean's final rugby games of the season.  The Bison played really well and got several tries in each game but they ended up losing both games.  It has been a rough season for the Bison but they have worked really hard and never gave up!  Most of the team had never played rugby before and most of them were sixth graders playing boys who were much older.  It was so much fun to watch (even though I usually have no idea what is going on).  Great job Bison!
Now bring on the football season!

Friday, June 22, 2018

Summer Reading: The Alice Network

The next selection on my summer reading list was The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. It is 1915 and Evelyn Gardiner longs to do more for the war effort than just file in an office in London. Eventually she is recruited as a spy and sent to France to work in a restaurant run by Rene Bourdelon, a collaborator who caters to German officers. She passes information through a real-life espionage ring of women known as the Alice Network to help the Allies. In 1947, in the aftermath of another war, American heiress Charlie St. Clair is in London searching for her cousin Rose who disappeared in occupied France. She follows a lead which brings her to Eve, now a drunk and disillusioned woman haunted by a betrayal. Their stories converge when Charlie learns that Rose worked for the Resistance in another restaurant owned by Rene. Eve travels through France once again to help Charlie find Rose but also to face her greatest enemy, Rene Bourdelon. The perspective alternates between that of Eve and of Charlie and one of these perspectives worked more for me than the other. Eve's story is absolutely fascinating and she is a strong and courageous character who faces truly harrowing conditions that kept me reading well into the night. Lili (based on real-life spy Louise de Bettignies), the leader of the spy ring, and Violette, another spy, are also intriguing characters. Charlie's story is not as compelling and I found her to be a weak and whiny character without the stakes that Eve has throughout the story. I found myself skimming through the pages of Charlie's narrative to get back to Eve and her journey of redemption. Had this novel been just about Eve and the other brave spies who put their lives in danger during the first world war, I would have enjoyed it so much more. However, I would recommend this novel (just skim through Charlie's story).

Note:  Have you read The Alice Network?  What did you think?

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Crazy For You at CPT

Since moving to Bountiful three years ago I have become a huge fan of CenterPoint Theatre. Last night I had the chance to see their production of Crazy For You, a wonderful musical featuring the music of George and Ira Gershwin and lots of tap dancing! Who could ask for anything more? Bobby Child (Fred Lee) just wants to dance for the Zangler Follies but he has a fiance, Irene (Hailey Weeks), who has been waiting five years to get married and a mother who wants him to work at the family bank. He is sent by the bank to Deadrock Nevada to foreclose on a theatre owned by Polly Baker (Landry Thomas) and her father Everett (Shane Casteel). Instead, he immediately falls in love with Polly and comes up with a plan to save her theatre by producing a show. Polly doesn't want anything to do with him so he decides to impersonate Bela Zangler (Adam West) and brings the Zangler Follies to Deadrock. The show comes together until both Irene and the real Bela Zangler come to town! I loved all of the classic Gershwin songs: "Shall We Dance," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Embraceable You," "I Got Rhythm," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," and "But Not For Me." The choreography is spectacular, especially in "I Can't Be Bothered Now," "Slap That Bass," and "Nice Work If You Can Get It." I also loved all of the physical comedy in "What Causes That." All of the ensemble are great dancers and perform with a lot of energy. The leads, Lee and Thomas, are both incredibly talented with strong voices and impressive tap dancing skills. Lee, especially, is very charismatic and the two of them have a lot of chemistry. I am always really blown away by the costumes and sets for CenterPoint Theatre and this show is no exception! I highly recommend this fun and energetic show which runs through July 14 (tickets may be purchased here).

Note:  One of my former students was in the ensemble and he was fantastic! I didn't know that he could tap!

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Hearts Beat Loud

Believe it or not, I actually saw a few films at the Sundance Film Festival this year that were not dark and gritty!  One such film was Hearts Beat Loud which is absolutely charming and I enjoyed it so much I decided to see it again now that it is in wide release.  It is a heartwarming story about Frank Fisher (Nick Offerman), a single father who is facing many changes including having to close his record shop, a mother (Blythe Danner) with dementia, and a daughter (Kiersey Clemons) about to leave for college.  Frank and his daughter Sam write and record a song during one of their weekly jam sessions and, when Frank uploads it to Spotify, it goes viral.  Frank begins to fantasize about recording an album and going on tour with Sam but, ultimately, he realizes that he needs to let her go to pursue her own dream.  There is a tremendous amount of humor in this film, especially when Frank hears their song playing in a coffee shop for the first time and when he begins thinking about their potential costumes.  Both Frank and Sam are incredibly sympathetic characters and the father-daughter relationship is very affecting.  Offerman, more known for his comedic roles, give a heartfelt performance as a father afraid to lose his daughter and there are moments when he looks at Sam that are so poignant.  Even more impressive is the fact that both Offerman and Clemons perform several original songs.  Clemons has an amazing voice and I really loved the song "Hearts Beat Loud."  I highly recommend this feel good movie.  It will put a smile on your face!

Monday, June 18, 2018

Hotel Artemis

Yesterday I saw the noir thriller Hotel Artemis and, despite negative reviews from the critics, I actually really enjoyed it.  In a dystopian future, a nurse (Jodie Foster) runs the Hotel Artemis, a members-only hospital for criminals, in an Art Deco building located in Los Angeles.  An orderly (Dave Bautista), who also serves as a bouncer when the need arises, assists her.  The nurse is an alcoholic agoraphobic who lost her licence to practice medicine when her son died.  The current residents include an arms dealer (Charlie Day) and an assassin (Sofia Boutella) but they are soon joined by a bank robber (Sterling K. Brown) whose brother (Brian Tyree Henry) was injured in a botched job and an underworld crime boss (Jeff Goldblum).  Everyone must follow the rules:  no guns, no cops, and no killing the other patients.  In the course of one night every one of the rules are broken because everyone in the Hotel Artemis has something to hide.  The narrative is a bit derivative and it does meander a bit with some characters and subplots that serve no purpose.  I also found some of the dialogue to be very clunky.  However, the action sequences are fantastic, especially when Boutella's character fights a group of bodyguards by herself, and I loved the aesthetic of the hotel itself.  In my opinion, what makes this film work is the character arc of the nurse (I love when a really flawed character is able to find some redemption) and Jodie Foster gives an incredible performance.  This film won't be for everyone but I do recommend it to fans of action thrillers.

American Animals

When I saw the trailer for American Animals last week I thought it looked highly amusing and immediately wanted to see it.  I took in a screening on Saturday afternoon and I really enjoyed it.  Spencer Reinhard (Barry Keoghan) is finding college life to be less exciting than he imagined and, as an aspiring artist, longs for a transformative experience to give his paintings more interest.  On a typical college tour of the library he notices that the special collections library has several volumes of Audubon's The Birds of America valued at over $12 million.  He fantasizes about stealing them and mentions this to his ne'er-do-well friend Warren Lipka (Evan Peters) who is on the verge of losing his athletic scholarship and longs for adventure. They spend all their time planning an elaborate heist and, when they realize that it could actually be done, they recruit Eric Borsuk (Jared Abrahamson) and Chas Allen (Blake Jenner).  As the narrative plays out, the real Spencer Reinhard, Warren Lipka, Eric Borsuk, and Chas Allen give documentary-style interviews about the goings-on and this is both incredibly successful and a bit detrimental in the final resolution.  Their commentary is often hilarious but their remorse at what they did feels a bit self-serving.  At the end of the movie the librarian of the special collection, Betty Jean Gooch (played in the narrative by Ann Dowd), condemns the boys as selfish thrill-seekers.  This feels a little bit out of place, as if this movie doesn't know if it is a light-hearted caper or a cautionary tale about the amorality of affluent young men.  However, I found it to be wildly entertaining despite the weighty conclusion and would recommend it.

Hereditary

I saw Hereditary at the Sundance Film Festival this year and I thought it was incredibly disturbing and one of the scariest films I had ever seen.  I screamed out loud during two different scenes and I was not alone.  I had decided that I would not see this again when it had a wider release but, given the divisive response to it, I wanted to see if I had the same reaction upon a second viewing.  I saw it late Friday night in a theater by myself and, needless to say, I was scared out of my mind.  I even screamed out loud once again even though I knew what was coming.  A woman with a long history of mental illness and a penchant for dabbling in the occult dies which has a profound effect on her daughter Annie (Toni Collette).  Annie's distress, in turn, begins to have a devastating effect upon her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne), son Peter (Alex Wolff), and daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro).  As events become more and more bizarre, the audience is left to wonder if Annie is descending into madness and causing all of these events or if the family is truly being haunted.  When I watched the film the first time I found the final resolution to be deeply upsetting but I realize now that it is not the subject matter that makes this film so scary.  Rather, it is the sense of unease that is created through the sound design, lighting, and spellbinding performances (especially by Collette).  I was incredibly tense almost from the beginning of the film and that tension never lets up.  You want to know what is happening but you dread finding out.  This film is actually quite brilliant...but deeply disturbing so see it at your own risk (preferably not late at night in an empty theater).

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Jersey Boys at the Eccles

The first time I saw the musical Jersey Boys I was one of the youngest in the audience and the lady next to me asked me how I knew all of the words to every song (apparently I was singing along).  I told her that my Dad played the Four Seasons on road trips.  I knew that my Dad would absolutely love this musical so, at intermission, I bought him tickets to see it the next night.  He, of course, loved it.  When he found out that the Broadway touring company was coming to SLC again he kept telling me that he wanted to go so I got him tickets for Father's Day last year and we were finally able to see it last night.  I love this show because it uses all of the great songs by the Four Seasons to tell the story of how they rose from four guys singing under a streetlamp to become superstars and then how the pressure of fame caused it all to fall apart.  My favorite numbers are "Sherry" performed on American Bandstand, "Dawn (Go Away)"  performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, and "Rag Doll" performed at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.  I also really liked it when Frankie Valli sang "Can't Take My Eyes Off You.”  The crowd went absolutely crazy afterwards!  I think the staging of this show is so clever, especially when they would record a song and then seamlessly transition to performing the song.  Aaron De Jesus, who plays Frankie Valli,  grew up in Utah and left the Broadway production to perform here in SLC.  He is absolutely amazing in the role and he captures Valli's falsetto perfectly.  Tommaso Antico, as Bob Gaudio, Corey Greenan, as Tommy De Vito, and Chris Stevens, as Nick Massi, are also fantastic performers who have the look, sound, and choreography of the Four Seasons down pat.  If you are a fan of the Four Seasons, this show is a must-see.  There are two more performances today (tickets may be purchased here).

Note:  This show contains a lot of profanity.  My sister did not like it at all.

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Let's Go Bison

Last night the South Davis Bison had another series of games and I was there to cheer them on!  Have I mentioned that rugby is incomprehensible?  I honestly don't understand what is happening most of the time but I sure love watching Sean play.  He had the ball quite a bit and he run the ball the whole length of the field to pass it off to another boy for a try!  I cheered so loud!  South Davis ended up with two wins (I think)!
I sure do love this kid!

Friday, June 15, 2018

Summer Reading: Orphan Train

Unlike the first two selections on my summer reading list, I could not put Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline down! It is a compelling story about a little known period of history and an unlikely friendship that really touched me. Kline seamlessly blends a story from the 1930s and a contemporary one with two alternating narrators: Molly is a seventeen year old orphan in a difficult foster placement who is given community service hours for stealing a book and Vivian Daly is a lonely 91-year-old woman living in a large house overflowing with painful memories. Molly is given the opportunity to complete her community service hours by helping Vivian clean and organize her attic. As the two of them interact, Molly learns Vivian's remarkable story about her life as an Irish immigrant and how, after losing her parents in a fire, she was placed on a train to the Midwest to be adopted by families in need of labor during the 1930s and their relationship begins to grow. They bond over their shared experiences as orphans (and the book Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery) and eventually help each other in surprising ways. I found both of these characters to be incredibly sympathetic. Molly is, initially, harder to like because she has built such a wall around herself to deal with the circumstances of her life but I understood her anger and appreciated her transformation even more. I found Vivian's story to be incredibly moving, even more so because it is a true depiction of what happened to over 200,000 orphans from 1854 to 1929. Vivian's bleak life after riding the orphan train brought tears to my eyes but this novel is ultimately very hopeful.  I read well into the night because I wanted to know what happened to these characters and, while I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed, I found it to be very satisfying. This is a memorable story that I highly recommend.

Note:  Have you read Orphan Train?  What did you think?

Thursday, June 14, 2018

The Incredibles Double Feature

Last night I had the chance to see a double feature of The Incredibles, a favorite of mine, and the new movie Incredibles 2 on an IMAX screen!  It was so much fun!  I love the first movie so much but, incredibly, I've never seen it on the big screen before so this was such a treat.  I think it holds up really well and I loved the character of Edna as much as ever!  The new movie is everything that I hoped it would be!  It picks up exactly where The Incredibles left off with our family of superheroes facing the Underminer (John Ratzenberger).  They ultimately defeat him but leave a swathe of damage in their wake which, because superheroes are illegal, lands them in trouble.  Winston Deaver (Bob Odenkirk), the CEO of a telecommunications company, and his sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener) have a plan to reinstate the superheroes which involves Elastigirl (Holly Hunter).  She battles a new villain called Screenslaver (Bill Wise) while Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nielson) takes over at home.  Violet (Sarah Vowell) has boy troubles, Dash (Huck Milner) has math trouble, and Jack Jack (who steals the show) has trouble controlling his newfound powers (which prompts a hilarious visit to Edna for a new suit).  I really enjoyed this role reversal which provided a lot of comedic moments that made me laugh out loud.  I think this movie does a great job at developing the characters to their natural progression from the first movie and their arcs are interesting and compelling.  The family dynamic rings true and, in addition to providing lots of laughs, there are a few really poignant moments that give this movie a lot of heart.  The action is almost non-stop and it is so much fun!  The images are look so good on the screen and the animation is some of the best I've ever seen.  The story is a bit predictable with a plot twist that I saw coming early on but that did not in any way detract from my tremendous enjoyment of this movie.  I loved it and I highly recommend it for just about everyone!

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Hamilton in Las Vegas

I absolutely loved the cast of Hamilton when the show made a stop in SLC a few months ago and, even though I had the opportunity to see it three times, I still wanted to see it again.  Luckily the same company is now in Las Vegas and I was able to get a ticket.  Before I left on my road trip from SLC to Las Vegas I learned that Joseph Morales, who plays Alexander Hamilton, would be out of the show all this week and I have to admit that I was a little bit disappointed because I loved his performance so much!  However, I really liked Julius Thomas III who played Hamilton last night.  His voice is really beautiful and I especially loved his renditions of "Dear Theodosia" and "Hurricane." I've started judging each each actor in the role by how he makes me feel in "It's Quiet Uptown" and his version was incredibly emotional!  Just about everyone sitting near me was crying!  The show also featured the understudies for King George (Conroe Brooks) and George Washington (Desmond Sean Ellington) and both of their performances were more traditional like the other casts I've seen.  I especially liked Ellington's performance of "One Last Time" because he basically turned the ensemble into a gospel choir complete with choreography.  Like the SLC production, I was blown away by Nik Walker as Aaron Burr, especially in "Wait For It."  I loved all of the humor he infused in "Non-Stop" and "The Room Where It Happens." In this production Kyle Scatliffe, as Thomas Jefferson, blew kisses to the audience in "Cabinet Battle #1," Fergie L. Philippe, as Hercules Mulligan, threw his flowers to the audience in "Satisfied," and Shoba Narayan, as Eliza Hamilton, threw in some wild hand gestures as she was beat boxing in "Take a Break."  All of this business was new to the show since I saw it in SLC and it makes me wonder if the company changes things up when they move on to a new city!   Because I've now seen this show seven times, I am able to notice different things because I'm so familiar with the main action and last night I was particularly struck by the choreography of the British soldiers in "Stay Alive" and by the choreography of "Washington on Your Side."  Every time I see it I also notice something completely new and last night I noticed that the lantern lights flicker when Angelica (Ta’Rea Campbell) sings about Benjamin Franklin’s key and kite in “Satisfied.”  This show is so brilliant!  The excitement in the audience was palpable and I loved it when they applauded after the dance break in "Yorktown."  I've never been in an audience that did that!  A lot of people ask me if it gets old after watching it so many times and I can honestly say that I was just as giddy walking into the Smith Center last night as when I walked into the Richard Rodgers Theatre to see it for the first time.  I love this show so much!
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