The Unsinkable Molly Brown at HCT

Many years ago I had the opportunity to see the Broadway touring production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown with Debbie Reynolds in the title role. I don't really remember much about the show except for the fact that I was incredibly star-struck by Reynolds! Last night I saw a brand-new production at HCT that is more historically accurate than the original version and I enjoyed it even though it has a few issues.  This musical tells the story of Margaret "Molly" Tobin Brown (Kelly Coombs) and her life in the mining town of Leadville, Colorado, her marriage to the miner JJ Brown (Kaden Caldwell), her life in Denver after striking it rich with the discovery of gold in her husband's mine, her work as a social reformer, a champion of women's rights, and a labor organizer, and her ill-fated voyage on the Titanic. Brown's story is compelling and Coombs gives an energetic performance but I found the character to be incredibly static because she is the same irrepressible figure from the moment we meet her testifying before a Senate committee on the Titanic disaster to the final scene where she advocates for immigration reform after several Titanic survivors are refused entry into the United States. Her first big song and dance number is "I Ain't Down Yet" and absolutely nothing gets her down, even when Denver society rejects her and when her husband is unfaithful to her, for the entire duration of the show and I found it to be very one-note and exhausting to watch. The revised book by Dick Scanlan places all of the action during Act I in Leadville as Brown interacts with characters drawn from real life and I think it gets really bogged down (my mind sometimes wandered in between musical numbers). Conversely, I think events in Act II are rushed and I would have liked to see more about her time in Europe. Having said that, every aspect of the production itself is outstanding. As previously mentioned, Coombs is delightful and so is Caldwell, especially when he gets exasperated with Molly. My favorite songs are "I Ain't Down Yet," "Belly Up to the Bar, Boys," "Beautiful People of Denver," and "Share the Luck." The choreography in these songs is so much fun and the large ensemble execute it well. I was very impressed with how the sinking of the Titanic is staged because it features dramatic sound and light design. The costumes are wonderful, particularly all of Molly's highly embellished dresses in Act II. As is often the case with HCT, the set is amazing with elaborate pieces coming in from the wings, up from the pit, and down from the rafters. I especially enjoyed the mine and cabins in Leadville, the garden in Denver, the Brown mansion, and the lifeboat. Finally, the projections featuring historical photos and documents are fascinating and very well done. Having a postcard of the Titanic move from one LED screen to another to show the progress of the ship and then rip in half when it sinks is so clever! HCT does a great job with this show and, even though it has a few minor character development and pacing issues, I would definitely recommend it.  Go here for tickets but act quickly because many shows are already sold out.

Alice in Chains at USANA

I really love Alice in Chains (I listened to their album Dirt just about every time I got in my car for at least a year) and I have always wanted to see them in concert.  I finally had the chance to see them, in a triple bill with Bush and Breaking Benjamin, at USANA Amphitheatre last night and it was the perfect end of summer concert!  It was a lot of fun because everyone around me was there to see a different band (I think it is really funny that so many people around me initiated conversations with me for some reason) but cheered for all of them.  I was, of course, there for Alice in Chains but I enjoyed the other sets, as well.  I also used to be a big fan of Bush back in the day and I was happy to hear "Machinehead," "Everything Zen," "Glycerine," and "Comedown" which were favorites of mine.  They also played "Flowers On a Grave," a song from their latest album which I was not familiar with but really liked, while Gavin Rossdale ran through the crowd.  I didn't know very many Breaking Benjamin songs (the girls next to me were huge fans) but I really liked "Sooner or Later," "Breath," "Give Me a Sign," "Until the End," and "I Will Not Bow."  They also performed an amazing cover of Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever" which I loved (and the girls next to me had never heard before).  Alice in Chains took the stage at about 9:30 and they played all of my favorites including "Them Bones," "Dam That River," "Angry Chair," "Man in the Box," "No Excuses," "Down in a Hole" (my very favorite AIC song), and "Would?"  I had wondered how the band would sound with William DuVall on lead vocals after the tragic death of Layne Staley but these songs sounded amazing!  DuVall sounds a lot like Staley but has his own distinct style and I think he is a great fit with the band.  They did play several songs from their last three albums with DuVall, but I have to admit that I loved the hits and sang every word (I amused the girls next to me to no end).  A really touching moment came when the band dedicated "Nutshell" to Staley because the audience lit up their phones and it looked so cool.  I was hoping that they would play "Rooster," another favorite of mine, and, luckily enough, they ended their set with it!  This was such a great concert and I am so glad that I got to cross Alice in Chains off my list of bands that I want to see (Pearl Jam is still at the top).

Note:  I think that USANA Amphitheatre is a great venue for concerts but it can be extremely difficult to get out of the parking lot after the show (unless you are my brother-in-law).  This time I decided to get VIP parking which is a bit expensive but worth every penny because I was out of the parking lot in less than ten minutes!

National Theatre Live: Henry V

Once again the Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah is joining with Salt Lake Film Society to bring National Theatre Live performances to the Broadway.  I was able to see my first production, William Shakespeare's Henry V starring Kit Harington filmed live from the Donmar Warehouse, yesterday and I loved it!  This play, where a once wayward prince earns his crown with blood, is incredibly compelling (it is one of my favorites) and this production has a contemporary setting making it even more powerful.  After succeeding to the throne of England, Henry (Harington) is informed that he has a tenuous claim to the French throne and, knowing that a foreign conquest will solidify his popularity with the people, he begins a war with France.  Outnumbered five to one, Henry rallies his troops for battle with the famous St. Crispin's Day speech (Harington's delivery gave me goosebumps) and, despite the overwhelming odds, achieves a decisive victory.  He wins the throne of France and the hand of the reluctant Katherine (Diany Samba-Bandza) thus beginning his reign as of one of England's most notable kings.  What I found intriguing about this production, aside from the contemporary setting, is that Henry is not portrayed as a patriotic hero as is usually the case.  Rather, he is incredibly ruthless and is as addicted to power as he used to be to alcohol.  There were so many memorable moments, including the opening scene when Henry enters a nightclub to meet Falstaff (Adam Maxey) and literally vomits on the floor, when Henry descends from above to inspect his troops ("Once more into the breach"), when Bardolph (Claire-Louise Cordwell), a former friend, is hanged for looting (this is unbelievably shocking), when the executed French prisoners (this is usually portrayed off stage) leave their boots on the stage and then exit while a requiem is sung, when Henry coerces a kiss from Katherine, and when the Chorus (Millicent Wong) accuses Henry in the final scene.  The staging of the Battle of Agincourt, which includes the sound of machine guns and helicopters as well as the use of smoke and strobe lights, is highly effective at portraying the brutality of war because it is almost overwhelming.  I liked having the courtiers of both England and France wear tailored suits (black for England and grey for France) and the soldiers wear camouflage fatigues with machine guns rather than swords and I absolutely loved the minimal set which features three large steps and a wall that opens to become an illuminated St. George's Cross.  Harington gives a phenomenal performance but I also enjoyed Olivier Hubbard as the cocky Dauphin as well as the women who portray many of the English and French Dukes.  I would have loved to have been a part of the actual audience for this brilliant production but this is the next best thing because the cameras captured the action so well.  I will definitely be attending more National Theatre Live performances in the future (go here for more information).

Imagine at Sandy Amphitheater

I had so much fun last night because I got to see Imagine, a fantastic Beatles cover band, at Sandy Amphitheater.  At this show they styled themselves as Imagine + because they performed with an orchestra and it was amazing!  I loved every minute of it!  Imagine consists of Tom Coburn as John Lennon, Bryan Hague as Paul McCartney, Brad Armstrong as George Harrison, and Mark Robinette as Ringo Starr and they look and sound a lot like the Fab Four complete with the mop-top haircuts and Liverpudlian accents.  During their first set they wore the black suits and Cuban-heeled boots the Beatles wore on the Ed Sullivan Show and performed "I Saw Her Standing There," "All My Loving," "Please Please Me," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "I'll Follow The Sun," "A Hard Day's Night," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "And I Love Her" (one of my favorite Beatles songs), "Help," "Yesterday," "Drive My Car," "Eleanor Rigby," "She Loves You," and "Something in the Way."  I loved all of the witty banter in between all of the songs!  After the intermission, they returned to the stage wearing the iconic Sgt. Pepper's uniforms and started this set, of course, with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "With a Little Help From My Friends."  They continued with "Here Comes the Sun," "I Am the Walrus," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "Yellow Submarine," "Penny Lane," "Come Together," "Get Back," "Day in the Life" (which was my favorite performance of the evening), and "Got to Get You Into My Life."  I was hoping that they would play "Hey Jude" and they did during the encore (including the requisite audience participation during the extended chorus which made me positively giddy) followed by a rousing rendition of "Lady Madonna."  I really love the Beatles and I would give anything to have been able to see them in concert (alas, I was born too late) but cover bands like Imagine let me at least pretend that I am at a Beatles concert.  It was a great show and the temperature was actually really pleasant (my last concert at Sandy Amphitheater was so hot) so I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  There are a few summer concerts at Sandy Amphitheater left (go here for tickets) and I recommend listening to some great music under the stars.

Note:  I have one more outdoor concert at Sandy Amphitheater and one at USANA left this summer!

Disenchanted at the Grand Theatre

Last night I went to the Grand Theatre to see a production, in partnership with On Pitch Performing Arts, of Disenchanted.  I was not at all familiar with this musical but it is absolutely hilarious!  Masters of Ceremonies, Snow White (Christy Rolfe), Cinderella (Cariel Goodwin), and Sleeping Beauty (Chelsea Morris), along with their accompanist (Jennifer Morgan), present a vaudeville show telling how it really went down with all of the princesses before Walt got a hold of their stories!  Belle (Amy Shaffer) describes how crazy it is to live with objects that talk to her all of the time in "Insane," Hua Mulan (Jason Sin) explains why she really dressed like a man (spoiler alert: she's a lesbian) in "Without The Guy," the Little Mermaid (Andrea Del Mar Santiago) regrets her decision to give up her tail in "Two Legs," Pocahontas (Erin Dawson) points out all of the historical inaccuracies in her portrayal in "Honestly," the Princess Who Kissed a Frog (Quesley Bunch) wonders why it took so long for her to become a storybook princess in "Finally," and Princess Badroulbador (Allegra-Bree Mooreno) laments the fact that her name was changed to Jasmine and that she was relegated to a mere love interest in "Secondary Princess."  The ensemble speaks out about the fact that they were all drawn by men in "Big Tits," that they did not receive any compensation for their life stories in "Not Von Red Cent" featuring Rapunzel (Jenn Tate), that they are forced to starve themselves to keep their figures in "All I Wanna Do Is Eat," and the fact that the princes get all of the credit in the expletive laden "A Happy Tune."  They end the show with the message that they are all good enough as they really are in "Perfect" and a request that you forget the princesses you know in "One More Happ'ly Ever After."  I laughed and laughed at this show and I loved all of the funny little details such as when a stage hand brings out a leaf blower during Pocahontas' song and when Cinderella exchanges her glass slippers for Mickey Mouse slippers because her feet hurt!  Some of the cast members are better singers than others (Bunch was my favorite) but all of their characterizations are brilliant.  Their sparkly costumes incorporate the iconic elements that the Disney Princesses are known for but they have been adapted to be more appropriate for a stage show at a nightclub and they are so much fun.  The audience is sitting right on the stage so it has the feel of an intimate cabaret show and even features audience participation (I was singled out because I was sitting away from everyone else).  I had so much fun watching this musical spoof and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Note:  This show features humor and language that some might find inappropriate.

Enchanted April at HCTO

Last night I went to see HCTO's delightful production of Enchanted April and I thoroughly enjoyed it!  In England after World War I Lotty Wilton (Stephanie Breinholt) is finding her life and her marriage to Mellersh (Marshall Lamm) to be unsatisfactory.  She sees an advertisement for a medieval castle in Italy to let for the month of April and begins to dream of the possibility of taking it.  The dream becomes a reality when she meets Rose Arnott (Christie Gardiner), a pious and uptight woman who is also struggling in her marriage to Frederick (Jon Liddiard), at her Ladies Club and convinces her to come along.  They decide that it would be more economical to have two more women join them and they create their own advertisement.  It is answered by the wealthy and aimless Lady Caroline Bramble (Kelly Cook) and the imperious widow Mrs. Graves (Karen Baird).  At first their interactions at the castle are tense but soon all four of these unhappy women, as well as their husbands, begin to bloom under the wisteria and sunshine of San Salvatore.  I really love this story because it is all about finding light when life seems at its darkest and I think this is a message we can all benefit from.  The four main women in the cast are all wonderful, especially Breinholt as the free-spirited Lotty, but I absolutely loved Celine Morton as the cook Costanza because, even though all of her dialogue is in Italian, her facial expressions and over the top gestures are hilarious and I also enjoyed Lamm, especially his attempts to speak Italian.  The rotating set is very simple and becomes a Ladies Club, the Wilton residence, the Arnott residence, the Bramble residence, the Graves residence, and a train compartment with the addition of just a few props in the first act and then it is miraculously transformed into the terrace of San Salvatore with a wisteria covered pergola in the second act.  The audience literally gasped when the transformation occurred (you have to see it to believe it).  I say this in every review but I am always so impressed with what HCTO is able to do on such a small stage and I was particularly struck by how the scene where Lotty and Rose tell their husbands that they are going to Italy is staged because it happens simultaneously in the same space (it is choreographed so well because both couples even use the same tea service).  This is a simple play but I walked out of the theatre with a huge smile on my face and I definitely recommend it (go here for tickets).

Fall

I had only the most desultory interest in Fall but I randomly decided to see it last night.  I enjoyed it but, let me tell you, do not go see this movie if you are the least bit scared of heights!  Trust me on this!  After a tragic climbing accident resulting in the death of her husband a year earlier, Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) is cajoled into climbing a 2,000 foot decommissioned TV tower in the middle of nowhere by her best friend Hunter (Virginia Gardner) in an attempt to help her move past her grief and fear.  The climb to the top is exhilarating and they celebrate their success by filming some amazing footage using a drone but, as they attempt to descend, complications ensue and they are trapped on a tiny platform.  There is no way down and no way to communicate with anyone for help.  Will they survive?  There are some incredibly nerve-wracking scenes filled with almost unbearable tension, especially when the girls climb the tower with glimpses of how structurally unsound it is interspersed throughout.  The visuals are also quite impressive in showing the scale of the tower and, even though I don't suffer from vertigo, I had to look away several times!  The narrative does start to lose steam in the third act with a subplot that feels shoehorned in just to add to the runtime and an ending that is a bit anticlimactic after the buildup.  Curry and Gardner give outstanding physical performances but their acting won't be winning any awards, although this could be because much of the dialogue is cringe-worthy (I'm not familiar with either of these actresses).  This reminded me so much of 47 Meters Down and, as with that movie, I think it is a lot of fun and should be seen on the big screen for maximum anxiety!

Beast

Last night I spontaneously decided to see Beast and I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting.  After his estranged wife dies from cancer, Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) takes his two teenage daughters Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Nora (Leah Sava Jeffries), who blame him for abandoning their mother during her illness, to her village in South Africa to try and repair his relationship with them.  They stay with Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), a family friend who manages a game reserve, and the four of them eventually go out on a game drive together.  When they stop in another village, they discover that every inhabitant has been savagely killed by a lion which, as Martin explains, is unusual behavior.  It turns out that poachers have killed this lion's entire pride and he is fighting back.  This includes injuring Martin and trapping Nate and his daughters in their incapacitated jeep.  Nate must now fight for the survival of his family against a relentless predator.  Despite some incomprehensibly bad decisions made by most of the characters (the daughters are told to stay in the vehicle at least 812 times and, you guessed it, they don't stay in the vehicle) and a predictable outcome, there are some really tense action scenes that had me holding my breath.  These are definitely enhanced by long tracking shots that are almost more menacing for what they don't show than what they do because I was always on edge not knowing where the lion would come from.  Elba is really great as an action hero (the final confrontation between his character and the lion is fantastic if a bit improbable) but he also delivers in the poignant scenes between Nate and his daughters.  Copley, who always seems slightly unhinged to me, is also really believable as a naturalist and the young actresses have nice interactions with Elba.  This is a well-crafted thriller that is more entertaining than the usual late summer fare and I recommend it!

The Drowsy Chaperone at Murray Park Amphitheater

Last night I saw my third production this year of The Drowsy Chaperone at Murray Park Amphitheater (go here for the production at the Empress Theatre and here for the one at HCTO).  I obviously love this show because, like Man in Chair, I believe in the power of musical theatre to take you away from your problems to a place where happy endings are possible for a few hours!  This show is a hilarious spoof of the genre and, as Man in Chair (JD Ramey) listens to his favorite Broadway cast recording of the popular 1920s musical The Drowsy Chaperone, he stops frequently to poke fun at all of the musical theatre tropes used in the show as the cast brings it to life in the middle of his apartment!  Mrs. Tottendale (Natalie Savage) and her Underling (Erik Christianson) are hosting the wedding of oil tycoon Robert Martin (Dallin Lewis) to the Broadway star Janet Van De Graaff (Emily Witte) who is giving up her glamorous career for love.  Robert is leaving the wedding details to George (Jenson Haws), his best friend and best man, while Janet's Chaperone (Macy Rhees), who gets drowsy when she drinks, is charged with keeping the couple apart to avoid bad luck.  Broadway producer Feldzieg (Kevin Elzey) is unhappy about losing his biggest star so he sets out to stop the wedding by hiring the famous Latin lover Adolpho (Damon Yauney) to seduce the bride.  An investor in the Feldzieg Follies is also worried about losing its star and hires two gangsters (Daniel Bearss and Alessandro Falabella), disguised as pastry chefs, to stop the wedding but a ditzy chorus girl named Kitty (Meagan Rudd) is hoping to take Janet's place.  Mayhem ensues but the happy ending comes eventually when Trix the Aviatrix (Ashley Gates) is enlisted to marry four couples on her plane while flying to Rio.  It is hilarious when the cast freezes in place every time the Man in Chair stops the record, when they perform the same movement over and over when the record has a scratch, and when they perform as different characters when the Main in Chair accidentally starts the wrong record at the beginning of Act 2.  I really enjoyed seeing Ramey once again as Man in Chair (he performed the role in the SCERA production last year) because he is really funny in his interactions with the audience but he also shows a lot of vulnerability when he compares this musical to real life in "Love Is Always Lovely in the End."  The rest of the cast also does a great job with Yauney and Rhees as standouts, especially in "I Am Adolpho."  The choreography is a lot of fun, particularly the tap dancing in "Cold Feets," and the rollerskating in "Accident Waiting to Happen," and the cast is fantastic in the big song and dance numbers "Toledo Surprise" and "I Do, I Do in the Sky."  Finally, I loved the set because the Man in Chair's elaborate apartment takes up the entire stage and the actors in the show enter from the refrigerator and from behind bookcases with minimal props (it reminded me of the set when I saw the Broadway touring production several years ago).  I had so much fun watching this show under the stars and I definitely recommend getting a ticket to one of the two remaining performances (go here).

Note:  As with The Sound of Music, I enjoyed all three productions of this show for different reasons and I can't pick a favorite!

Daisy Darker

My August Book of the Month selection was Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (the other options were Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter, Small Angels by Lauren Owen, Bronze Drum by Phong Nguyen, When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford, and The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias) and I loved this homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Beatrice Darker, a well-known children's author, invites the members of her estranged family and close family friend Conor Kennedy to Seaglass, her house on a remote island off the Cornish coast that is only accessible during low tide, to celebrate her 80th birthday. She believes that this will be her last birthday because of a fortune teller's prediction so she takes this opportunity to inform her family, including son Frank, his ex-wife Nancy, her granddaughters Rose, Lily, and Daisy, and her great-granddaughter Trixie, about the contents of her will which angers them. At the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages outside, the family discovers the body of Beatrice and it appears that she has been murdered. They also find a poem written by Beatrice which details how the rest of the family will eventually be murdered. They are trapped on the island because it is high tide and they cannot get cell service to call for help. Soon more members of the family are killed in the manner described by Beatrice's poem as the dwindling number of survivors try frantically to figure out who the murderer is and, more importantly, who might be next! Daisy, who was born with a debilitating heart condition, is the first-person narrator who provides the backstory, and reveals the secrets, of each of the characters and I really enjoyed this device because these details relate directly to Beatrice's poem (just as the nursery rhyme "Ten Little Indians" counts down the deaths in And Then There Were None) and I kept going back to it to see who might be next! I loved the use of the crumbling Gothic mansion and the desolate and craggy island as the setting because the isolation enhances the tension and the suspense (I love locked room mysteries). There is a twist at the end that seems absolutely bonkers but it makes sense if you think about everything that has been revealed (you will definitely need to go back and read the editor's note at the beginning again). I really enjoyed this (I like Alice Feeney more and more with every one of her books I read) and I recommend it to fans of atmospheric murder mysteries.

Emily the Criminal

I missed Emily the Criminal at Sundance this year so I went to see it at the Broadway last night and I found it to be incredibly compelling and thought provoking.  Emily Benetto (Aubrey Plaza) has a menial job as a delivery person for a catering company because she is unable to get a better paying one due to a felony conviction on her record.  She can barely pay the interest on her exorbitant student loans so, when a colleague offers her an opportunity to make $200 for an hour of work, she is intrigued.  She discovers that this "opportunity" is a credit card fraud ring run by Youcef (Theo Rossi) and she is asked to buy a flat screen TV with a fake credit card and ID.  Her next job, which involves buying a car, turns violent when the scam is discovered.  However, in her desperation, she becomes more and more involved with the ring and Youcef with even higher stakes.  This is an interesting and timely exploration of how difficult it is for working class people to get ahead in a late capitalist society and Emily is a character that many, unfortunately, can relate to.  She is not really meant to be viewed as a hero because a lot of her actions are reprehensible but it isn't hard to sympathize with her, especially after the humiliation she experiences when trying to explain her criminal record during job interviews, asking for more hours at a job in which she has no rights or benefits, and serving catered lunches to her condescending peers.  Plaza, who is hit or miss with me, gives a fierce and powerful performance that is definitely one of the best of her career.  This movie is a bit under the radar but I think it is well worth seeking out and I recommend it.

See How They Run at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

I have been looking forward to the Terrace Plaza Playhouse's production of See How They Run for months because I played Miss Skillon in high school! It is such a funny play and I thoroughly enjoyed myself watching it last night! The action takes place in the vicarage of a village called Merton-Cum-Middlewick during World War II. An American soldier stationed in England named Clive (Andrew Heyward) visits his old friend Penelope (Amelia Joan Bowles) who is now married to the Rev. Lionel Toop (Josh Curtis). Ida (Kellie Chapman), her cockney maid who loves American movies, is flustered by his arrival but Miss Skillon (Jennifer Westfall), a meddling spinster who is sweet on Rev. Toop, is convinced that Penelope is having an affair with him and imbibes too much cooking sherry. Penelope proposes that Clive wear the Rev. Toop's second best suit and clerical collar so that they can dodge army regulations and see a play together. Add Penelope's sedate uncle the Bishop of Lax (Duane Beesley), the mild-mannered visiting clergyman Rev. Arthur Humphrey (Josh Astle), and an escaped Russian spy (Danny Hall) and mayhem ensues when all five men end up chasing each other in clerical garb! The action is incredibly fast-paced and you almost can't catch your breath in between fits of laughter! I especially loved when Clive, Toop, the Bishop, and the Russian spy jump over the prostrate Miss Skillon as they run in and out of the drawing room and then jump again even though she is no long there the second time they run through (this was my favorite scene in my high school production even though I always worried that they wouldn't jump in time!). I also loved all of the scenes with various characters hiding in the cupboard (my family and friends loved those scenes in my high school production because of all of my funny poses). The cast is outstanding and they handle all of the physical comedy so well! Curtis is particularly hilarious whenever he becomes exasperated (which is most of the time) and I loved Beesley's facial expressions as he becomes more and more outraged at the goings-on! Of course I spent most of my time watching Westfall (apparently I still remember all of my lines and blocking) and I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear at all of her antics! I was absolutely giddy during the entire show because I loved every aspect of the production, including the set, the costumes, and the performances!  Based on the audience's reactions, I was not alone! I highly recommend this show which runs through September 17 (go here for tickets). I may need to see it again!

Note:  As expected, this show made me incredibly nostalgic! I had so much fun playing Miss Skillon because it was the biggest role I had ever had and because I became very good friends with the entire cast!

Bodies Bodies Bodies

I kept hearing good things about Bodies Bodies Bodies so I decided to see it last night and I am so glad that I did because it is an incredibly entertaining dark comedy!  A wealthy recovering addict named Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) brings her new working-class girlfriend Bee (Maria Bakalova) to a house party thrown by her childhood friend David (Pete Davidson) at his family's mansion where they all plan to ride out a hurricane.  The party consists of their wealthy and vacuous twenty-something friends Emma (Chase Sui Wonders), Jordan (Myha'la Herrold), Alice (Rachel Sennott), and Alice's much older boyfriend Greg (Lee Pace).  Tensions are already running high with old resentments and recriminations when they decide to play "Bodies Bodies Bodies" which is a murder in the dark game.  When they find a body in the game they begin to argue over the identity of the murderer but then the lights go out because of the storm and they start turning on each other after discovering a real dead body.  This is an edge-of-your-seat whodunit that kept me guessing until the end with a twist that I definitely did not see coming (some people in my audience gasped during the reveal but most laughed out loud).  The dialogue is razor sharp with a satirical look at the inability of Gen Zers to relate to each other without social media.  One of my favorite moments is when Greg, who is older than everyone else at the party, attempts to explain the meaning of a popular expression that the rest of them do not understand.  I really enjoyed the characterization throughout because, even though they are all incredibly insufferable and unsympathetic people, they behave in a way that is consistent with how they are first introduced which makes watching what they do very interesting.  The ensemble cast is outstanding with Sennott as the standout (I laughed at just about everything her character says).  Finally, I loved all of the practical lighting effects (especially the glow sticks) because they really add to the tension.  Honestly, I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting because it is so much better than the trailer would suggest.

Legally Blonde at the Empress

Yesterday I went to a matinee performance of Legally Blonde at the Empress Theatre and it was a really fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  Elle Woods (Andey Samhain), a fashion merchandising student at UCLA, is sure that her boyfriend Warner Huntington III (KC Cook) is about to propose but he breaks up with her instead.  He is going to Harvard Law School and needs a more serious girl for the future he imagines.  She decides to prove him wrong and succeeds in getting into to Harvard Law School but no one there takes her seriously, especially the notoriously difficult Professor Callahan (Matthew Black) and Warner's new girlfriend Vivienne Kensington (Mackenzie Haslam).  A teaching assistant named Emmett Forrest (Jake Oaklyn) and a beautician named Paulette Bonafonte (Mya Sanchez) show her that she has what it takes to be a lawyer and she eventually gets an acquittal for her client, fitness guru Brooke Wyndham (Charity Jones).  The story is pretty faithful to the 2001 movie of the same name (except for a silly subplot involving Paulette's dream of meeting a handsome Irishman).  I am usually not a fan of turning a popular movie into a musical because I think they are very contrived but, despite the fact that the action gets bogged down a bit in the second act, I actually liked a lot of the songs.  My favorites were "What You Want," "Positive," "Blood in the Water," "Chip On My Shoulder," and "Whipped Into Shape."  I really liked the use of Elle's sorority sisters, Serena (Alayna Bria), Margot (Bridges Eatchel), and Pilar (Kimberly Webb-Zimmerman), as a Greek Chorus whenever she needs inspiration.  The choreography by Ashley Lynn Loewer is a lot of fun and the cast is very enthusiastic in executing it.  The stage has been transformed by Candice Jorgensen into a Harvard University courtyard with brick walls, the law school insignia, and photos of notable women in the legal profession (my favorite was Ruth Bader Ginsburg).  Pink metallic door curtains are located in the balcony where the Greek Chorus appears and set pieces for the classroom, court room, and beauty parlor are brought on and off stage as needed.  The preppy costumes worn by the law school students are a great contrast with the vibrant pink of Elle's wardrobe.  The best part of this show, in my opinion, is Samhain's performance because she is absolutely perfect as the irrepressible Elle.  I also want to give a shout-out to Chip who plays Bruiser because he is adorable (and so well-behaved!).  I had a great time watching this show and I recommend it to fans of the movie (go here for tickets).

Note:  I've noticed that the Empress often casts their shows without regard to race, gender, or body type.  I find it very refreshing!

Jurassic World in Concert

Watching a movie on the big screen while a symphony orchestra plays the score live is so much fun because it is such an immersive experience.  It is one of my favorite activities because it combines my love of film and my love of symphonic music!  Last night I was so happy to be back at Abravanel Hall for Jurassic World while the Utah Symphony played the score by Michael Giacchino (who is becoming one of my favorite movie composers).  This is my favorite movie in the Jurassic World trilogy and my second favorite in the franchise (after Jurassic Park) so I really enjoyed seeing it again.  Twenty years after the incident on Isla Nublar, the new and improved Jurassic World theme park is a success but profits are slowing down because the public is no longer awe-struck by the dinosaurs.  The owner of the park (Irrfan Khan) wants a dinosaur that is bigger, faster, and scarier to impress the public so Dr. Wu (BD Wong) genetically engineers the Indominus Rex.  Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), the director of operations at the park, invites her nephews Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Ty Simkins) for a weekend at the park but doesn't have time for them and they eventually take off on their own.  The owner of the park is concerned about the safety of the Indominus Rex enclosure and asks Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), a Velociraptor expert, to inspect it.  Grady is horrified because the genetically modified dinosaur is an unknown factor and its behavior cannot be predicted.  Eventually, the Indominus Rex escapes from its enclosure and threatens Zach and Gray.  The head of security (Vincent D'Onofrio), who wants to weaponize the Velociraptors, releases them into the park to attack the Indominus Rex and an epic battle ensues.  The themes played by the percussion (I loved the timpani and the gong) and the horns are ominous and menacing during the many chase scenes and there is a particularly affecting theme played by the piano and strings when Claire and Grady watch one of the dinosaurs die.  I also really enjoyed the callbacks to the original score by John Williams when Zach and Gray discover the abandoned remains of the visitor's center from the old Jurassic Park.  The entire score is incredibly thrilling and, as if often the case, I found myself watching the orchestra rather than the screen (especially all of the percussion).  I loved it!  This concert is being performed again tonight (go here for tickets) and I recommend it for the whole family (it is a great way to introduce kids to the symphony).

Note:  The Films in Concert for the 2022-2023 season are The Goonies, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, The Nightmare Before Christmas, An American in Paris, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (squeal).  They all sound like so much fun (go here for tickets).

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real at Sandy Amphitheater

I was first introduced to Promise of the Real when they backed Neil Young several years ago.  I really love their rock-country sound so I try to see them whenever they make a stop in SLC.  Last night they were at Sandy Amphitheater and it was a fantastic concert (I've been looking forward to it all summer).  I love Lukas Nelson's voice (he sounds a lot like his dad Willie Nelson but a bit sultrier) and I think he is a great frontman because he is so energetic.  He wasn't as talkative as he usually is but I was sitting really close to the stage on the second row so it was really exciting to watch him play the guitar.  They played "Sticks and Stones," "Four Letter Word," "Every Time He Drinks He Thinks of Her" (a Willie Nelson song), "Fool Me Once," "Just Outside of Austin," "Leave 'em Behind," "(Forget About) Georgia," "Simple Life," "Carolina," "Die Alone," "Find Yourself" (which included some audience participation), "Turn Off the News (Build a Garden)," "More Than We Can Handle," and "I'm Giving You Away."  Then the band left the stage and Nelson performed an acoustic version of "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" which, as he told the crowd, is his favorite song by his dad.  Then he moved to the piano for a very heart-felt version of "Smile."  The band returned for "Start to Go" and then ended their set, just like they did last year at Red Butte Garden, with a rousing rendition of "Something Real."  One of my very favorite songs from Promise of the Real is "Set Me Down on a Cloud."  I really love it and listen to it all the time but I had never heard it performed live (I was quite disappointed not to hear it the first time I saw the band).  I was absolutely thrilled when I heard the opening notes during the encore (I may or may not have screamed during the guitar solo).  I love outdoor concerts and, even though it was so hot, I really enjoyed myself!

Note:  The Sandy Amphitheater is a great venue for concerts and there are still quite a few more on the schedule this summer (I have tickets to two more).  Go here for more information and tickets.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at CPT

I have seen Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat more times than I can count (it is very popular in Utah) so I have become a bit disenchanted with it and it takes a really great production for me to enjoy it (go here for my favorite production in recent years). I had the chance to see CPT's version last night with both of my sisters and I am happy to report that it is, indeed, great and that I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  The set resembles an interactive museum with three large display cases containing exhibits from history which change for each of the big song and dance numbers (I loved the dinosaur skeleton and the planets hanging from the ceiling at the beginning of the show).  The exhibits feature a Western tableau for "One More Angel in Heaven," a factory for "Potiphar," a 1950s diner complete with a jukebox for "Song of the King," a Parisian cafe with the Eiffel Tower in the background for "Those Canaan Days," and a Caribbean scene complete with steel drums for "Benjamin's Calypso." The Narrator (McKenna Kay Jensen) acts as a docent (she even has a name tag) telling the Biblical story of Joseph (Matt Taylor) to a group of children (Soren Ray, Ross Clemens, Corbin Aaron, Eden Liljenquist, Olivia Larsen, Savannah Caldwell, and Ella Jensen). Joseph appears in a glass case and comes to life when one of the children hands him his coat of many colors. The story continues to unfold as the children interact with the characters and bring them to life. The children even tell their parents what they have learned from their visit during "Joseph Megamix" which is really clever! This concept provides cohesion to the story and I really enjoyed the bigger role performed by the children's choir (they are adorable). I also really enjoyed the costumes because they are fairly simple with just the addition of accessories for the various numbers (my favorite accessory was a pair of blue suede shoes for the Pharoah). I like productions that don't get too kitschy with the sets and costumes! Jensen has a beautiful voice as the Narrator and almost blows the roof off of the theatre several times and Taylor does a great job as Joseph, especially with "Any Dream Will Do" and "Close Every Door." The brothers (Doug Caldwell, Thad Weiland, Jeremy Botelho, Greg Larson, Taylor Smith, Paul Dixon, John Richards, Jacob Plaizier, Chris Kennedy, Landon LeBaron, and Tyler West) and wives (Angela LeBaron, Kirsi Jarvis, Mary Ann West, Amanda Derrick, Christine Smith, Natalie Clemens, and Allison Randall) have a lot of fun with the choreography in "Joseph's Coat," "One More Angel in Heaven," and "Go, Go, Go Joseph" and, of course, Jordon LeBaron steals the show as the Pharoah in "Song of the King." I had a smile on my face the whole time and this is a production that I can wholeheartedly recommend!  It runs on the Barlow Stage through Sept. 3 (go here for tickets).

Note:  This show was my 50th theatre production this year!

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella at Sundance

One of my favorite summer traditions is to see a production, in conjunction with the UVU Theatre Department, at the Sundance Mountain Resort.  I love being up in the mountains, where it is so much cooler than in the valley, watching a performance under the stars!  This year the show is Cinderella and I was able to see it last night.  Even though I don't especially love the Rodgers & Hammerstein version, this production is absolutely magical!  In this more contemporary version of the classic fairy tale, Cinderella (Lizzy Jensen) becomes a social reformer who rescues Prince Topher (Dallin Suman) from the evil Lord Protector Sebastian (Bradley Moss) who is deceiving him about the conditions in his kingdom.  Her stepmother (Amanda Crabb) and stepsister Charlotte (Erica Schoebinger) treat her badly but her other stepsister Gabrielle (Emma Wadsworth) becomes a sympathetic co-conspirator in pursuit of her own romance with a revolutionary named Jean-Michel (Brendan Hanks).  An old beggar woman named Marie (Nikole York) becomes her Fairy Godmother after Cinderella shows her some kindness and, while she does help her get to the ball, she tells her that she has the power to make her own dreams come true.  Everyone lives happily ever after in a constitutional monarchy!  This is one of the strongest casts that I have seen in a production at Sundance!  I was especially impressed with Jensen as Cinderella and York as the Fairy Godmother because they have beautiful voices and show impressive range in the songs "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible," "Glass Slipper/ It's Possible," and "There Is Music In You."  Suman is incredibly charismatic (and is very easy on the eyes) as Prince Topher and also has a lovely voice.  He has great chemistry with Jensen and their rendition of "Ten Minutes Ago" is so romantic!  Crabb steals every scene she is in and the audience roared with laughter in response to all of her antics!  The same could be said of Schoebinger, especially in "Stepsister's Lament."  The ensemble is also quite impressive and they execute the dynamic choreography very well in "The Prince Is Giving A Ball/ Now Is The Time" and "Ten Minutes Ago."  I also really enjoyed how Topher's pursuit of Cinderella is staged because they run through moving arches of tree branches (the real pine trees surrounding the stage make this scene even more enchanting).  The costumes are also some of the best I've seen at Sundance, particularly the uniforms worn by Prince Topher and his footmen (I loved all of the gold frogging) and the beautiful ball gowns worn by Cinderella (the transformation scenes are a lot of fun).  The set consists of moving pieces that look like marble and are configured to become Cinderella's house, a large staircase in the palace, and the town square during various scenes.  Cinderella's gold coach, with horses made out of puppets, is quite spectacular!  I had the best time watching this delightful show and highly recommend getting a ticket to one of the four remaining performances (go here).

Bullet Train

Despite getting some negative reviews I thought Bullet Train looked like a lot of fun so I went to see it at the Broadway last night (whenever a big release is shown at the Broadway I always try to see it there instead of a multiplex because I like supporting Salt Lake Film Society).  It was exactly what I expected it to be and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  A group of assassins, including Ladybug (Brad Pitt) and his handler Maria (Sandra Bullock), Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), The Prince (Joey King), The Father (Andrew Koji), The Wolf (Benito "Bad Bunny" Antonio Martinez Ocasio), The Hornet (Zazie Beetz), and the Elder (Hiroyuki Sanada), are all searching, unbeknownst to each other, for a briefcase containing $10 million on a high-speed train traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto.  Mayhem ensues!  The plot also involves a Russian leader of a crime syndicate named White Death (Michael Shannon) and his kidnapped son (Logan Lerman) which leads to a lot of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the explosive (literally) conclusion.  I loved the on-screen introductions and elaborate flashbacks for each of the assassins as well as the witty back and forth banter between them as they fight each other.  The action sequences are over the top, incredibly violent, and often implausible but they are certainly fun to watch, especially a long drawn out fight in the quiet car of the train.  Some of the accents are a bit suspect but I think the campy performances work really well and Pitt looks like he is having a ball.  This is nothing we haven't seen before (think Tarantino and Ritchie) and there is a cringe-worthy cameo at the end but I definitely found it to be wildly entertaining!  I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun night out and nothing more.

Hadestown at the Eccles

The Broadway musicals Hadestown, Jagged Little Pill, SIX, and Moulin Rouge have been at the top of my must-see list for years.  I get to see ALL OF THEM this year (I'm so excited) and I started with Hadestown last night at the Eccles Theatre.  It was even better than I was expecting!  With the name Phaedra I have always been fascinated by Greek mythology so I loved this retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice (even though it is very tragic).  I also really loved how the story includes commentary on climate change, poverty, capitalism, exploitation of workers, nationalism (I think the song "Why We Build the Wall" perfectly encapsulates everything that is wrong in the world today and it is an incredibly powerful moment in the show), fatalism, and, ultimately, the power of music to show how the world ought to be rather than how it is!  The music, which is a mix of folk, jazz, and Cajun, is absolutely amazing and I loved every single song but my favorites were "Any Way the Wind Blows," "Livin' It Up On Top," "Way Down Hadestown," "When the Chips Are Down," "Wait For Me," "Flowers," and "Doubt Comes In."  The stage, which is reminiscent of an old New Orleans neighborhood, is really simple but the use of a turn table and atmospheric lighting is breathtaking, especially in the numbers "Chant," Wait For Me," and "Doubt Comes In."  The man cast, including Levi Kreis as Hermes, Kevyn Morrow as Hades, Kimberly Marable as Persephone, Chibueze Ihuoma as Orpheus, and Morgan Siobhan Green as Eurydice, is brilliant and I loved every performance.  I was particularly blown away by Morrow's rendition of "Hey, Little Songbird" because he is so sleazy and Green's version of "Flowers" (it brought a tear to my eye).  I also really liked how the Fates (Belen Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne) are integrated into the story and how the choreography of the Workers (Jordan Bollwerk, Lindsey Hailes, Courtney Lauster, Eddie Noel Rodriguez, and Marquis Wood) mimics an assembly line in a factory.  I loved this musical!  I loved it so much (it is second only to Hamilton in my affections and that is high praise if you know me) and I definitely recommend getting a ticket if you have the opportunity!  It runs at the Eccles through August 7 (go here for tickets).

Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 at St. Mary's Church

Last night I went back to St. Mary's Church in Park City for another wonderful Utah Symphony concert.  I always love hearing music performed in this church (it is an amazing venue) and last night was no exception because it was a lovely evening!  The orchestra began with Concerto Grosso by Ralph Vaughan Williams and I really enjoyed this piece.  Vaughan Williams composed it for students of various abilities and I thought it was very deep and sonorous in tone.  I especially loved the stirring beginning.  Next came Concerto No. 5 for Violin and Orchestra by my favorite composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with Geneva Lewis, in her Utah Symphony debut, as the soloist.  As with much of Mozart's work, this piece is light and airy and very accessible to the listener.  I loved the violin solo in the second movement because Lewis performed it with such delicacy and I loved the percussive sound created by the cellos and basses striking the strings with the wood of their bows in the third movement because it was so dramatic.  After the intermission, the concert concluded with Symphony No. 1 by Felix Mendelssohn (composed when he was just fifteen years old).  This is very lively and energetic and I especially loved the melody played by the clarinets and bassoons in the third movement and the fiery ending complete with timpani!  I really enjoyed watching guest conductor Stephanie Childress because it was exciting to see a young woman on the podium and she was incredibly dynamic.  Unfortunately, last night was the final concert at St. Mary's this summer but there are two more concerts at Deer Valley (go here for tickets) this weekend before the orchestra returns to Abravanel Hall for the 2022-2023 season (for which I am so excited).

Vengeance

Last night I finally got myself to the Broadway to see Vengeance and I think it is incredibly thought-provoking.  Ben Manalowitz (B.J. Novak) is a writer for the New Yorker who aspires to have a podcast to use as a platform for expressing his opinion on the cultural divide in America.  One night he receives a phone call from Ty Shaw (Boyd Holbrook) informing him that his sister Abilene (Lio Tipton) has died of a drug overdose while at a wild party.  Ben only hooked up with Abilene a couple of times but Ty is under the impression that they were much closer and insists that he come to her funeral in West Texas.  He reluctantly agrees and meets Abilene's family, including her mother Sharon (J. Smith-Cameron), sisters Paris (Isabella Amara) and Kansas City (Dove Cameron), brother Mason (Elli Abrams Beckel), and grandmother Carole (Louanne Stephens), who all think he is Abilene's boyfriend.  Ty asks Ben to help him get vengeance against Sancholo (Zach Villa), the man he believes is responsible for Abilene's death, but Ben thinks that Ty is creating a conspiracy because the family can't bear to accept that Abilene turned to drugs because of the hopelessness of her life.  He thinks this might be a great subject for a podcast and his producer Eloise (Issa Rae) agrees.  He stays in West Texas investigating Abilene's death and recording content for the podcast but he ends up discovering more than he bargained for.  This is a compelling murder mystery, with a resolution that I did not see coming, but it is also a razor sharp bit of social commentary.  Writer and director Novak explores quite a few thought-provoking ideas, such as the cultural divide between the red and blue states, exploitation for the sake of content, and the opioid crisis, but sometimes these ideas become a bit unwieldy.  The dialogue is highly amusing, especially in an opening scene featuring a cameo by John Mayer (who is essentially playing himself), and I laughed out loud during an extended joke at a rodeo.  Novak is great, even if he doesn't quite sell the idea that he is a player, and Ashton Kutcher gives one of the best performances I've seen from him as a record producer.  This dark comedy is very entertaining and I definitely recommend it.

A Murder is Announced at CPT

I had never been to Leishman Hall (the black box theatre at CPT) before but I can't resist an Agatha Christie murder mystery so I went to a production of A Murder is Announced last night. I really enjoyed the intimate theatre space but this particular show was a bit disappointing. An advertisement in a newspaper announces that a murder will be committed at a boarding house owned by Letitia "Letty" Blacklock (Marina Maxfield) on October 13 at 6:30 pm. Her guests, including Dora "Bunny" Bunner (Hillary McChesney), Patrick Simmons (Blake London), Julia Simmons (Katie Plott), Phillipa Haymes (Laryn Welch), Mrs. Swettenham (Kiersten Honaker), and Edmund Swettenham (Trevor Elmer), conclude that it must be a joke but her Russian cook Mitzi (Kryslin McBride) believes that she will be the victim for political reasons. At the appointed time the lights go out and a mysterious man ends up dead. Inspector Craddock (James Boley) and Sergeant Mellors (Chad N. Wilburn) investigate and learn that everyone involved is hiding something but, after another murder, it takes Miss Marple (Wanda Copier) to find the killer. Even though I have read the book (I read all of Agatha Christie's books when I was a teenager), I found the story to be really complicated because most of the characters have alternate identities and many pertinent events have already happened and require a lot of exposition. In addition, there are a lot of pacing issues that make it hard to pay as much attention as you need to in order to pick up on all of the clues. The action gets really bogged down, especially during the interrogation of all of the suspects, and even the revelation of the murderer is a bit anticlimactic. The performances are fine but McBride was my favorite because she steals every scene she is in with her dramatic and over the top gestures. I laughed out loud every time she entered the room! I absolutely loved the set featuring heavy Victorian furniture and lots of the fussy details that you would find in an English drawing room and I was very impressed with the sheer number of period costumes (I loved Miss Marple's hats). I usually love seeing stage adaptations of Agatha Christie's books (go here and here) but this felt off to me. I will, however, be back to see another production at Leishman Hall!  This show runs until August 20 (go here for tickets).