A Christmas Story at CPT

I saw the Broadway touring production of A Christmas Story several years ago and I thought it was delightful so I was excited to see it again last night at CPT. The musical is very much informed by the iconic movie of the same name (a favorite of mine).  It is narrated by radio personality Jean Shepherd (Darin J. Beardall) on Christmas Eve as he tells the story of a memorable Christmas from his youth. Ralphie (Soren Ray) desperately wants an official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time for Christmas but his Mother (Jessica Love), the Old Man (Juston LeBaron), his teacher Miss Shields (Bailee DeYoung), and even Santa Claus (Andy Leger) tell him that he'll shoot his eye out. All of the well-known scenes from the movie are brought to life on stage including when Randy (Sam Akerlow) eats like a piggy, when Schwartz (James Leger) triple dog dares Flick (Trevin Hamblin) to stick his tongue to the flag pole, when the Old Man wins a major award, when Ralphie says the F-dash-dash-dash word while helping the Old Man change a tire, when Ralphie gets into a fight with Scut Farkus (Ben Liljenquist), when Ralphie gets a bunny costume from Aunt Clara, and when one of the Bumpus hounds (Phoenix, making his stage debut) eats the turkey forcing the Parkers to eat Christmas dinner at the Chop Suey Palace! The songs are not especially memorable but I really liked how they are staged and the talented cast does a great job, particularly the young actors. I really enjoyed the choreography in "When You're a Wimp," "Ralphie to the Rescue," "A Major Award," and "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out." Ray has a great voice and gives a really endearing performance as Ralphie, especially in "Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun," and Akerlow is absolutely hilarious as Randy (he made me laugh out loud several times), but, in my opinion, Phoenix steals the show when he chases the Old Man around to get to the turkey (he got the loudest applause all evening). The period costumes are fantastic and the elaborate sets, which feature Higbee's Department Store, the Parker house, and Warren G. Harding Elementary School, are cleverly placed side by side on stage to mimic an actual street. I had a smile on my face throughout the whole show and it definitely gave me a big dose of Christmas cheer! It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through December 23 (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend it to fans of the movie!

Handel's Messiah 2021

I always try to attend the Utah Symphony's annual holiday performance of Handel's Messiah (it was virtual last year and I really missed it) whenever possible and I am so happy that I had the opportunity last night.  Because we are not quite out of the woods with Covid yet, the orchestra opted for a traditional performance rather than the usual format with audience participation during the choral sections.  Even though I love singing along I really enjoyed this concert and it was the perfect way to begin the holiday season.  The orchestra was joined by members of the Utah Opera Chorus and soloists Julia Gershkoff, Edith Grossman, and Daniel O'Hearn.  Unfortunately, Evan Hammond was feeling under the weather and was unable to perform.  Conductor Conner Covington said he was going step in and sing his part but thought better of it when he realized that we had all paid money for our tickets!  This is such an incredibly stirring piece and it was performed beautifully!  My favorite sections are "For unto us a child is born," "Glory to God in the highest," and, of course, "Hallelujah."  I did miss "The trumpet shall sound" because the baritone solo is usually a highlight for me but the other soloists were amazing.  If you have never seen a performance of Messiah, definitely put it on your list for the future!

Note:  I am starting to get really excited for Christmas.  I love hearing Christmas music performed live and last night's concert was the first of several that I have planned in the coming weeks!

Christmas Cheer

Last year I put up my tree on Halloween because I was really in need of some Christmas cheer.  This year I wasn't feeling very festive but I eventually decided to put my tree up the day after Thanksgiving and I put up the smaller tree in the loft last night.  Now that my house is all ready for Christmas, I am starting to feel a bit merrier.

I actually really enjoy decorating my tree because I have collected all of my ornaments over the years and they all hold special memories for me.  My Mom gave me all of the Hallmark Keepsake hockey ornaments, I collected quite a few from my travels (my favorites are some hand-carved wooden ornaments from a Christmas store in Germany), I have some from popular culture (such as my Kylo Ren and Harry Potter ornaments), and I've recently started collecting them from musical theatre performances (my newest ornament is from Frozen).

Last year, in a fit of madness, I decided to get another tree for the loft and I enjoyed it so much I decided to put it up again this year.  I spend a lot of time in the loft reading so this is a nice addition to my holiday decorations.

Note:  Do you have more than one tree?  I used to think it was crazy to have more than one!

The Power of the Dog

Last night I had the chance to see The Power of the Dog on the big screen before it begins streaming on Netflix next week.  It is definitely a slow burn but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.  Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons) Burbank are wealthy Montana cattle ranchers in 1925.  Phil is rude and uncouth and constantly berates the quiet and gentle George.  During a cattle drive, the brothers, along with the ranch hands working for them, stop at a restaurant in the nearest town owned by a widow named Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst).  She is reduced to tears when Phil cruelly mocks her effeminate son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) so George stays behind to apologize to her.  They soon become close and eventually marry.  George sends Peter to college to study medicine and Rose comes to live at the ranch, much to the displeasure of Phil who believes her to be a gold-digger.  He makes Rose's life unbearable and she begins drinking behind George's back in order to cope.  When Peter arrives to spend the summer at the ranch, Phil takes every opportunity to intimidate him and he encourages the ranch hands to call out homophobic slurs whenever he is around.  Phil, remembering his close relationship with his mentor Bronco Henry, suddenly takes an interest in Peter, much to the dismay of Rose, teaching him to ride a horse and making him a lasso from rawhide.  This relationship is incredibly menacing because Phil's intentions are unclear and I watched the scenes between them with a sense of dread waiting for something tragic to happen.  I thought I knew where it was going and I have to admit that my mind sometimes wandered during scenes which, on the surface, didn't seem important.  However, even the most mundane actions are fraught with tension and attention must be paid to fully appreciate the resolution.  Cumberbatch is absolutely brilliant in a role that seems like a huge departure for him.  He is unnerving yet captivating as someone who feels compelled to assert his masculinity at all times.  Dunst also gives one of the best performances of her career as a woman who unknowingly challenges the status quo at the ranch.  I was particularly struck by a scene where Rose withers under the pressure of having to play the piano for guests at a dinner party.  There is almost no dialogue but her despair is palpable.  The cinematography is beautiful and the score by Jonny Greenwood serves to emphasize the atmosphere of foreboding.  This is the kind of thought-provoking movie I love but it might not appeal to everyone.

Encanto

My nephew Sean and I have a tradition of seeing a movie together over the Thanksgiving holiday (we have seen The Good Dinosaur, Moana, Coco, The Grinch, and Frozen II) so, of course, we had to see the new Disney movie Encanto together.  We saw it last night and we both really enjoyed it.  When Alma Madrigal (Maria Cecilia Botero) loses her home and husband while fleeing from conquerors, the candle she is holding is enchanted and it creates a magical casita for her and her three children, Julieta (Angie Cepeta), Pepa (Carolina Gaitan), and Bruno (John Leguizamo).  Eventually, her children and grandchildren are given magical gifts, such as the ability to heal, the ability shape-shift, the ability to see the future, the ability to speak to animals, etc, and the family members are encouraged use their gifts to help their village prosper.  However, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) is not given a gift and she often feels left out while Bruno is ostracized because his gift is misunderstood.  When cracks begin appearing in the casita, it takes Mirabel, with a little help from uncle Bruno, to save the magic.  The message that expectations can sometimes be a burden and that people should be appreciated for who they are rather than who they are supposed to be is extremely powerful and I loved that a Disney heroine is just an ordinary girl (who wears glasses!).  The animation is incredibly colorful and vibrant and I really loved the attention to detail, such as the embroidery on Mirabel's blouse and skirt and all of the textures of the hair.  The music by Lin-Manuel Miranda is as fabulous as you would expect!  My personal favorites are "Waiting On A Miracle," "Surface Pressure," and "We Don't Talk About Bruno" but I heard lots of people singing the chorus of "Colombia, Mi Encanto" as they left the theater.  My biggest complaint, and my nephew echoed this as we talked about the movie on the way home, is that the introduction of the characters and their gifts is really rushed so I didn't feel very connected to anyone other than Mirabel and I sometimes had a hard time figuring out the familial relationships.  Another complaint is that, while I loved the songs, they sometimes seemed randomly inserted and interrupted the momentum of the narrative.  On the whole, I found this to be charming and I think is the perfect movie for families to see over the Thanksgiving break.

Thanksgiving 2021

It has been a rough two weeks for my family because my Dad has been in the hospital for some unexplained symptoms.  He had to be put on a ventilator for several days and recovering from that has been rough on him.  None of us were really up for celebrating Thanksgiving (and all that it entails) this year but my sister had the idea of ordering everything from Cracker Barrel!  She picked everything up on Wednesday and then all we had to do yesterday was heat it up (they even gave very detailed instructions of when to put each item in the oven so everything would be ready at the same time).  The whole dinner tasted delicious but, more importantly, we all were able to get together (except for my Dad, who is still in the hospital, and Tashena, who is playing in a basketball tournament in Arizona) and have a much needed break from the stress.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the people you love!

Note:  We are thinking of ordering Thanksgiving from a restaurant from now on!

House of Gucci

I am a huge fan of Adam Driver and, out of all of his movies scheduled for release this year, I was most excited for House of Gucci.  I knew before I even saw a trailer that I would love it (I read the book upon which it is based by Sara Gay Forden when production began) because there is no possible way that I wouldn't love a movie dealing with love, greed, betrayal, and revenge starring my favorite actor and Lady Gaga!  I saw it last night and, while there are quite a few issues, I found it to be wildly entertaining!  Maurizio Gucci (Driver) is a shy and unassuming law student but he is also the scion of the wealthy Gucci family known for their successful fashion label.  Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) is from much humbler beginnings and is dazzled by Maurizio's wealth after meeting him at a party.  She pursues him relentlessly and he eventually falls in love and marries her.  His father Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons), who runs Gucci with his brother Aldo (Al Pacino), disowns Maurizio for his unsuitable marriage which forces him to work for Patrizia's father.  Patrizia is ambitious and is not content with this lifestyle so she reaches out to Aldo, who thinks Maurizio has more potential than his own son Paolo (Jared Leto).  Even though he is initially not very interested in the business, Maurizio accepts a position with Aldo in New York at Patrizia's urging.  Eventually, Patrizia pushes Maurizio to betray Aldo and Paolo in order to oust them from Gucci but he soon grows tired of her interference and takes charge of the company himself.  He also makes changes in his personal life with a childhood friend (Camille Cottin) which brings tragic consequences.  The story is quite convoluted, especially the scenes dealing with the business side of Gucci, and it is much too long (I think 20 minutes could have easily been cut).  There are problems with the pacing and I sometimes found my mind wandering, particularly during scenes not featuring Patrizia or Maurizio.  There are some strange tonal shifts between camp and drama and many of the music choices seem very odd (although I actually really liked the version of "Baby Can I Hold You" by Tracy Chapman and Luciano Pavarotti used during the trial scene despite the fact that it is a bizarre song to use at this moment because Patrizia is completely unrepentant).  Having said all of that, I absolutely loved the performances even though they contribute to the problems with tone.  Leto, who is completely unrecognizable, chews up the scenery with abandon while Lady Gaga is so much fun to watch in an over-the-top portrayal of a woman scorned.  Driver, on the other hand, gives an incredibly nuanced performance filled with subtle gestures that brilliantly show Maurizio's character arc from someone easily manipulated by everyone in his life to someone who ruthlessly takes charge (I think it is one of his best).  It almost seems as if each of them are in a different movie but I blame Ridley Scott's direction for this rather than the actors.  This movie reminded me a lot of the prime time soap operas, such as Dallas, Dynasty, and Knots Landing, that I enjoyed watching for escapist fun as a teenager because it features a bombastic plot, glamorous settings, opulent production design, and gorgeous costumes.  I can not objectively say that this is a great movie but I loved it if for no other reason than I got to see Adam Driver smile while wearing one well-tailored suit after another for almost three hours!

King Richard

I do not know anything about tennis or about Venus and Serena Williams, beyond the fact that they are amazing tennis players, but I love inspirational sports movies and King Richard looked really good.  I was able to see it last night and, while I expected to like it, I was not prepared for how much I loved it!  Richard Williams (Will Smith) is determined to turn his two daughters, Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton), into champion tennis players despite his limited means.  He has a very detailed plan for their success which focuses on education, discipline, hard work, humility, and dignity.  He is relentless in his dedication to the plan and this sometimes puts him at odds with his wife Oracene "Brandi" Price (Aunjanue Ellis), and the girls' coaches Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn) and Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal).  He refuses to allow the girls to compete on the junior level because he thinks that these tournaments put too much pressure on young players, he pulls them out of practice for other pursuits because he wants them to get an education and be well-rounded, and he turns down multi-million dollar endorsement deals because he thinks they can do better.  Despite all of the naysayers, Richard's methods ultimately prove successful when Venus makes it to the final match against Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Marcela Zacarias), the number one player in the world, at her first professional tournament.  I really loved this story because Richard stays true to himself against all odds but he isn't shown to be infallible.  I particularly enjoyed a highly charged scene between Richard and Brandi where she confronts him about not valuing her contribution and another emotional one between him and Venus where she says that she is ready to compete and that he needs to trust her.  Smith gives the performance of his career and I have no doubt that he will be nominated, and rightly so, for every Best Actor award.  I also enjoyed all of the other performances, especially those from Sidney, Ellis, and Bernthal (also one of his best).  I really liked the tennis scenes and, as someone who knows nothing about tennis, I thought they were really exciting.  This is a stand up and cheer movie (the audience literally applauded at the end in my theater) that I highly recommend!

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

It is always a lot of fun to watch a long-awaited blockbuster on a Friday night with a large crowd and I definitely had a great time watching Ghostbusters: Afterlife last night!  After Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis via archival footage and CGI) dies under mysterious circumstances, his estranged daughter Callie (Carrie Coon) and her two children, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (McKenna Grace), relocate to his creepy and isolated farmhouse near Summerville, Oklahoma.  A series of unusual earthquakes are occurring in Summerville and Phoebe eventually learns that the imminent return of Grozer is causing them and that her grandfather was preparing for it. Phoebe, who is scientifically inclined, restores all of the ghost catching equipment and Trevor, who is mechanically inclined, restores the Ecto 1.  They also enlist the help of Phoebe's science teacher Gary (Paul Rudd), Phoebe's friend Podcast (Logan Kim), and Trevor's crush Lucky (Celeste O'Connor) to fight Grozer when it finds a new Gatekeeper and Keymaster.  This reminded me a lot of The Force Awakens in that it pays homage to the original characters, the aforementioned Egon Spengler, Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stanz (Dan Aykroyd), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts), and Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver), while introducing audiences to a new generation who are taking up the mantle of catching ghosts with a story that follows the same beats as the original.  It was also a very similar viewing experience to the one I had when I saw The Force Awakens the first time because the audience cheered when each original Ghostbuster, the Ecto 1, and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man appeared on screen.  I didn't really mind all of the nostalgia because there are some great action sequences and a nice character arc for Phoebe, who finds an affinity with her grandfather after feeling like a misfit all of her life.  If nothing else, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is certainly entertaining and fans of the franchise are sure to enjoy it.

Note:  There is a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene setting up a possible sequel.

tick, tick...Boom!

Before Jonathan Larson wrote the masterpiece RENT, one of my favorite musicals of all time, he wrote tick, tick...Boom!, an autobiographical show about the fear of running out of time before achieving success.  Even though I wasn't very familiar with this musical I was really excited for the movie adaptation because it is directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda!  I was able to see it last night and my reaction was a bit mixed.  Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield) has been working on a musical called Superbia for the past eight years but he can't seem to finish a song needed for a key moment in the second act.  To pay the bills he works as a waiter at the Moondance Cafe on the weekends while he writes during the week but he is starting to feel discouraged because he hasn't achieved success before his 30th birthday, which is imminent, like his idol Stephen Sondheim (Bradley Whitford).  His best friend Michael (Robin de Jesus) has already given up on his dream to become an actor by taking a job in advertising and has moved into an apartment in a high-rise building with a doorman.  His girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp) is thinking about giving up her dream of being a dancer to take a job in the Berkshires.  Freddy (Ben Ross), another waiter at the diner, is dying of AIDS. He wonders if he is just wasting his time trying to achieve his dream. However, despite fact that his agent Rosa (Judith Light) hasn't returned his calls for the past year, his mentor Ira (Jonathan Marc Sherman) has arranged a workshop of Superbia for prospective producers.  When it isn't the success he hoped it would be, Rosa tells him to write what he knows and tick, tick...Boom! is the result.  Interspersed between Jonathan's story is a concert of tick, tick...Boom! that he performs with his friends Roger (Joshua Henry) and Karessa (Vanessa Hudgens).  I loved so many things about this movie (but I didn't love it as a whole).  Garfield gives an absolutely brilliant performance, definitely the best of his career, and I was so impressed with his singing and dancing.  He should definitely be in the mix come awards season. As a theatre nerd I loved all of the cameos by Broadway stars past and present.  I won't spoil them because they are so much fun to spot but I have to mention that I just about lost my mind when I saw Adam Pascal (I love him).  Even though this movie is not about RENT, I loved seeing its genesis in many of the characters and songs, particularly "Boho Days."  Unfortunately, I didn't love some of Miranda's artistic choices because the narrative is very frenetic and messy.  Most scenes are performed at such a fever pitch that when the action finally slows down for an emotional reckoning it feels really hollow.  The story jumps back and forth between the development of the musical and the performance of it very haphazardly and this is sometimes confusing, especially since musical numbers take place in both timelines (big production numbers in the former and simple concert performances in the latter).  It actually took me a while to figure out what was going on whenever there was a scene of Larsen performing on stage.  I liked this movie, and would definitely recommend it to musical theatre fans, but I am a bit disappointed because I wanted to love it.

Belfast

I have been looking forward to Belfast, Kenneth Branagh's lovely and wistful ode to community and family, for months and I finally had the opportunity to see it last night.  The movie takes place in the titular city in 1969 and opens with nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill) fighting imaginary dragons with a wooden sword and the lid to a trash can as a shield.  His Ma (Caitriona Balfe) calls him home to dinner and everyone on his street knows him and calls out to him as he passes by but soon the street is the scene of a riot as a mob of Protestants target the houses of Catholics.  Buddy's shield is now used by his Ma to protect them from the falling debris from the bombs in an incredibly powerful scene.  His Pa (Jamie Dornan) refuses to get drawn into "the Troubles" but worries for his family because he is forced to leave them for weeks at a time to work in England while his Ma worries about paying their back taxes.  Amidst these worries, Buddy's days are taken up with visiting the local cinema, spending time with his Pop (Ciaran Hinds) and Granny (Judi Dench), and trying to get the girl (Olive Tennant) he likes at school to notice him.  As the violence escalates, Pa is offered a permanent job in England and the family must decide whether to leave the only home they have ever known and their family and friends to start a new life.  I loved this movie so much!  The hazy black and white cinematography, the camera angles that mimic the viewpoint of a child, and the use of vignettes to tell the story are brilliant because sometimes childhood memories can be fleeting and fractured.  I loved the references to the movie High Noon, particularly the scene where Buddy views his Pa as the lone hero fighting to keep him safe because children often idealize the adults in their lives.  I also really loved all of the music by Van Morrison (who, like Branagh, hails from Belfast) because it really evokes the mood of that time and place.  The entire cast is wonderful (it was so nice to see Dench in a good movie after a few recent duds and the scene where Granny reminisces about her favorite film is another one of my favorites) but Hill is especially endearing and he portrays the wide-eyed innocence of a child trying to understand what is going on around him so well.  Finally, the narrative really resonated with me because my immediate family moved away from our extended family and friends in Canada to come to the United States when I was close to the same age as Buddy.  I was trying to keep my emotions in check (I did not want a repeat of this embarrassing situation) as the inevitable conclusion drew near but I completely lost it when Buddy says goodbye to his friend from school.  I said goodbye to my best friend Scott in a very similar way (I wonder what he is doing now) and this scene brought the memory back to me.  In my opinion, this movie is a must-see for everyone who has nostalgia for the place they are from and I highly recommend it!

Pink Martini with the Utah Symphony

I had the pleasure of seeing Pink Martini perform with the Utah Symphony several years ago and I enjoyed the concert so much I decided that I would try to see them whenever they came to town!  They returned to Abravanel Hall last night and the concert was so much fun.  Pink Martini is a "little orchestra" that was formed by Thomas Lauderdale in 1994.  It is comprised of twelve insanely talented musicians, vocalist China Forbes (her voice is amazing and she sings so effortlessly), and several guest vocalists.  Their repertoire features classical, Latin, jazz, pop, and world music and last night they performed songs in English, Spanish, French, Croatian, Farsi, Romanian, and Japanese (they even had the audience singing along in French).  The concert began with a really sultry version of "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel and I absolutely loved it!  It is one of my favorite pieces and this version was really cool, especially the trombone and trumpet solos.  My favorite moment in the first half was an incredible rendition of the duet "Belle nuit, o nuit d'amour" from the opera The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach.  Forbes was joined by vocalist Katie Harman and their performance was absolutely beautiful (they joked that this song occurs during an orgy).  I've seen The Tales of Hoffman before but now I really want to see it again!  After the intermission, Pink Martini and the orchestra performed an amazing arrangement of "Malaguena" by Ernesto Lecuona and it emphasized the piano rather than the Spanish guitar.  I really liked it.  My favorite moments during the second half were "Amado Mio," which is probably Pink Martini's best known song, and "Que sera sera."  Forbes introduced each member of Pink Martini and then Lauderdale introduced every single member of the Utah Symphony which was hilarious.  They ended the concert, as they often do, with an energetic version of "Brasil."  Forbes admonished the audience not to form a conga line but that didn't stop people from dancing in the aisles!  I enjoyed myself so much at this concert (and it was much needed after a difficult week).  They will be back at Abravanel Hall with the same program tonight and I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here).

The Collective

My Book of the Month selection for November was The Collective by Alison Gaylin (the other options were A Little Hope by Ethan Joella, The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker, The Family by Naomi Krupitsky, and How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days by K.M. Jackson). To be perfectly honest, I was not very interested in any of these options and I even contemplated skipping November but I really wanted an add-on so I just defaulted to the thriller. I had very low expectations but, once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! Camille Gardner lost her fifteen-year-old daughter Emily five years ago when the latter attended a fraternity party where she was drugged, raped, and left in the woods to die of exposure. The young man responsible, Harris Blanchard, was acquitted after his expensive lawyers assassinated Emily's character during the trial. Camille has been unable to move on from her daughter's death because she believes that her killer has gotten away with murder. She causes a scene at an awards ceremony for Blanchard which goes viral on social media and is then asked to join a private support group on Facebook for mothers who have lost children but have not received justice. Spurred on by the other members of this group, she begins sharing her disturbing fantasies about punishing Blanchard herself and this leads to an invitation to join another group on the dark web. This group is a collective of women who work together completing individual tasks assigned by the administrator to mete out the justice they were denied. She carries out an innocuous assignment because she believes that it is all just an elaborate role play to bring consolation to the group members but, when she realizes that it is all too real, she is strangely exhilarated until she is in so deep that she fears for her own safety. This novel is incredibly suspenseful with very high stakes and I loved all of the twists and turns, especially the final one which blew me away because I did not see it coming (even though I should have because the clues are there). I really liked Camille as an unreliable narrator because both her rage and her fear are palpable and I found her to be very sympathetic, particularly when she questions all of her parenting decisions and how they may have played a role in what happened to her daughter. I also enjoyed the discussion about vigilante justice and Camille's reaction to what happens to Blanchard is quite interesting. This is a riveting and thought-provoking read which I was not expecting to like as much as I did. I highly recommend it (and I will definitely be checking out more from this author).

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at HCT

Last night I saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Hale Theatre and, unfortunately, it is the worst production I have ever seen at HCT. Last night was opening night for the THS cast and this could account for some of my issues with the show but not all of them. This musical is based on the 1968 movie of the same name and is set in motion when Jeremy (Asher Nehring) and Jemima Potts (Hailey Burnham) ask their father, an eccentric inventor named Caractacus Potts (Austin Dorman), to buy an old car that won the Grand Prix three years in a row but is now sitting in a junk yard. However, the Baron (Benjamin Henderson) and Baroness Bomburst (Ali Bennett) of Vulgaria also want the car and send their spies, Boris (Ashley Carlson) and Goran (Trevor Dean), to get it. Caractacus refurbishes the car, names it Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and takes the children and Truly Scrumptious (Whitney Hatch) on a picnic at the seaside. They are attacked by Boris and Goran but they soon discover that Chitty can float and fly and this allows them to get away. Boris and Goran, thinking that Grandpa Potts (Daniel Hess) is the inventor responsible for Chitty's transformation, kidnap him and bring him to Vulgaria to make another car for the Baron's birthday. Caractacus, Truly, and the children travel to Vulgaria in Chitty to rescue him and hilarity ensues. The story is rather silly but it is usually a lot of fun. I say usually because last night was anything but fun. I am almost always impressed with the sets at HCT but with this show I was a bit disappointed. The breakfast making machine is really elaborate but it didn't seem to do anything (from where I was sitting), the giant bubble bath in "Chu Chi Face" is weird and the actors had a lot of difficulty maneuvering in and around it, and the doors in the toy shop kept sticking when they were opened and closed. The car, which is meant to be the showstopper, had technical difficulties during the big reveal which literally stopped the show, not once but, twice. The second stoppage happened near the end of the first act so intermission was called and we never did get to see the final scene (where Grandpa Potts is kidnapped) which caused some confusion in the second act. The costumes and props are fabulous (definitely the best part of the show along with the projections) but cast members were dropping hats and props all evening and it was distracting. I didn't feel like the cast was particularly strong (I even felt that some roles were miscast) and the only actor who really stood out for me was Henderson as the Baron (he is hilarious). The choreography in the big song and dance numbers is underwhelming and, honestly, it seemed as if the dancers needed a few more weeks of rehearsal because their performances looked chaotic. To be sure, this was opening night and a few mishaps are to be expected but the tickets are expensive so I don't think it is unreasonable to demand a show that is more polished than this one was. I have been an Early Bird season subscriber for almost 15 years and I have never seen such a mess before. Part of me wants to see the MWF cast later in the run to see if I enjoy it more but part of me never wants to see this particular show ever again! I was very disappointed with this production and I can't in good conscience recommend it.

Spencer

I love the movie Jackie so I have been looking forward to Spencer, Pablo Larrain's latest portrait of an enigmatic woman, for a really long time and I was excited to finally have the chance to see it last night.  Even though the reviews from the Venice Film Festival, where it had its premiere, were outstanding, I was not expecting such a brilliant performance from Kristen Stewart!  The movie takes place over three days during the Christmas holiday at the Queen's Sandringham Estate in 1991.  Princess Diana (Stewart) decides to forego her chauffeur and security detail to drive herself but gets lost along the way.  She laments the fact that she can no longer find her way in the part of England where she was raised and this is symbolic of how she has lost herself as a member of the Royal Family.  When she arrives, she immediately feels claustrophobic and constrained by royal protocol, tradition, and lack of privacy.  She find several allies in the Royal Head Chef (Sean Harris) and a Royal Dresser (Sally Hawkins) but is constantly held in check by the Equerry, Major Alistair Gregory (Timothy Spall).  She receives a pearl necklace as a Christmas present from Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) but is dismayed when she realizes that it is the same as one worn by his mistress and it becomes a metaphor for how trapped she feels.  She is also upset about Prince Charles' insistence on taking Prince William (Jack Nielsen) shooting on Boxing Day and identifies with the pheasants because they are pretty but not very bright. In her despair, she begins seeing visions of Anne Boleyn (Amy Manson) and fears a similar fate.  Just when she is about to come undone she sneaks away to Park House, her childhood home near Sandringham, and finds herself again.  I am a huge fan of Stewart (I think she is vastly underrated as an actress) but even I was a bit skeptical when I heard that she had been cast as Princess Diana.  Many of my fears were allayed when the first images of her in character were released and then the first trailer, where I heard her accent for the first time, convinced me.  Stewart gives a highly nuanced performance that completely embodies Diana's fragile state of mind during this period in her life.  It is so transformative that I sometimes forgot that I was watching Stewart.  I also really appreciate that Larrain chose to focus on one pivotal moment, rather than depict her whole life (much as he did with Jackie which focuses on the immediate aftermath of JFK's assassination), because it allows the audience to go beyond what we think we know about Diana.  The costumes, production design, and art direction are absolutely gorgeous and I loved the score by Jonny Greenwood because the almost discordant themes intermingled between the piano and strings emphasize Diana's status as an outsider.  I loved this movie and I highly recommend it.

Note:  In the final scenes Diana is wearing an O.P.P. (Ontario Provincial Police) hat.  I loved seeing this because I am originally from Ontario.

Stephen Hough Plays Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1

I was so happy to be at Abravanel Hall for a Utah Symphony concert last night and, even though I wasn't very familiar with the pieces that were performed, I really enjoyed them both.  The orchestra began with Symphony No. 4 "The Inextinguishable" by Carl Nielsen and I thought it was incredibly dramatic.  It was written as the world was on the brink of World War I and represents the will to live.  The mood and the tempo change quite a few times throughout the piece to emphasize the ebb and flow of life.  Sometimes it is very mournful with themes played by a solo cello and a solo violin, sometimes it is hopeful with themes played by the woodwinds, and sometimes it is triumphant with themes played by the brass.  My favorite was the fourth and final movement because it features two sets of timpani, placed on opposite sides of the stage, and it seems like they are dueling with each other.  It is really intense and it was actually a lot of fun to watch the back and forth between timpanists George Brown and Eric Hopkins.  The piece ultimately ends in victory with stirring themes by the strings and brass and I loved it so much.  So did the rest of the audience (people were talking about it in the elevator after the concert) because the orchestra and guest conductor Rune Bergmann, who is adorable, received a well-deserved standing ovation.  After the intermission the orchestra was joined by pianist Stephen Hough, who is very popular with Utah Symphony audiences, for Piano Concerto No. 1 by Johannes Brahms.  The piece also begins very dramatically with just the orchestra playing for quite a while before the piano enters softly.  Eventually the theme played by the piano gathers momentum to become really powerful and I loved watching Hough's fingers flying up and down the keyboard.  The second movement was my favorite because it is incredibly romantic and emotional (it was supposedly written for Clara Schumann, the wife of composer Robert Schumann, with whom Brahms had a complicated friendship) and Hough played it with so much feeling.  The final movement seems almost frenzied in comparison but it is no less beautiful.  I really enjoyed this concert, even more than I was expecting to, and I recommend getting a ticket (go here) to tonight's performance of the same program.

Note:  I am a season subscriber to the Masterworks series this year and my seat is next to the two cutest little old ladies.  They greet me like a long lost friend now and wondered where I was the last concert (I had to exchange my ticket in order to see James Taylor that night).

Eternals

The reviews for Eternals have been mixed (to say the least) so I have been looking forward to seeing it in order to form my own opinion.  I finally had the opportunity at a Thursday preview last night and, honestly, I think it is absolutely brilliant.  The Celestials, a powerful ancient alien race, send a group of ten Eternals, mysterious beings equipped with superpowers, to Earth in 5000 B.C. to fight the Deviants, deformed creatures who have evolved to kill humans.  Ajak (Salma Hayek) is the leader of the group and has the ability to heal, Sersi (Gemma Chan) has the ability to manipulate matter, Ikaris (Richard Madden) has the ability to fly and project cosmic energy from his eyes, Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) has the ability to project cosmic energy from his fingertips, Sprite (Lia McHugh) has the ability to create illusions, Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) has the ability to invent new technology, Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) has super speed, Druig (Barry Keoghan) has the ability to manipulate minds, Gilgamesh (Don Lee) has super strength, and Thena (Angelina Jolie) has the ability to create any weapon out of energy.  The Eternals are forbidden from interfering in human history but they ultimately destroy all of the Deviants and scatter to live their own lives among humans.  In the present day, Sersi is in London working at the Natural History Museum while caring for Sprite and having a relationship with her co-worker Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) after being left by her partner Ikaris 500 years earlier, Ajak lives on a horse ranch in South Dakota, Kingo (a source of much comic relief) is a Bollywood star in Mumbai and relies on his manager Karun (Harish Patel), Gilgamesh is caring for Thena in the Outback of Australia, Druig is protecting the rain forests in the Amazon and ruling a tribe of indigenous people, Phastos is living in Chicago with his husband Ben (Haaz Sleiman) and son Jack (Esai Daniel Cross), and Makkari is an archaeologist collecting ancient artifacts in Iraq.  When Ikaris finds all of the Eternals again after the sudden reappearance of a Deviant, they discover that the Celestials pose an even greater threat to humanity than the Deviants and they must each individually decide how to respond.  I loved almost everything about this movie but I particularly loved how the character arcs and motivations for each of the Eternals are informed by the mythology surrounding their names (I didn't know anything about these characters so it was a lot of fun figuring out the references, especially the allusions to Circe, Athena, Ajax, Icarus, and Mercury) and I loved the relationships between the characters and how they are developed in a nonlinear way throughout ancient history to build the narrative cumulatively.  I also loved the philosophical debates between the characters about whether or not humanity deserves to be saved and I think the resolution of this question is beautiful and poignant.  I enjoyed the diversity of the characters, particularly one who is deaf and one who is openly gay, and I was beyond impressed with the sensitive depiction of a specific illness. Most of all, I loved that all of the above generated lots of epic discussions (which is a hallmark of great movies, in my opinion) between groups of people in the theater, the lobby, and the parking lot at my screening!  The performances are strong, the visuals are gorgeous, the action sequences are a lot of fun, and the score is amazing.  This movie is now my favorite in the MCU and is definitely one of my favorites of 2021.  I highly recommend it!

Note:  Several young girls squealed at the mid-credits scene.  I squealed at the end-credits scene!

Antlers

Last night I crossed another movie off my list by seeing Antlers and, even though I enjoyed many elements, I ultimately found it to be too bleak even for my taste.  Julia Meadows (Keri Russell) has recently returned home to an economically depressed small town in Oregon to be with her brother Paul (Jesse Plemons), the local sherriff.  She takes a job as a teacher at the middle school and, as a victim of abuse herself, she begins to suspect that one of her students, Lucas Weaver (Jeremy T. Thomas), is also being abused.  Several weeks earlier, his father Frank (Scott Haze) and his younger brother Aiden (Sawyer Jones) were attacked by an unknown creature inside of an abandoned mine that Frank was using as a meth lab.  They survive the attack but Frank begins a disturbing transformation so he forces Lucas to lock them in the attic and bring him roadkill to satisfy his insatiable hunger.  Frank eventually becomes a terrifying horned creature and escapes into the woods.  Soon after, Paul is called to the scenes of several brutal, but unexplained, murders and Julia suspects that Lucas is somehow involved.  When Lucas finally confides in her, she is forced to confront the creature, and her own inner demons, to save him.  I like horror movies that are based on folklore and the mythology surrounding the wendigo, a humanoid creature that is often depicted with antlers and represents an imbalance in many Native American cultures, is fascinating.  I really liked the design of the creature and there are quite a few genuinely frightening moments.  The narrative alludes to childhood trauma, poverty, addiction, and the destruction of the environment and, even though these themes are not as well developed as they could be, it is this hopelessness that unleashes the horror that follows.  I usually like movies that are dark and depressing because I find them to be cathartic (I don't know what this says about me) but this movie, especially the ending, is so devoid of hope that I left the theater feeling numb.  If even I find a movie too disheartening, I can't imagine that anyone else would enjoy it.

Last Night in Soho

The next movie on my list was Last Night in Soho and I was very excited to see it last night as it was one of my most anticipated movies of the fall.  I ended up really enjoying this stylish and atmospheric thriller.  Eloise "Ellie" Turner (Thomasin McKenzie) is a young and impressionable girl from the English countryside who is obsessed with the movies, music, and fashion of the 1960s.  She dreams of becoming a fashion designer and travels to London to study but has trouble fitting in with with her roommate and the other girls in the dorm.  She rents a room in Soho from a Mrs. Collins (Diana Rigg) instead and this seems to be a portal to the 1960s.  Each night she encounters Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), an aspiring singer who once occupied her room in the past, and she experiences everything that happens to her.  At first Ellie is exhilarated and finds inspiration for her designs.  She even dyes her hair and buys vintage clothing in the present to mimic Sandie's style but this brings about the unwanted attention of a mysterious stranger (Terrence Stamp) who seems to recognize her.  When Sandie meets a dashing man named Jack (Matt Smith), who promises to help her with her singing career but actually becomes her pimp, Ellie is caught up in a dangerous lifestyle that follows her into the present.  Eventually, Ellie witnesses what she believes to be Sandie's murder by Jack in the past and becomes convinced that the mysterious stranger is really Jack in the present and tries to hold him accountable. McKenzie and Taylor-Joy are both outstanding and I also really enjoyed Rigg in her final role.  The camera work showing Ellie and Sandie seamlessly changing places in a dazzling dance sequence and mimicking each other as they descend a mirrored staircase is absolutely  brilliant.  I loved both the music, especially "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World" by Cilla Black, and the clothes from the 1960s (I might be as obsessed with the 1960s as Ellie is).  The exploration of how young women alone in a big city can be victimized is incredibly compelling and I found it interesting that both Ellie and Sandie experience the same type of harassment from men even though they are very different women in different time periods.  Finally, I actually enjoyed it when Ellie has difficulty distinguishing between the past and present in the third act because these scenes are very unsettling and they kept me guessing until the end.  This is a bit of a departure from Edgar Wright's other films (it features much darker themes than we usually get from the director) but I think his fans will recognize his distinct visual style and I recommend it.

The French Dispatch

There are quite a few movies on my list this week (I am a little bit behind) but, as a huge fan of Wes Anderson, I had to start with The French Dispatch last night.  It is probably the most Wes Anderson-like movie that Wes Anderson has ever made and I loved it!  Arthur Howitzer, Jr. (Bill Murray) is the editor of The French Dispatch, a Sunday supplement to The Liberty Kansas Sun, located in the French city of Ennui-sur-Blase.  When Howitzer dies, the editorial staff, per his wishes, chooses four of the best stories from previous issues to become part of the farewell issue.  The Cycling Reporter by Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wislon) is presented as a video travelogue of Ennui-sur-Blase emphasizing how the city has changed but stayed the same over the years.  The Concrete Masterpiece by J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton) is presented as a lecture about the painter Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio del Toro) and his relationship with Simone (Lea Seydoux), the guard at the Ennui Prison/Asylum where he is incarcerated who becomes his muse, and Julien Cadazio (Adrien Brody), a fellow inmate who discovers his talent and promotes him when he leaves prison.  Revisions to a Manifesto by Lucinda Kremetz (Frances McDormand) is presented as a diary about her involvement in a student uprising and with the student leader Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet).  The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner by Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) is presented as a talk show interview about a dinner with the Police Commissaire (Mathieu Amalric) that goes awry when his son Gigi (Winston Ait Hellal) is kidnapped and the crime is solved by his personal chef Nescaffier (Stephen Park).  This movie is so funny!  In fact, I was laughing out loud through the whole thing because there are so many witty little details (I loved all of the names of characters and places).  I will need to watch it again because I am sure there are even more that I didn't notice.  I also really loved the cast, especially Chalamet as an angst-ridden revolutionary and Wright as a lonely outsider who finds solace in food.  Anderson is known for using the same actors over and over again and it seems as if everyone who has ever worked with the director wanted in on this movie because some well-known actors have little more than cameos.  These include frequent collaborators Anjelica Houston as a narrator, Jason Schwartzman as a cartoonist, Fisher Stevens as an editor, Wally Wolodarsky as a writer who never finishes any stories but lurks in the hallway, Tony Revolori as the young Rosenthaler, Bob Balaban as Cadazio's uncle and business partner, Liev Schreiber as the talk show host, Edward Norton as a kidnapper, Willem Dafoe as an underworld accountant, and Saoirse Ronan as a showgirl.  My favorite cameos were Lois Smith as an art collector and Elisabeth Moss as an editor with a passion for grammar (obviously).  Finally, it is visually stunning because Anderson plays around with color and black and white cinematography, different aspect ratios, and animation.  Surprisingly, I was not a fan of the score.  Alexandre Desplat is one of my favorite film composers but I found the music to be repetitive at times and, therefore, distracting.  Otherwise, I had a smile on my face from beginning to end and I highly recommend this movie, especially to fans of Wes Anderson.

Note:  As much as I loved this, I think my favorite is still The Grand Budapest Hotel.