Little Women at West Valley Arts

Last night I went to see Little Women at the West Valley Performing Arts Center. I fell in love with this musical when I saw a production at HCT (on the same stage!) and I enjoyed this show just as much! The story, based on the beloved classic by Louisa May Alcott, shows the March sisters, Jo (Lindsea Garside), Meg (Madison McGuire), Beth (Ellie Hughes), and Amy (Mia Hansen), coming of age in Concord, Massachusetts during and after the Civil War. We first meet Jo when she is in New York pursuing her dream of becoming a writer.  However, when Professor Bhaer (Josh Egbert), another resident at her boardinghouse, tells her that she should write about what she knows rather than the sensational pieces she has been submitting to magazines, there are flashbacks to the trials and triumphs of her adolescence with her sisters and mother "Marmee" (Heidi Hunt), her neighbor Theodore "Laurie" Laurence (Ricky Dowse), his grandfather Mr. Laurence (Nick Cash), and her Aunt March (Wanda Copier). Jo encounters sorrow in the death of a sister, disappointment in love with Laurie, redemption as she writes a story she can be proud of, and, ultimately, love with Professor Bhaer. I have always loved the character Jo (I wanted to be her the first time I read the novel) because she is so fiery and independent and the beautiful music adds another layer to her story. I especially love the songs "Astonishing" and "The Fire Within Me." Garside has a beautiful voice and the emotion that she puts into these songs make them incredibly powerful. I also really appreciated her passion in the scene with Aunt March when she learns that she won't be going to Europe because you could really feel her frustration. A number that put a smile on my face was "The Weekly Volcano Press" where Jo reads one of her sensational stories to Professor Bhaer as it is acted out. I found myself watching Garside more than what was happening on stage because she mouths all of the words as they are sung and she is so hilariously over the top! There are quite a few poignant moments with wonderful performances from the rest of the cast as well, such as when Hunt (who is the swing) as Marmee laments that her husband is not with her to help her raise their daughters in "Here Alone," when Cash as Mr. Laurence allows a bit of vulnerability to show through his gruff persona in "Off to Massachusetts," and when Hughes as Beth confesses that she knows she will die in "Some Things Are Meant to Be." I had a tear in my eye during the latter number. The choreography, especially in "Five Forever," is a lot of fun and the minimalist set is very effective. I was a little bit disappointed with some of the costumes and wigs but this didn't detract from my enjoyment. This production is extremely well done with lovely performances and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Note:  I would really love to see larger audiences for this theater because every show I have seen (as an usher and a patron) has been outstanding and the ticket price is very reasonable!

An Evening With Brian Stokes Mitchell and the Utah Symphony

I have been lucky enough to see Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell perform several times, including an amazing concert with the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, so I was thrilled when I found out that he would be performing with the Utah Symphony again and I bought a ticket almost immediately!  The concert last night was in honor of Kem Gardner, a long time USUO board member, and it was wonderful!  He began with a lively rendition of "There's No Business Like Show Business" from Annie Get Your Gun and then performed an eclectic program featuring Broadway hits and standards from the great American songbook with lots of stories and anecdotes in between (he is so charming and engaging).  I especially enjoyed "Man of La Mancha" from Man of La Mancha (he was nominated for a Tony award for his performance as Don Quixote) and a very sultry version of "Feeling Good."  Many years ago, during a Bravo Broadway concert with the Utah Symphony, he performed one of the most beautiful versions of "Stars" from Les Miserables that I have ever heard and I have always wanted to hear him sing it again.  I got my wish last night and it was definitely the highlight of the concert for me!  He ended the set with "Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime (he originated the role of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. and was nominated for a Tony) which was incredibly powerful.  For the encore he sang "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha, which is the song he sang out of his apartment window in New York for essential workers during the pandemic, and then a heartfelt version of "Wonderful World."  I loved this concert and I love the fact that so many Broadway stars enjoy performing with the Utah Symphony!

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Last night I crossed off another one of my most anticipated movies on my list by seeing The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.  It is hilarious and it was so much fun laughing out loud with a large and boisterous crowd!  Nicolas Cage plays Nick Cage, a fictionalized version of himself who has just lost out on a coveted role of a lifetime and is tormented by a younger version of himself named Nicky (Nicholas Wittman) who bears a striking resemblance to his character in Peggy Sue Got Married.  He also has massive debts and a strained relationship with his sixteen-year-old daughter Addy (Lily Sheen) so, when his agent Richard Fink (Neil Patrick Harris) tells him that an eccentric billionaire named Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal) has offered him $1 million to appear at his birthday party, he accepts.  He flies to Mallorca and soon bonds with Javi after role-playing some of his famous movies and watching Paddington 2.  However, CIA Agents Vivian (Tiffany Haddish) and Martin (Ike Barinholtz) believe that Javi is the leader of a notorious drug cartel responsible for the kidnapping of a politician's daughter (Katrin Vankova).  They recruit Nick and hilarity ensues as he channels all of his action hero characters to spy on Javi.  The plot is a bit nonsensical but it hardly matters because it is so entertaining.  Cage is at his most self-deprecating best (I loved the line about his nouveau shamanic acting style) and he has great chemistry with Pascal, particularly during an LSD-fueled trip around the island and a visit to Javi's shrine to the actor.  I also enjoyed all of the references to Cage's movies, including Con Air, Croods 2, Leaving Las Vegas, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Guarding Tess, The Rock, Gone in 60 Seconds, Mandy, National Treasure, and Face/ Off (there are probably more), because they show what a unique career he has had.  I haven't laughed this much during a movie in a long time so, if you are in the mood for some lighthearted fun, definitely check this out!

The Northman

I am a huge fan of Robert Eggers (I think The Lighthouse and The Witch are both masterpieces) so The Northman was another one of my most anticipated movies of 2022.  I had the chance to see it last night at a Thursday preview and it certainly did not disappoint!  King Aurvandil (Ethan Hawke) returns home from battle with many injuries so he holds an initiation rite for his young son and heir, Prince Amleth (Oscar Novak), which is presided over by his friend Heimir (Willem Dafoe).  Amleth receives visions about his destiny and promises his father that he will avenge him should he fall in battle.  Soon after, Amleth witness his uncle Fjolnir (Claes Bang) brutally murder his father and kidnap his mother Queen Gudrun (Nicole Kidman).  Amleth escapes pursuit and vows to avenge his father, save his mother, and kill Fjolnir.  Years later Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) has become a Viking warrior but, when he encounters a seeress (Bjork) while sacking a village, he is reminded of his vow and soon discovers that Fjolnir has been overthrown and exiled to Iceland.  He smuggles aboard a ship taking slaves to Fjolnir and encounters Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a sorceress with whom he eventually begins a relationship.  As he comes face to face with Fjolnir, he struggles to fulfill his destiny because he must choose between showing kindness to his kin or hatred for his enemy.  This is a very simple revenge story but the references to Norse mythology and symbolism (it is based on a medieval Scandinavian legend which is also the source material for Shakespeare's play Hamlet) are what make it so interesting and compelling, particularly the portrayal of the Tree of Kings, the Valkyrie, and Valhalla.  The images on the screen are stunning and feature the usual atmospheric world-building that Eggers is known for.  I lost count of how many times I was mesmerized by the beauty of a particular shot.  I also loved the sound design, the heart-pounding score, and the period detail.  The medieval warfare is visceral and unrelenting, especially the final confrontation between Amleth and Fjolnir, and many might be put off by this but I found it exhilarating!  Skarsgard is an absolute beast but I also found Kidman's portrayal of Queen Gudrun to be fascinating (it made me rethink Queen Gertrude's motivations in Hamlet) and Taylor-Joy is luminous.  Eggers has done it again because The Northman is brutal, bloody, and brilliant (but might not be for everyone).

The Light in the Piazza at HCT

When HCT announced the 2022 season this time last year, the show I was most excited for was The Light in the Piazza. I had the opportunity to see it last night and I was not disappointed because it is one of the most beautiful productions I've seen! In 1953 Margaret Johnson (Michelle Blake) and her daughter Clara (Rachel Tregeagle) are touring Italy for the summer. When a strong wind blows Clara's hat across the Piazza Della Signoria in Florence, a young man named  Fabrizio Naccarelli (Matthew Sanguine) retrieves it for her and the two of them fall instantly in love. Margaret immediately separates them and continues to do so as Fabrizio pursues them to the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo. Margaret finally gives in and agrees to a meeting with Fabrizio's family, including his father (Danny Inkley), mother (Mandi Barrus), brother Guiseppe (Landon Horton), and sister-in-law Franca (Cecily Bills), during which they are all enchanted by Clara. When it becomes clear that Fabrizio and Clara want to get married, Margaret takes her to Rome to get her away from him. It turns out that Clara is intellectually and emotionally delayed as the result of a tragic accident in her childhood and Margaret has always felt the need to protect her. However, she soon comes to realize that Fabrizio is the light in Clara's darkness. This is a very sweet and old-fashioned story where true love overcomes all obstacles and I found it to be charming. Every one in the cast is outstanding but I was particularly impressed by the three leads because they have beautiful voices.  Blake is formidable as a mother protecting her child but also shows a lot of vulnerability when she realizes that her own darkness might be influencing her decisions, Tregeagle is very effective at portraying wide-eyed wonder at everything Clara is experiencing, and Sanguine is incredibly charismatic as a smitten young man searching for the right words to express his love. I also really enjoyed Horton as Fabrizio's philandering brother because he can dance and his facial expressions are hilarious. The best part of this show is the music and I loved seeing the musicians (Sebastian Neugebauer on piano, Julie Beistline on violin, Hannah Brown on cello, and Alyssa Holman on harp) performing live on stage. My favorite songs are "Statues and Stories" because it describes the excitement Margaret feels as she discovers all of the history found in Florence (I felt the same way when I was in Florence), "Say It Somehow" because it is swoon-worthy as Clara and Fabrizio find a way to express their love without words, and "The Light in the Piazza" because it shows that, even with all of the beauty surrounding her in Italy, all Clara can see is Fabrizio's love. I had goosebumps through most of the songs because they are so beautiful. The set, designed by Jenn Taylor, features Roman columns that rotate on a turntable with various pieces that are brought in to create different scenes (my favorite was the Uffizi Gallery with paintings coming down from the rafters).  The attention to detail is incredible and I especially loved a cut-glass lamp used in Margaret's hotel room. Projections can be hit or miss with me but in this production they are literally works of art because they feature amazing impressionistic paintings of locations in Florence created by Madeline Ashton. Finally, the costumes, designed by Joy Zhu, are gorgeous! Every dress features textured, embellished, or embroidered fabrics and every outfit includes shoes, a hat, gloves, a purse, and jewelry (the brooches!). Everything about this show, which runs on the Sorensen Jewel Box Stage through June 18, is absolutely delightful and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).

Note:  Don't miss out on seeing some insanely talented kids rock out in School of Rock now playing on the Young Living Main Stage through May 28 (go here for tickets).

Catch Me If You Can at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

The musical Catch Me If You Can, based on the movie of the same name starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, is a lot of fun so I went to see a new production at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts last night. It is fantastic! The show begins when Frank Abagnale, Jr. (A. J. Nielsen) is arrested by FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Mark Gordon) at the Miami Airport. Then Frank breaks the fourth wall and begins telling the audience his story as if he were part of a 1960s television variety show (complete with go-go dancers) in the big production number "Live in Living Color." When his parents, Frank Abagnale, Sr. (Nathaniel Noyes) and Paula Abagnale (Samantha Frisby), get divorced, sixteen year old Frank decides to run away to New York and he starts forging checks in order to get by (almost two million dollar's worth by the time he is caught). This gets the attention of the FBI, especially Hanratty who is relentless in his pursuit as Frank impersonates a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer (he even passes the bar exam). Frank is always one step ahead of Hanratty until he falls in love with Brenda Strong (Shannon Follette). The two leads are so much fun to watch and I particularly enjoyed their interactions together! Nielsen is charm personified as the fast-talking confidence man (especially in the songs "Jet Set" and "Doctor's Orders") but he is equally adept at portraying the vulnerable teenager who ran away from home. Gordon is absolutely hilarious as the straight-laced FBI agent who has no life away from the job and his number, "Don't Break the Rules," is a definite crowd pleaser! The scene where Frank manages to elude Hanratty in a motel room is really funny but there is also a poignant moment between them when Frank calls Hanratty on Christmas Eve and they both realize that they don't have anyone to talk to but each other. I was also very impressed with Follette and her rendition of "Fly, Fly Away" is my favorite out of all the productions of this show that I've seen because she can definitely sing the blues! The choreography is a pastiche of the variety shows of the 1960s (such as Laugh-In and Hullabaloo) and the big song and dance numbers are incredibly entertaining. The set, which looks like it could be from a television awards show, has multiple levels which are used very effectively as various locations with the addition of just a few set pieces. Finally, the costumes are quite impressive (especially for the female ensemble who appear as go-go dancers, Pan Am stewardesses, FBI agents, nurses, and southern belles among other characters). I had a great time last night and, if you need a fun night out, look no further than Catch Me If You Can which runs at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts through May 7 (go here for tickets).

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

As I huge fan of the Harry Potter franchise, I was so excited to see the Wizarding World expand into a new series.  Unfortunately, I thought Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a bit underwhelming and The Crimes of Grindelwald was absolutely awful.  I even contemplated skipping The Secrets of Dumbledore but ultimately decided to see it last night and, to my surprise, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.  While the bar was set very low, I think it is the best movie in the franchise.  Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) is prevented from fighting against Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) because of a blood pact taken when the two were in a relationship so he recruits Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a Magizoologist, Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner), an Auror in the British Ministry of Magic, Eulalie "Lally" Hicks (Jessica Williams), a Professor at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizadry, Yusuf Kama (William Nadylan), a French Wizard, and Jacob Kowalski (Dan Folger), a Muggle, to stop his quest for Wizard domination.  Grindelwald is acquitted of his crimes by the International Confederation of Wizards (ICF) and is now running as a populist candidate (there is a bit of commentary on the rise of fascism that is pretty interesting) against Vicencia Santos (Maria Fernanda Candida) of Brazil and Liu Tao (Dave Wong) of China to be the Supreme Head of the ICF.  One of Newt's magical creatures overturns a manipulated election and Dumbledore's protection of Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) breaks the blood pact leading to an epic confrontation with Grindelwald.  Unlike the first two, I think this tells a more complete story that ties up most of its loose ends (I credit the improvement to Steve Kloves who co-wrote the screenplay with J.K. Rowling).  If this is to be the last movie in the franchise, as has been speculated, I think the resolution is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy.  As with the other movies my favorite moments involve Newt Scamander interacting with the magical creatures, particularly a hilarious scene when Newt must rescue Theseus from prison and an affecting scene where he saves a newborn creature.  There are also some exciting action sequences, including a duel between Dumbledore and Credence and the climactic battle, and some fun references to the Harry Potter movies (I loved the use of the original score).  Finally, I think recasting Mikkelsen as Grindelwald is a huge improvement over Johnny Depp, who was rather bland in the role, because he is much more menacing and he has great chemistry with Law.  I liked this movie enough to recommend it, especially to those who are already fans of the franchise.

Thierry Fischer Conducts Haydn 11, Arlene Sierra, Nielsen & Elgar

Last night's Utah Symphony concert will definitely be another one of my favorites this season!  It began with a small chamber group playing Symphony No. 11 by Franz Joseph Haydn.  This piece is very delicate with beautiful melodies and I especially enjoyed the themes played by the strings and the horns in the third movement.  Next, the full orchestra was joined by Anthony McGill as the soloist for Carl Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto.  This piece is very lively and energetic with what seems like a great battle between the clarinet and the snare drum but I found the ending to be quite surprising because it is almost anticlimactic as the melody just fades away in resignation.  I loved it!  As someone who played the clarinet, very badly, all through school beginning in the fifth grade, I loved hearing someone play the instrument brilliantly.  I loved watching McGill's fingers fly up and down the holes and keys and there was a small part of me that wished that I had kept playing.  After the intermission, the orchestra performed the world premiere of Bird Symphony by Composer-in-Association Arlene Sierra.  I must admit that it was absolutely thrilling to be the first to hear a brand new piece commissioned by the Utah Symphony!  I loved it and I think I enjoyed it even more than Sierra's Nature Symphony which was performed last weekend.  I especially liked the second movement because it features a recording of a birdsong and the orchestra interacts with it.  The concert concluded with In the South ("Alassio") by Edward Elgar.  I always think of Elgar's music as stately and dignified and this piece is no exception.  It was written while the composer was on holiday in Italy and it is meant to represent life during the Roman Empire.  I especially loved the theme played by the solo viola.  I enjoyed every piece performed during this beautiful concert and I cannot recommend tonight's performance of the same program enough (go here for tickets).

Note:  The adorable ladies who sit by me asked me if I had renewed my subscription for next season and they cheered when I told them that I had.  It will be Thierry Fischer's final season as Music Director and I am looking forward to so many concerts, including ones featuring Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev (go here to explore the season).

Fireflies at PTC

Last night I saw Pioneer Theatre Company's charming production of Fireflies and I thoroughly enjoyed this simple story about two people finding love late in life.  Eleanor Bannister (Joy Franz) is an uptight and lonely retired teacher living in the small town of Groverdell, Texas.  She is very set in her ways and is known as the most respected person in town but she has started questioning who she is and what she wants out of life after experiencing a panic attack.  Abel Brown (David Manis) is just passing through town when he notices that a recent storm has damaged the roof on a cottage that belongs to Eleanor.  He seeks her out and offers to repair it and she reluctantly agrees to let him.  A romance slowly blossoms between them but is he ready to settle down and is she right to trust him?  Franz is absolutely delightful as a curmudgeonly woman who delights in correcting everyone's grammar but she also imbues Eleanor with a little bit of vulnerability.  She has great chemistry with Manis and I loved her reaction when he kisses her.  As much as I enjoyed Franz and Manis, my favorite character was Eleanor's nosy neighbor Grace (Joy Lynn Jacobs).  Many of her over the top antics were greeted with hoots of laughter from the audience.  I also enjoyed it when Eugene Claymire (Tito Livas), a police officer who is also Eleanor's former student, spontaneously recites the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge when he is questioned about Abel but, as a former English teacher, I was probably the only one laughing at this!  All of the action takes place in Eleanor's well lived-in kitchen over the course of one week.  I really liked the attention to detail because the kitchen looks a bit tidier during every scene as if Eleanor is trying to impress Abel.  Another aspect of the production that really struck me was the lighting design, particularly the sunsets and night skies that are visible through the windows of the kitchen.  The whole show feels very authentic with likable characters who find an unexpected connection and I found it very heartwarming.  Fireflies runs at PTC through April 16 and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).

Like A Sister

My April Book of the Month selection was Like A Sister by Kellye Garrett (the other options were The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani, Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel, Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain, and True Biz by Sara Novic). Once again, none of the selections really jumped out at me so I defaulted to the thriller and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. Lena Scott is a graduate student at Columbia who could not be more different from her reality star half-sister Desiree Pierce. She has been estranged from her sister for the past two years because of her addictions and self-destructive behavior so, when Desiree's body is found at a playground near Lena's house in the Bronx, she feels tremendous guilt because she believes that Desiree was attempting to see her when she died. The police have ruled Desiree's death as an accidental overdose due to the heroin in her system but Lena knows that she would never shoot heroin because of her fear of needles. She is obsessed with finding out what really happened to her sister and begins trying to reconstruct her final days. Lena reaches out to her former reality show co-star, her new best friend, her on-again off-again boyfriend, and an old family friend who recently reentered her life. She must also reestablish contact with her father, the man who abandoned her and her mother when she was a child to start a new life with Desiree and her mother. All of these encounters lead to some uncomfortable truths about her sister and her family and they also put her life in danger. There are lots of twists and turns which kept me engaged with the murder mystery aspect of the narrative but I think I enjoyed the commentary on race, class, social media, and celebrity even more. Lena is an entertaining first-person narrator and I really appreciated her perspective on what it is like for a young Black woman to navigate life in today's society, particularly interactions with the police. Much of this novel is set in the world of hip-hop music (Lena and Desiree's father is a wealthy and influential music producer) and, while I did miss more than a few references, I found it to be fascinating. I especially enjoyed all of the scenes that take place backstage at various concerts because I have always wanted to know what really goes on before a performer takes the stage. I was also really intrigued by how social media is used to solve the mystery, especially posts on Instagram. It is a bit frightening how much someone can learn about you from your posts! I don't think I would have picked this novel if left to my own devices (one of the reasons why I like BOTM) but I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to fans of thrillers.

Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday is a British period drama (my favorite genre) set during the aftermath of the Great War (a time in history that fascinates me) featuring Colin Firth and Olivia Colman (two actors I admire greatly) about a forbidden romance between a servant and the son of an aristocratic family (swoon).  It seems to be a movie made especially for me and I went to see it last night believing that I would absolutely love it.  I didn't love it.  In fact, I found it to be quite underwhelming.  Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) is a maid in the home of Godfrey (Firth) and Clarrie (Colman) Niven, a couple who are almost debilitated by grief because both of their sons were killed during the war.  On Mother's Day the Nivens give Jane the day off because they are joining their friends, the Sheringhams and the Hobdays, for lunch to celebrate the forthcoming marriage of their children Paul Sheringham (Josh O'Connor) and Emma Hobday (Emma D'Arcy).  The lunch is fraught with tension because Emma was going to marry Paul's older brother James but he also died in the war and she seems ambivalent about marrying Paul.  It turns out that Paul is only marrying Emma out of a sense of obligation and, instead of joining the families for lunch, he invites Jane, with whom he has been having a passionate affair, to his estate for a tryst.  They enjoy the morning together in bed and, after he leaves to attend the lunch, she stays and wanders around the house (completely naked, as one does) admiring the paintings and books.  Later in the day she receives some devastating news and makes the decision to leave service.  These episodes are periodically interrupted by scenes in the near future when, while working at a bookstore, Jane meets her future husband Donald (Sope Dirisu) who convinces her to use her experiences to become a writer.  It ends with an older Jane (now played by Glenda Jackson) winning a prize for her writing.  The images on the screen are beautiful and lyrical but they don't really amount to much of anything because they are a series vignettes rather than a cohesive narrative.  I was often bored with what was happening (so many close-ups of characters smoking) and, despite some great performances, I didn't feel a connection to the characters.  I was never really sure if this was an indictment of the rigid class system (there is a bewildering reference to a race horse running free at the beginning and end), an exploration of grief, or a portrait of the artist as a young woman.  None of these themes are explored with any depth and I spent most of the runtime waiting for something, anything, to happen.  I wanted to love this but I left the theater feeling disappointed.  I recommend giving it a miss.

Ambulance

I am not a big fan of Michael Bay (a major understatement) but I thought the trailer for his latest movie, Ambulance, looked intriguing and I heard enough positive word of mouth to warrant seeing it last night.  I didn't hate it.  In fact, I liked it more than I thought I would!  Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a decorated combat veteran who is trying desperately to find the money for an experimental surgery that his wife needs.  He turns to his estranged brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal), a notorious bank robber, for a loan but gets drawn into his latest heist.  The job goes awry when an officer (Jackson White), spurred on by his partner (Cedric Sanders), enters the bank in order to make a date with one of the tellers and is shot by Will.  There is a dramatic shoot-out with the police and Danny and Will are the only members of the crew to make it out alive.  They hijack the ambulance transporting the injured officer and take Cam Thompson (Eiza Gonzalez), the cynical EMT treating him, hostage as they lead police, led by SIS Agent Monroe (Garrett Dillahunt) and FBI Agent Clark (Keir O'Donnell), on a high speed chase through rush hour traffic on the streets of Los Angeles.  Their escape is complicated by the need to keep the officer alive and by the involvement of one of Danny's criminal associates (A Martinez).  The action sequences are as chaotic as you would expect from Michael Bay (I saw it in IMAX and found all of the angles and fast cuts to be quite disorienting at times) but the story is surprisingly compelling with high stakes and characters that you actually care about.  I was especially invested in Will's fate and I was actually dreading what I imagined would be the inevitable conclusion (it was not what I was expecting).  Fans of the director are sure to enjoy this but I would also recommend it to anyone who enjoys action thrillers because it is a wild ride, especially on a Saturday night with a big tub of popcorn.

Hilary Hahn Plays Ginastera and Sarasate

I have been looking forward to last night's Utah Symphony concert for quite some time because it featured the return of fan favorite Hilary Hahn for the second time this season!  The orchestra began with Prelude a L'apres-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the afternoon of a Faun) by Claude Debussy and it was lovely.  I think this piece is incredibly romantic and it always reminds me of Spring (I once saw a beautiful performance by Ballet West to this music).  I especially enjoyed the themes played by the flute and the harp.  Next on the program was the U.S. premiere of Nature Symphony by Composer-in-Association Arlene Sierra.  According to the composer, each movement represents different processes within and against nature such as the migration of butterflies, the destruction of the landscape by fracking, and the rebellion of a bee colony.  I particularly liked the second movement because the main theme repeats and builds and builds in intensity (I loved the percussion).  After the intermission, Hahn joined the orchestra for Alberto Ginastera's Violin Concerto.  I was not at all familiar with this piece or this composer but I enjoyed it because it was very surrealistic.  The opening passage by the solo violin is incredibly technical and Hahn performed it brilliantly.  When the rest of the orchestra eventually joins the soloist it is very dramatic, especially the timpani and the brass.  Hahn returned once again for Fantasy on Bizet's Carmen by Pablo de Sarasate.  This is an adaptation of the Aragonaise, the Habanera, an interlude, the Seguidilla, and the Gypsy Dance from the well-known opera and it is meant to be a showpiece for the violin soloist (it often seemed like the orchestra was accompanying the violin).  It is another highly technical piece and, once again, Hahn gave an amazing performance.  This was definitely my favorite piece of the evening because I love Carmen so much.  It was the first opera that I saw performed live so it will always be among my favorites.  Hearing this version performed by Hahn and the orchestra pretty much blew me away!  The entire concert was pretty spectacular so I would definitely recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance of the same program (go here).

Everything Everywhere All at Once

To be honest, Everything Everywhere All at Once wasn't really on my radar until I started hearing a lot of positive buzz from South by Southwest.  The more I heard about it, the more I wanted to see it!  I had an opportunity to attend an early screening (which was completely packed) at the Broadway last night and I absolutely loved it!  Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is a middle-aged Chinese immigrant who runs a laundry, which is being audited by the IRS, with her husband Waymand (Ke Huy Quan).  She is extremely dissatisfied with the choices she has made in life and is disappointed with her relationships with her frivolous husband, her disapproving father Gong Gong (James Hong), and her wayward daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu).  While meeting with an IRS auditor (a hilarious Jamie Lee Curtis), an alternate version of her husband from a parallel universe confronts Evelyn and explains that there is a threat to the multiverse that only she can defeat.  It turns out that every choice a person makes creates a new universe and Evelyn is given the technology to access all of the alternate versions of herself in order to acquire their skills to use in the fight.  However, Evelyn eventually realizes that she must make peace with all of her perceived failures in order to defeat the threat.  The narrative is chaotic, strange, fantastical, and sometimes even ridiculous but it tells an incredibly touching story about the weight of missed opportunities and the pressures of living up to expectations (after laughing uproariously through most of it I had a tear in my eye at the resolution).  The images on the screen are gorgeous and I loved the fact that each of the multiverses has its own unique visual style with brilliant cinematography and editing.  The fight choreography is intense because most of it takes place inside the IRS building using everyday items found in an office.  My favorite sequence involved the use of a fanny pack to fight a group of security guards.  I enjoyed the entire cast (did I mention that Jamie Lee Curtis is hilarious?) but Michelle Yeoh gives a brilliant performance that showcases her amazing range (she performed most of her own stunts) and, even though it is still very early, I will go on record saying that she should be in contention for all of the Best Actress awards this year.  I am not exaggerating when I say that this is a masterpiece and it is currently my favorite movie of 2022.  See it on the big screen!

Another Jazz Game

My friend Angela invited me to another Jazz game last night and, because we had so much fun last time, I have been looking forward to it for weeks!  The Jazz clinched a playoff spot after winning their last game so several key players, including Donovan Mitchell, were sitting out in order to rest.  They played the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have a really bad record, so the atmosphere at the Vivint Arena was not quite as electric as the last time I was there but it ended up being a great game.  I actually thought it would be more of a rout than it was so I have to give the Thunder some credit for staying with the Jazz, even getting to within two points in the second quarter, until they were completely outplayed in the fourth quarter when the Jazz went on a 27-5 run.  Rudy Gobert was really fun to watch with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Bojan Bogdanovic had a great night with 27 points.  The Jazz ended up winning 137-101 but the best part of the evening was spending time with Angela.  We spent as much time chatting as we did watching the game!

Note:  Because the Thunder have such a poor record, tickets to this game were really cheap!  I paid more to park than I did to watch the game!

School of Rock at HCT

Several years ago I went on a theatre trip to New York with Hale Centre Theatre. On one of our free nights a group of HCT staff went to see the new musical School of Rock. The next morning they were all buzzing about it because it seemed like a good fit for HCT if they could find enough kids who played instruments. When HCT announced the 2022 season, one of the shows was left as TBA and, remembering those conversations, I suspected that it would be School of Rock and I was right! I had the chance to see the show last night and I loved it even more than the Broadway touring production I saw a few years ago! Dewey (Bryan Hague) is kicked out of his band No Vacancy right before the Battle of the Bands and his best friend Ned (Will Ingram), with whom he has been living for several years, is under pressure from his girlfriend Patty (Riley Squire) to get him to pay rent. Desperate to earn some money, Dewey takes a substitute teaching job at Horace Green Prep School that is meant for Ned. The students in his class are being crushed under the pressure put on them by their parents who don't understand them. After hearing them during their music class, Dewey decides to form a band with Zack (Cameron Dietlein) on lead guitar, Katie (Sydney Madsen) on bass, Lawrence (Miles Jeppson) on keyboard, Freddy (Nat Paxman) on drums, and Shonelle (Afton Grace Higbee) and Marcy (Alice Alcorn) on backing vocals. He recruits Billy (Amauree Mack) to be the band's stylist, James (Cade Hixon) as security, Mason (Nolan Reinbold) on tech, and Summer (Katherine Clark), the class know-it-all, as the band's manager. Tomika (Taryn Davis), a shy and insecure transfer student, eventually becomes the band's secondary lead singer. Being in the band gives the students more confidence so Dewey decides to enter them in the Battle of the Bands. He just needs to convince the uptight principal Ms. Mullins (Bailee Morris) to let him take the students on a field trip (in a hilarious scene involving the song "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks). The parents eventually catch on to Dewey's deception but the kids win them over with their performance at the Battle of the Bands. This kids in this show are insanely talented and play their instruments live on stage in the songs "You're In The Band," "Stick It To The Man," "Time To Play," and "School Of Rock."  Dewey's band No Vacancy, with Doug (James Densley) on drums, Theo (Memphis Hennesy) on guitar, Gary (Mark Maxson) on guitar, Snake (Brady Bills) on guitar, Kevin (Eric Noyes) on keyboard, Kyle (Kelly DeHaan) on keyboard, and Bob (Davin Tayler) on bass, perform "I'm Too Hot For You" during the Battle of the Bands and serve as the house band on stage for all of the other songs. They are also fantastic! Hague is incredibly charismatic as Dewey (he does a great job of differentiating his performance from Jack Black's in the movie) and he has a great rapport with the kids. Davis is my favorite young actor in the show because she portrays Tomika's vulnerability very well (after a poignant moment when Tomika proves that she deserves to be the lead singer, Davis broke character for a minute to smile at all of the applause and that was really endearing). The set is a lot of fun, particularly the halls and classrooms at the Horace Green Prep School and all of the speakers and flashing lights that come down from the rafters for the Olympic Powerhouse Club. I also liked the school uniforms worn by the kids (there are Horace Green Prep School patches on their blazers and school bags), especially when they are embellished for their performance. I had so much fun at this show (it will definitely be one of my favorites this year) and I highly recommend it but act quickly because tickets are going fast (go here).  School of Rock runs on the Young Living Main Stage through May 28.

You Won't Be Alone

I usually really enjoy horror films based on folklore but somehow I missed You Won't Be Alone at Sundance this year.  Luckily my favorite art house theater eventually screens the noteworthy films from Sundance (and other festivals) so I was able to see it last night.  It is slow and sometimes meandering but I found it to be a fascinating take on witchcraft and the nature of humanity.  In a remote mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, a disfigured shape-shifting witch (Anamaria Marinca) comes to claim a newborn baby.  Her distraught mother (Kamka Tocinovski) negotiates with the witch to allow her to keep the child until she turns sixteen and the witch unexpectedly agrees.  However, the mother, hoping to trick the witch, keeps the child hidden in a cave but the witch still comes to claim her at the appointed time (I really enjoyed this fairy-tale inspired prologue).  Nevena (Sara Klimoska) is feral after living in the cave her whole life and, despite being transformed into a witch herself, she is overcome by the beauty of nature.  When Nevena is left on her own, she assumes the shape of several villagers (Noomi Rapace and Carloto Cotta) out of curiosity but it is when she becomes the child Biliana (Anastasija Karanovich) that she discovers the joy of being human.  Nevena chooses to live as Biliana (Alice Englert) and finds happiness as a wife and mother but the witch, whose tragic backstory is revealed, warns her of the evil in the world.  Despite some really gruesome scenes involving body horror (the way the witches assume the shape of people and animals is quite disturbing), the visuals showing the simplicity of village life are beautiful and the score is haunting.  Most of the dialogue is an internal monologue from Nevena's perspective as she discovers the world and the people around her and this is a very effective way to explore many different themes, such as gender roles, community, and cycles of abuse, as Nevena experiences them.  It does get a bit repetitive and it definitely won't be for everyone but I thought it was very compelling.

Ballet West's Carmina Burana

I usually prefer seeing full-length ballets that tell a story but I have been trying to be bolder with my choices (especially with Ballet West and Utah Opera) so I went to Ballet West's production of Carmina Burana last night.  I am so glad that I did because this performance was simply amazing!  The first ballet was Glass Pieces with choreography by Jerome Robbins and music by Philip Glass.  It is meant to represent the random movements of New York commuters passing through Grand Central Station.  I really liked the entire ballet but my favorite was Movement 1.  The music is very chaotic and almost discordant as several groups of dancers walk back and forth across the stage in opposite directions.  Three main couples, Katlyn Addison and Dominic Ballard, Amy Potter and Hadriel Diniz, and Jenna Rae Herrera and Jordan Veit, dance individually and as a group before they begin interacting with the other dancers.  At first the other dancers simply step around them to get to their destination but the couples eventually begin to have an impact on select groups who join them and dance with abandon.  It is incredibly dynamic and I especially enjoyed seeing Addison, my favorite dancer in the company, perform a main role.  After the intermission, the entire company performed Carmina Burana with choreography by Nicolo Fonte and music by Carl Orff.  The text, which is based on a collection of medieval poetry, describes a wheel of fortune as it turns and features themes of luck and fate.  It is unbelievably dramatic and I had goosebumps multiple times!  The Cantorum Chamber Choir, under the direction of Chorus Master Steven Durtschi, is elevated above the stage on a platform with arches and columns holding it up and there were audible gasps from the audience when the curtain rose to reveal it for the first time.  Soprano Melissa Heath, Tenor Christopher Puckett, and Baritone Christopher Clayton also perform on stage, and even interact with the dancers at times, during several of the sections.  My favorite was "O Fortuna" at the opening and conclusion because it is so powerful!  The first section is about the rebirth found in Spring and the choreography is really energetic.  The second section is about feasting and drinking and the dances include a bit of debauchery which had the audience chuckling.  The third section involves romantic love and the movements of the dancers are incredibly tender.  I really liked Glass Pieces but Carmina Burana is absolutely brilliant and is not to be missed!  There are only three more performances so act quickly (go here for tickets)!

Note:  Ballet West has had an incredible season!  I have loved every production but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Dracula.

The Sound of Music at the Empress

Last night I went to the Empress Theatre for the first of three productions of The Sound of Music that I have scheduled this year.  Obviously I really love this show (although I actually prefer the 1965 movie starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer to the stage musical) and I had so much fun watching an aspiring nun sent to be the governess to the seven children of Captain von Trapp bring music back into his household.  I love every song (they are all so instantly recognizable and I really had to try hard not to sing along), particularly "The Sound of Music," "Maria," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Edelweiss," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," and "Somthing Good."  Laura Strong, who plays Maria, has a really beautiful voice (although there were lots of problems with her microphone) and I really enjoyed her interactions with the von Trapp children, Liesl (Kimberly Allred), Friedrich (Sam Selcho), Louisa (Brynlee Dalton), Kurt (Bridger Dalton), Birgitta (Mabel Utley), Marta (Roux Carter), and Gretl (Daphne Carter).  All of these young actors do a wonderful job, especially in "The Lonely Goatherd" and "So Long, Farewell."  I wish that there had been more interaction between Strong and and Don Smith, as Captain von Trapp, because their romance seems to come out of nowhere but I think that is a problem with the show itself rather than the actors.  Kacee Mickelsen, as the Mother Abbess, and Morgan Hekking, as Baroness Schrader, are the other standouts from the cast because they both are very powerful (even though Mickelsen also had issues with her microphone).  I really enjoyed the choreography, especially the entrance of the nuns in the opening number and the interplay between Liesl and Rolf (Patrick Hawkins) in "Sixteen Going on Seventeen."  The entire space is utilized very effectively, especially the stairs and the areas behind the top row of seats which feature a beautiful mural of mountains (it felt like we were actually sitting in the middle of the Alps), and I particularly loved the final scene as the vop Trapps climb to freedom.  This is the most elaborate set I've seen at the Empress and I was quite impressed with both the abbey and the von Trapp mansion.  Community theatre can sometimes be very quirky but this show equals many professional productions I've seen.  My only complaints are the aforementioned issues with the microphones and some of the transitions run a bit long (all of which will probably be resolved as the run continues).  I highly recommend this show which runs through April 16 (go here for tickets).

Note:  There was a couple sitting across the stage from me who were very obviously the parents of one of the children.  They literally beamed every time the children were on stage and I thought that was so sweet!