Fischer's Farewell: Mahler's Symphony No. 3

Last night's Utah Symphony concert, while absolutely brilliant, was a little bit bittersweet for me because it was the final opportunity to see Thierry Fischer conduct the orchestra as the Music Director (I am holding out hope that he will return as a guest conductor at some point).  I have been attending Utah Symphony concerts for more than 30 years and Fischer is my favorite conductor (followed by Pavel Kogan who was the principal guest conductor for several years) because he has such a light touch and brings out the very best from the orchestra without a lot of theatricality.  For his final performance, Fischer selected Symphony No. 3 by Gustav Mahler and, in my opinion, it was the perfect choice because it is such a monumental piece about creation and he has done such a wonderful job of helping the orchestra create a distinctive sound.  The women of the Tabernacle Choir, the choristers of Madeleine Choir School, and mezzo-soprano Anna Larsson joined the Utah Symphony for this amazing piece and I loved it!  According to Fischer, the first movement is about the invisible forces within a planet and I especially loved all of the dramatic fanfares by the brass, particularly those by the solo trombone and the solo trumpet, along with the timpani (there are two sets of timpani used in this piece and I was fascinated by how many times the musicians changed mallets).  The second movement is meant to mimic the appearance of flowers and trees and is much more delicate with a beautiful melody by the oboe.  The third movement introduces birds and other animals and I loved all of the woodwinds and the trumpet solo played off stage.  The fourth movement is when man arrives and it features a powerful text by Nietzsche about the nature of mankind sung as a simple melody by Larsson (who has a beautiful voice).  The two choirs join the orchestra in the fifth movement and represent angels who watch over mankind.  I loved hearing the children's choir imitate the sound of bells along with the chimes.  Many believe that the sixth movement is Mahler's vision of Heaven and I really enjoyed the beautiful themes played by the swelling strings and then the triumphant notes played by the timpani (I couldn't take my eyes of the musicians because it was so thrilling).  The audience immediately erupted into a thunderous standing ovation for Fischer (he also received one when he took the stage) and he appeared to become emotional as he hugged Concert Master Madeline Adkins and acknowledged all of the section leaders.  I admit that I had a tear in my eye, too!  This was a spectacular conclusion to the 2022-2023 season (which has been stellar) and the remarkable tenure of Maestro Fischer!

Note:  The 2022-2023 season may be over but there are still plenty of opportunities to hear the Utah Symphony perform this summer.  There are community concerts (several of which are free) in June, the Deer Valley Music Festival in July (I can't wait for the Music of Queen), and a state tour in August (these concerts are free but require a ticket).  Go here for tickets and more information.

Bountiful High School Class of 2023

Yesterday Sean graduated from Bountiful High School and we were all able to watch him receive his diploma at the Dee Events Center.  We are so proud of him because it wasn't easy but he did it!

He will be going to Neumont College in the fall for a Bachelor's Degree in Cyber Security and we are really excited for him!

The Little Mermaid

Last night my sister Marilyn and I took our nephew Sean, our niece Tashena, and her boyfriend Tucker (they are in town for Sean's graduation) to see the new live action version of The Little Mermaid.  Marilyn and I absolutely loved it!  Everyone else?  Not so much!  A mermaid named Ariel (Halle Bailey) doesn't think that all humans are as evil as her father King Tritan (Javier Bardem) believes them to be and she is fascinated by them.  After she saves Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) during a storm which sinks his ship, Triton destroys her collection of human objects and forbids her from going to the surface again.  Ariel defies her father and accepts a deal with her aunt, a sea witch named Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), to trade her voice for a pair of legs.  She must get Eric to give her true love's kiss within three days so a crab named Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), a fish named Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), and a seabird named Scuttle (Awkwafina) attempt to help her.  Can Ariel get Eric to fall in love with her and, more importantly, can she convince Tritan that not all humans are bad?  Bailey is phenomenal in the role and her version of "Part of Your World" gave me goosebumps.  Her wide-eyed innocence is so charming and the chemistry between her and Hauer-King is palpable (especially in the star-gazing scene).  I also really enjoyed McCarthy and Diggs because their characterizations of Ursula and Sebastian are so much fun.  The new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, including "Wild Uncharted Waters" by Eric, "For the First Time" by Ariel, and "The Scuttlebutt" by Sebastian and Scuttle (this is my favorite because I loved hearing Diggs of Hamilton fame rap again) are fantastic and really add to the narrative.  I also really appreciated some subtle changes to the story such as making the sisters more diverse as representatives of the seven seas and the addition of the character of Queen Selina (Norma Dumezweni) to emphasize the humans' fear of the ocean in juxtaposition to Tritan's fear of humans (this gives Ariel and Eric a better motivation to fall in love, in my opinion, because they recognize that they are both fighting against parental control and for more understanding).  Sean, Tashena, and Tucker criticized the visual effects and they do have a point because the underwater sequences look really unnatural, especially, rather ironically, in "Under the Sea." I also found the hyper-realistic portrayal of the animals to be somewhat jarring but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting (definitely not as bad as the live-action version of The Lion King) and it didn't detract from my enjoyment.  I loved it in spite of these flaws and Marilyn and I are making plans to see it again (without the others).

Shania Twain at USANA

I am not a big fan of country music (it is probably my least favorite genre) but there are a few artists that I like and Shania Twain is definitely one of them.  I love her and I always try to see her whenever she comes to town.  She was at USANA Amphitheater last night in support of her latest album Queen of Me and I had so much fun at this show!  She sang quite a few songs from the new album, starting with "Waking Up Dreaming" while she traveled through the audience in disguise wearing large sunglasses and a wig.  She also performed "Giddy Up!," "Inhale/ Exhale Air," "Number One," "Pretty Liar," and then "Queen of Me" to end her main set.  However, the crowd really wanted the hits and she sang them, too, including "Any Man of Mine," "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?," "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)," "From This Moment On," "Honey, I'm Home," "Rock This Country," "You're Still the One," Party for Two," and a really sultry version of "Roll Me on the River."  The crowd sang every word of these songs!  Most people really love the album Come On Over but my favorite is Up! because this album was my first introduction to her music.  I was so happy that she played "Up!" (which is my favorite Shania Twain song), "I'm Gonna Getcha Good," and "Forever and for Always."  She also played a medley of songs from Up! including "Nah!," "She's Not Just a Pretty Face," "Waiter! Bring Me Water," and "Thank You Baby! (For Makin' Someday Come So Soon)."  She played her two biggest hits for the encore, starting with "That Don't Impress Me Much," while wearing the same leopard print outfit from the music video (there were many people in the audience also wearing leopard print), and ending with a rousing rendition of "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!"  Twain does not have the voice she had in her heyday because she sang many songs in a lower key and relied heavily on her backup singers but her performance was enthusiastic and she certainly hasn't lost any attitude!  She had the most stripped down stage I've seen at one of her concerts and she wore the same red mini dress until the encore but the show itself was dynamic with lots of cool visuals.  It was obvious that she was really happy to be back on stage because she repeatedly thanked the sold-out crowd and, at one point, she even brought a fan on stage to sing with her.  She is definitely still the one!

Note: The night got off to a rough start with heavy rain while I was standing in line (for over an hour) but it eventually stopped and I ended up really enjoying this concert!

The Prom at PTC

I absolutely love the movie The Prom (I've lost track of how many times I've seen it) because it has an incredibly powerful and important message and it is also a sparkly love letter to theatre. As good as the movie is, I have always really wanted to see the stage musical upon which it is based so I was thrilled when PTC announced it as part of the 2022-2023 season! I've basically been waiting impatiently since then to see it and I finally had the chance last night. It was definitely worth the wait because it is one of the best shows I've seen this year! Down and out Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen (Anne Tolpegin) and Barry Glickman (Branch Woodman) are commiserating over the fact that their latest show has closed on opening night because the critics don't like them as people. They think the best way to resurrect their careers is to champion a cause to show the public that they care about something other than themselves. They hear about a girl named Emma Nolan (Celeste Rose) in Indiana who wants to attend her high school prom with her girlfriend Alyssa Greene (Mia Cherise Hall). Rather than allow this, Mrs. Greene (Erin Wilson), the head of the PTA, cancels the prom despite the support of the principal Tom Hawkins (Bernard Dotson). They decide to help Emma and are joined by Trent Oliver (Josh Adamson), an out of work actor who never fails to mention that he attended Juilliard, and Angie Dickinson (Wendy Waring), a chorus girl who has been the understudy for Roxie Hart for twenty years, on a bus for a non-union tour of Godspell headed to Indiana. They help get the prom reinstated for the good publicity but, when the situation becomes worse, they realize that they really care about helping Emma. I love every single song because they are all so impactful but my favorites are "We Look to You," because it is about the power of theatre, "Love Thy Neighbor," because it calls out the hypocrisy of believing that you are a good person when you hate and discriminate against those who are different from you (a particularly important message here in Utah right now), "Alyssa Greene," because it is about the courage to be who you really are, and "Unruly Heart," because it is about the freedom to love who you want. The choreography is joyful and exuberant, particularly the Fosse-inspired "Zazz" as well as "Tonight Belongs to You" and "It's Time to Dance" with the young and talented ensemble. Everyone in the main cast is absolutely perfect but I especially loved Tolpegin as a narcissistic Broadway diva and her rendition of "It's Not About Me" had me laughing out loud!  I was also really impressed with Rose and Woodman because their versions of "Unruly Heart" and "Barry Is Going to Prom," respectively, are really touching. All of the costumes are colorful and sparkly and the multiple sets are so much fun, particularly the high school gym decorated for the prom. I loved this show so much and I cannot say enough about it! I had a big smile on my face from beginning to end and I highly recommend it (tickets may be purchased here).

Freaky Friday at the Empress

There are exceptions but I am not a big fan of turning popular movies into stage musicals because, in my opinion, they are incredibly contrived and this is especially true of Freaky Friday.  However, I saw a production of this show last night at the Empress Theatre and, while I didn't especially like the material, I enjoyed the performances.  Katherine Blake (Jen Kroff) is a single mother who owns her own catering business.  She is stressed out because she is catering her own wedding to Mike (Jeremy Jonsson) with the hope that it will be featured in a popular bridal magazine so she wants everything to be perfect.  Her moody and argumentative teenage daughter Ellie (Beck Skeen) doesn't want her to marry Mike and definitely doesn't want to attend the rehearsal dinner because she would rather participate in the school scavenger hunt organized by her crush Adam (Eli Carillo).  Both Katherine and Ellie each wish that the other could see the situation from her perspective and this wish (and a magic hourglass) causes them to switch bodies.  Chaos ensues as Katherine tries to navigate high school while Ellie deals with wedding preparations and a photo shoot.  They think that finding another hourglass will switch them back but Katherine and Ellie must ultimately learn to appreciate each other for who they are before things can return to normal.  Most of the songs are largely forgettable (although I do like "I'm Not Myself Today" because it is an emotional turning point) but the show is elevated by the performances of Kroff and Skeen.  They both have wonderful voices and great comedic timing, especially when they imitate each other (I loved Kroff's wobble while walking in high heels and Skeen's facial expressions when reacting to the goings on at school).  I also really enjoyed the ensemble because they are enthusiastic and give it their all in executing the fun choreography.  When I saw a production of this show at HCT I was really impressed with their elaborate set but I think I actually prefer the minimal set in this production because it put all of the emphasis on the choreography.  This show will never be a favorite but I had a lot of fun watching this heartfelt production and recommend getting a ticket to one of the three remaining performances (go here).

Master Gardener

The next movie in my double feature at the Broadway last night was Master Gardner.  As a huge fan of First Reformed, I was very intrigued by Paul Schrader's latest exploration of redemption and, even though it pales in comparison to that movie, I appreciated a more optimistic resolution.  Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) is a man with a violent past who has left that life behind to become the head gardener at an extensive estate owned by Norma Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver).  He appreciates the rules and order that can be imposed upon a garden after living a life of chaos and records his thoughts in a daily journal.  However, his ordered life is thrown into chaos once again when Norma demands that he take her troubled grand-niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) on as an apprentice but his need to protect her from the consequences of her past becomes a way for him to atone for his.  A lot of the dialogue in this is incredibly cringe-worthy (I even laughed out loud during a scene that was definitely not meant to be funny) and I wasn't as emotionally invested in the story as I was for the one told in First Reformed (perhaps because the themes are becoming repetitious).  However, all of the performances are compelling, especially Weaver's turn as the haughty and petty owner of the estate (I think it is her best in years).  Also, I was initially a bit disappointed that, apart from a beautiful stop-motion title sequence with blooming flowers, the gardens seem very drab and lifeless but a gorgeous sequence involving magical realism as Narvel and Maya drive through a forest of flowers highlights how empty his life has been without Maya (this is my interpretation).  Finally, I loved the metaphor about how planting a garden is an act of hope for the future because it left me feeling positive about the fate of these characters (which is rare in a film by Schrader).  I didn't love this as much as I was expecting to but it is thought-provoking enough for me to recommend it.

Carmen

It was another double feature at the Broadway for me last night and I started with Carmen, Benjamin Millepied's directorial debut.  It is meant to be a reimagining of Carmen by Georges Bizet but it shares a vibe with the famous tragic opera rather than a plot.  After her mother Zilah (Marina Tamayo) is brutally gunned down, Carmen (Melissa Barrera) is forced to leave her home in the Mexican desert and cross the border illegally.  Aidan (Paul Mescal), a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who is clearly suffering from PTSD, volunteers with the border guard but ends up impulsively killing another volunteer who captures Carmen.  Soon the two of them are on the run to Los Angeles so Carmen can find Zilah's friend Masilda (Rossy de Palma) who owns a nightclub there.  They begin a passionate relationship but can they outrun their fate?  There are some amazing dance sequences (Millepied is better known as a choreographer and it shows) interspersed in the narrative and this, rather than dialogue, is how all of the characters express their emotions (my favorite is a high energy hip-hop dance sequence when Aidan is involved in an underground boxing match).  Barrera is a beautiful and expressive dancer and she and Mescal sizzle in their scenes together.  The visuals are absolutely gorgeous, particularly the recurring image of fire, and the music is incredibly evocative and haunting.  Even though the story is very superficial and Carmen and Aidan seem more like archetypes rather than fully fleshed out characters, I was mesmerized from beginning to end.  This might not be for everyone but I recommend it to those who appreciate movies with a unique vision.

Messiaen's Turangalîla

Last night's Utah Symphony concert was absolutely spectacular!  The entire program consisted of an 80-minute performance of Turangalîla-Symphonie by Olivier Messiaen and it was incredibly dramatic to say the least!  The title of the piece comes from two Sanskrit words which, when combined together, mean love, joy, time, movement, rhythm, life, and death.  I especially enjoyed the use of a large percussion section (I loved the gong and the chimes) featuring nine different musicians!  Utah Symphony Principal Keyboard Jason Hardink was a featured soloist on piano and Augustin Viard joined the orchestra on the ondes Martenot (he is one of only a few musicians who can play this instrument, which sounds a lot like a theremin, and it was flown in from France just for this concert).  It is comprised of ten separate movements but there are several themes that appear throughout.  My favorite themes were the "statue" theme, which is represented by the trombones and tuba and is incredibly powerful, and the "flower" theme, which consists of two clarinets and is very delicate.  They are often entwined together and are meant to represent the masculine and feminine, especially in the first and third movements.  The "love" theme includes a beautiful melody played by the strings and the ondes and this is incredibly ethereal in sixth movement.  Another theme involves chords played by the piano in opposition to the rest of the orchestra and this is energetic and almost frenzied, particularly with the percussion in the seventh movement.  Hardink's performance was brilliant with several very demanding solo cadenzas and I loved watching his fingers flying up and down the keyboard.  Viard was also really fun to watch on the ondes because I could never really figure out what he was doing.  He was definitely using the keyboard but he was also controlling the sound of the notes with the movement of his fingers.  Whatever he was doing, it looked and sounded really cool!  This piece was completely over-the-top and, while it was sometimes overwhelming to me, it was definitely thrilling!  It is not performed very often because of the orchestra personnel required so, if you are intrigued, you should definitely get a ticket to tonight's performance (go here).

In the Heights at the Grand Theatre

Last night I was really excited to see In the Heights at the Grand Theatre.  I love this show so much and this is a fantastic production!  A woman named Claudia (Sonia Maritza Inoa-Rosado Maughan) acts as an abuela, or grandmother, to everyone in a small community in Washington Heights.  Usnavi (Armando Serrano) runs a bodega which is beset with problems, including a refrigerator that doesn't work, and tries to keep his wayward cousin Sonny (Avery Sims) in line but dreams of returning to the cool breezes of the Dominican Republic.  Vanessa (Sophia Morrill Mancilla) is hoping to escape the barrio, and an abusive mother, to move downtown but a credit check for her new apartment stands in her way.  Nina (Aisha Marie Garcia) is the pride of her parents, Kevin (Monte Garcia) and Camila (Sophia Valdez Davis), and the whole neighborhood because she received a scholarship to Stanford.  But college is a lot harder than she thought it would be, especially since she has to work two jobs to make ends meet, and she is thinking of quitting.  Benny (Onias Snuka) dreams of taking over the cab company owned by Kevin but his interest in Nina sours his relationship with his employer.  Abuela Claudia has looked after all of them their whole lives and she just might find a way to help them make their dreams come true!  The entire cast, which is made up of POC, is amazing but the standouts for me are Garcia and Snuka as Nina and Benny.  My favorite songs in the show are "When You're Home," "Sunrise," and "When the Sun Goes Down" and Garcia and Snuka perform them with so much emotion that I had tears in my eyes during all three!  I also really enjoyed Whitney Harris Gutirrez as Daniela because she is so dramatic and her renditions of "No Me Diga" and "Carnaval del Barrio" are so fun.  The ensemble is also really strong and they can really dance!  Speaking of which, the choreography for "In the Heights," "96,000," "The Club" (the dance-off between couples is so sultry), "Blackout," and "Carnaval del Barrio" is incredibly energetic but I absolutely loved that it seamlessly includes a member of the ensemble who is in a wheelchair (Mason Burr is a fantastic dancer).  I was also really impressed with the set, which features storefronts for Daniela's salon, Usnavi's bodega, and the Rosario Cab Company as well as Claudia's stoop with fire escapes connecting them, and the lighting design, especially the fireworks and the candlelight procession during "Alabanza."  I have seen this show many times and this production is one of the best!  Definitely get a ticket (go here).

Grease

My sister Marilyn and I are huge fans of the movie Grease so we were really excited that it was being released in theaters again to commemorate its 45th anniversary (what?) as part of Fathom's Big Screen Classics series. We went to see it last night and we both loved it (we tried hard not to sing along to every single song but we may or may not have been successful).  Grease is the quintessential high school movie featuring a love story between bad boy Danny Zuko (John Travolta), the leader of the T-Birds, and Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John), a good girl who has recently transferred to Rydell High from Australia.  They have a summer romance but it takes a little help from the rest of the T-Birds (Jeff Conaway, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, and Kelly Ward) and the Pink Ladies (Stockard Channing, Didi Conn, Jamie Donnelly, and Dinah Manoff) to get them back together by graduation.  I love all of the songs, especially "Grease" during the opening and end credits, "Summer Nights," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "Greased Lightnin'," "Sandy," and "You're the One That I Want," and the choreography is so much fun and definitely stands the test of time (I actually prefer the movie adaptation to the stage version because of the new songs that are used and the choreography).  I love Newton-John (it was a little bit sad to see her on the screen after her recent passing) and Travolta as Danny and Sandy because, even though they both look way too old to play high school students, they have so much chemistry together, especially during "Born to Hand Jive." I also really love all of the cameos by popular stars from the 1950s, such as Sid Caesar, Eve Arden, Alice Ghostley, Joan Blondell, and Frankie Avalon.  Finally, even though I didn't grow up during the 1950s, I love all of the nostalgia for the era with all of the leather jackets, letterman sweaters, poodle skirts, malt shops, drive-in movies, and fantastic cars.  It was so much fun to see this on the big screen with my sister and we are now looking forward to seeing The Birds in October and A Christmas Story in December as part of the Big Screen Classics series (go here to see all of the movies in this series).

Note:  Every time I watch this movie as an adult I am always really shocked by the suggestive lyrics because my sisters and I used to sing them at the top of our lungs whenever we watched it as kids!

Hans Christian Andersen in New York at HCT

Last night I went to the world premiere of the musical Hans Christian Andersen in New York at Hale Theatre. It is a reimagining of the 1952 movie musical Hans Christian Andersen and includes all of the songs by Frank Loesser but features a more contemporary story about the famous Danish storyteller's fictional ancestor who lives in New York City in 1962. Hans Christian Andersen (Alex King), a former dancer on Broadway, has inherited the lease of a bookstore from his aunt but she was behind on the payments so he faces eviction.  He lets his best friend Bunny Bailey (Erin Royall Carlson) use the back of the store as a dance studio where she teaches her young students, including Tiffany (Lucy White), Rosalie (Elsa Parry), Carol (Hailey Burnham), Ashley (Libby Despain), and Darlene (Sophia Quinn), to make some extra money.  She suggests putting on a show with her students to save the bookstore and, while he is initially against the idea, his great uncle Hans (Mark Pulham) appears periodically to encourage him.  Add Bobbie Tone (Selena Quayle Proctor), a Broadway friend roped into the job of director and choreographer, a possible romance with Nancy Offenbach (Amy Shreeve Keeler), the mother of two children, Natalie and Ian (Olivia Dietlein and Mason Burnham, respectively), who try out for the show, and Harry Porter (Ben Henersen), a bumbling but helpful community theatre actor from Omaha who offers to play Santa Claus, and merriment ensues!  This has the thinnest of plots (most of the scenes exist to set up the songs rather than tell a story) and it is not very compelling but, having said that, all of the musical numbers are fantastic!  I especially enjoyed "I Hear Music," "Hoop-Dee-Doo," "Thumbelina," "Tallahassee," and "The King's New Clothes" because they feature really fun choreography with the children who are unbelievably talented and charismatic! Unfortunately, I didn’t care for King in the title role because every movement, gesture, and facial expression is very mechanical so I didn't really buy his performance. The rest of the cast is fine but I loved Proctor's turn as an over-the-top diva, particularly when she instructs the girls on how to bow, and Mason Burnham steals the show every time he is on stage (he received the loudest applause and cheers during the bows).  There is an amazing live band, composed of Derek Crane, Reed Le Cheminant, Craig Moore, Alex Marshall, Eric Noyes, Emily Maddison, and Cris Stiles, and they sit in the windows of the buildings that surround the NYC set.  Speaking of which, it is pretty spectacular with a two-storey bookstore on one side of the turntable and a dance studio on the other.  The Christmas decorations at the store and the backdrops used for the show are a lot of fun and so are the 1960s era costumes. This show is a throw-back to the golden age of musicals and the big song and dance numbers are sure to put a smile on your face. It runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through July 15 (go here for tickets).

Note:  Don't miss the delightful production of Hello, Dolly! now playing on the Young Living Centre Stage through June 10 (go here for tickets).

BlackBerry

I was really excited to see the movie BlackBerry because I had one of the earliest models back in the day and I thought it was the coolest thing ever (before I bought an iPhone).  I saw it with my nephew at the Broadway last night and we both enjoyed it.  Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) is a socially awkward tech genius who, along with his best friend Doug Fregin (Matt Johnson) and the nerdy employees of his company Research in Motion, has an idea for a revolutionary device that acts as both a phone and a computer.  However, he lacks the skills and connections to successfully market his invention so, against Doug's advice, he joins forces with an aggressive and unscrupulous businessman named Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton).  Mike's creativity and Jim's ruthlessness turn Research in Motion into a billion-dollar company but compromise and corruption eventually bring about its downfall.  This is a fascinating character study that is almost Shakespearean because both Mike and Jim foreshadow their fatal flaws of ambition and greed early on which lead to devastating, but entertaining, results.  I enjoyed the structure of the narrative because it follows the rise and fall of the company without much in between and there are clever scenes at the end that mirror earlier ones.  I found it to be both riveting and funny (although I am Canadian and I noticed that there were many times when I was the only one laughing at specific references, especially a scene where Jim is watching Hockey Night in Canada with Don Cherry).  I also liked the hand-held camera work because the documentary style is very effective at depicting a behind-the-scenes corporate environment.  Finally, Baruchel gives one of his best performances but Howerton is completely unhinged (in the best possible way).  I liked this even more than I was expecting to (my nephew ranks it as one his favorites this year) and I highly recommend it.

The Last Word

My May Book of the Month selection was The Last Word by Taylor Adams (the other options were The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer, Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez, Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul, The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane, and Paper Names by Susie Luo). I, once again, defaulted to the thriller and I am glad that I did because this is a good one! After suffering a personal tragedy, Emma Carpenter takes a job house-sitting on an isolated island along the Washington coast. Her only human contact is Deek, an old and enigmatic neighbor with whom she plays word games from afar using a whiteboard and a telescope. She spends most of her time reading and, after finishing a poorly written horror novel by H.G. Kane, she decides to leave a one star review. She is disconcerted when the author responds to her online with a threatening message but that soon turns to fear when disturbing incidents begin happening. Emma eventually discovers that all of Kane's novels involve stalking and murder from the POV of the murderer and she suspects that they are based on true events. Is Kane stalking her and will she be the subject of his next book? The narrative alternates between Emma's POV as she plays a cat-and-mouse game with an intruder who seems to have the upper hand and the manuscript of a novel describing the events as they happen and this device is incredibly effective at creating suspense because you are never entirely sure who is writing this manuscript! Speaking of which, there are so many twists and turns and, even though I thought I had a big one figured out early on, this definitely kept me guessing until the last page. Adams uses the isolated cabin trope very well with an atmosphere of unease and foreboding and there were multiple times when I was genuinely scared because the tension is unrelenting. I really enjoyed Emma as a character because she is sympathetic with a lot of unresolved grief and trauma, which is revealed little by little, but she is also very strong and clever with an arc that feels earned. This is an action-packed thriller but I also liked the thought-provoking commentary about art vs. criticism, especially with the anonymity of the internet. I honestly couldn't put this down (I read it in one day) and I highly recommend it!

Note:  This features a dog in peril and that could be triggering for some people.

Timpanogos Community Theater's The Sound of Music

Today is the first anniversary of my Mom's passing so my sisters and I decided to see a production of The Sound of Music with Timpanogos Community Theater last night. She suffered from dementia and during the last year of her life she loved the movie (she watched it every day and sometimes even watched it twice) so we thought it would be a great way to remember her. It was a bit emotional for me (I cried a few times just like I did when Marilyn and I saw a production at the Utah Shakespeare Festival last summer) but it was also so much fun to see it with both of my sisters because we would exchange knowing glances during particular scenes that my Mom loved. The production is delightful and we were really impressed with it! When a prospective nun named Maria (Maren Miller) is sent to be the governess to the seven children of Captain von Trapp (Nathaniel Brown), she brings music back to their household. Miller has a really beautiful voice and her version of "The Sound of Music" is incredibly stirring. I also really enjoyed her interactions with the von Trapp children, Liesl (Amalie Strongin), Friedrich (Benjamin Kland), Louisa (Summer Mitchell), Kurt (Lincoln Harper), Brigitta (Madison Hirschi), Marta (Chloe Hirschi), and Gretl (Story Harper), in "Do-Re-Mi" and "The Lonely Goatherd." I usually enjoy watching the young actress playing Gretl but in this production Lincoln Harper steals the show as Kurt! His facial expressions are hilarious! Strongin not only has a beautiful voice but she is also a great dancer and "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" with Trystyn Roberts as Rolf is a lot of fun. I especially liked the choreography in this number because Rolf tries to teach Liesl how to dance but she ends up doing her own steps. Other standouts in the cast are Charity Johansen as the Mother Abbess, because her rendition of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" just about blows the roof off of the theater, and Trevor Williams as Max Dettweiler, because his delivery is very flamboyant. There are some interesting variations in the staging of several numbers, including portraying the funeral of Captain von Trapp's first wife during "Preludium," having the Captain and the children upstage during "Maria" and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" in order to foreshadow Maria's future, and having soldiers wearing Nazi armbands walking through the audience during "Edelweiss," but they are incredibly powerful. The sets are very elaborate for a community theatre production and I especially liked the arches in the Nonnberg Abbey set and the large staircase in the von Trapp Villa set. The costumes are what you would expect from this show but I did like the play clothes made out of Maria's drapes and I loved her wedding dress. My Mom would have loved this show! Tonight is the final performance but it is well worth seeking out (go here).

Note:  It is always disconcerting for me to see the stage version because it differs significantly from the movie (which I am very familiar with).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

I have been looking forward to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for what seems like forever so I was really excited to see it last night at a Thursday preview in a packed theater.  It is a thrilling and emotional send-off for our team of misfits and I loved it!  The Guardians have established their HQ on Knowhere but Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still mourning the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana).  They are soon attacked by Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), a being created by Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) the High Priestess of the Sovereign, who tries to capture Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) to bring him to the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji).  Rocket is seriously injured in the ensuing fight but the Guardians are not able to revive him for reasons.  They eventually learn that Theel (Nico Santos), one of the High Evolutionary's scientists, holds the key to healing Rocket so Quill, Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) set off to find him.  Unbeknownst to Quill, Nebula recruits a variant of Gamora, who is now working as a Ravager, to help them (the interactions between a broken-hearted Quill and this version of Gamora provides much comic relief).  It takes all of the Guardians, and their individual strengths, working together to confront the High Evolutionary.  All of the Guardians have very compelling character arcs, which are continued from the first two movies in the trilogy, but Rocket's is particularly affecting and I cried multiple times (there are several scenes that might be very difficult for people who are triggered by animal cruelty to watch).  I loved the dynamic between the characters, especially a running gag between Kraglin (Sean Gunn) and Cosmo (Maria Bakalova) and the bickering between Mantis and Drax, and I found the resolutions between them to be very poignant and satisfying.  The visual effects are incredible (much better than some recent entries in the MCU, in my opinion) and, as always, the needle drops are fantastic.  My favorites are an acoustic version of "Creep" by Radiohead, "We Care a Lot" by Faith No More (this got my toes tapping), and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" by The Beastie Boys.  This is everything that I wanted and more from the conclusion to my favorite trilogy in the MCU and I am sure that fans are going to love it!  I can't wait to see it again!

Note:  There is a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene that might set up a possible future for some of the characters.

Showing Up

I am a big fan of Kelly Reichardt's brooding and contemplative character studies so I ended up back at the Broadway last night for her latest, Showing Up, and I have been thinking about it ever since.  Lizzy (Michelle Williams) is a Portland-based sculptor who is preparing for the first small showing of her work during one chaotic week.  In addition to creating several new pieces, she must continue working her day job at the Oregon College of Art and Craft as an administrative assistant for her mother Jean (Maryann Plunkett).  She is feuding with her landlord and friend Jo (Hong Chau), who is also preparing for her own much bigger shows, and is worried that her eccentric father Bill (Judd Hirsch) is being taken advantage of by his perpetual house guests and that her mentally ill brother Sean (John Magaro) is having a manic episode.  She is frustrated because, even though her colleague Eric (Andre Benjamin) is extremely helpful, she has no control over the firing of her pieces.  Finally, her work is disrupted by a wounded pigeon (which serves as a metaphor for Lizzy's creative life in an incredibly exhilarating scene) that she is roped into caring for.  Ultimately, it is this chaos that inspires her work and I really enjoyed the theme that great art sometimes requires a struggle.  This, like all of Reichardt's movies, is a very slow burn but it is full of multiple layers (that I am still trying to unwrap) and it is surprisingly funny.  Williams gives an incredibly restrained and subtle performance (which I prefer to the overwrought one she gives in The Fabelmans) and Chau steals every scene she is in as the foil to Williams' character.  I liked this quite a bit!

Hello, Dolly! at HCT

Last night I saw the most charming and delightful production of Hello, Dolly! that I have ever seen! I loved everything about this show at HCT and I had a giant smile on my face from beginning to end! At the turn of the century, the irascible Horace Vandergelder (Brian Neal Clark) wants to get married again so that he will have someone to do all of the chores at his Hay & Feed store in Yonkers, New York. His niece Ermengarde (Rachel Bigler) wants to marry an artist named Ambrose Kemper (Dale Hoopes) but her uncle objects because he doesn't have a steady income. His clerk Cornelius Hackl (Landon Horton) is longing for an adventure in New York City so he convinces his fellow clerk Barnaby Tucker (Justin Gibbs) to come along with him and they vow not to return to Yonkers until they have both kissed a girl. They soon meet Irene Molloy (Shae Robins), who owns a millinery shop in NYC but wants a rich husband to take her away because she hates hats, and her assistant Minnie Fay (Amanda Baugh). A recently widowed matchmaker named Dolly Levi (Mack) is hired to find a wife for Vandergelder but she decides that she wants to marry himself. She just needs to convince him! She eventually arranges for all of the couples to meet for a memorable evening at the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in NYC and merriment ensues! The choreography in this show is incredible and the big song and dance numbers, including "I Put My Hand In," "Put on Your Sunday Clothes," "Dancing," "Before the Parade Passes By," "Waiters' Gallop," and "Hello, Dolly," are exuberant and dynamic and feature a large and incredibly talented ensemble. I really enjoyed the staging of these numbers, particularly "I Put My Hand In," because Dolly appears in the audience handing out her matchmaking cards to audience members (a cute girl sitting next to me got one of the cards and she held it tightly in her hands during the whole show), and "Elegance," because Cornelius, Barnaby, Irene, and Minnie travel all through the audience to get to the Harmonia Gardens because they boys can't afford to hire a cab. Mack oozes charm and charisma as Dolly and, while she has a wonderful voice, I loved all of her interactions with Clark because it is so much fun to watch all of her hilarious facial expressions as she bamboozles him! The rest of the main cast is also fantastic with Horton (I loved his voice) and Gibbs (he is an amazing dancer) as standouts. I was impressed by the set before I even reached my seat because the stage is stenciled with a pink, red, and black pattern with pink and white miniature Victorian houses with working lights around the perimeter of the stage to represent Yonkers and larger pink and white buildings in the wings, which are moved around the stage during the show, to represent NYC. The wings are also decorated with thousands of pink, white, and red flowers with bouquets of flowers and chandeliers hanging from the rafters. Elaborate set pieces, such Vandergelder's Hay & Feed, the millinery shop, and Harmonia Gardens Restaurant, come up from the pit, down from the rafters, and in from the wings, but I loved the train and cutouts of a marching band that cross the stage during "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" and "Before the Parade Passes By," respectively. Finally, the period costumes are gorgeous! Every dress features textured, embellished, embroidered, or bedazzled fabrics and every suit features patterned waistcoats, cravats, and hats. This show is so much fun (I found pink, red, and white confetti in my car when I got home) and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) before the parade passes you by!

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

The next movie in my double feature at the Broadway yesterday was Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.  Like most everyone my age, I read this classic book by Judy Blume when I was a pre-teen and I absolutely loved this funny and heartwarming adaptation.  Eleven-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) moves with her mother Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and father Herb (Benny Safdie) from New York City, and her grandmother Sylvia (Kathy Bates), to the suburbs of New Jersey.  Because her parents belong to different faiths Margaret has been raised without religion but she turns to God as she navigates the travails of making new friends, dealing with peer pressure, experiencing her first crush, and trying to understand her changing body.  This movie portrays the awkwardness of early adolescence in an incredibly empathetic way and I related to both Margaret and to Laura Danker (Isol Young), a girl in her class who has developed before everyone else.  There are so many poignant moments, especially when Margaret discovers that Nancy Wheeler (Elle Graham), the friend she has been trying to impress, might not be worth the effort and when she realizes that she has been judging Laura for her early development in the same way that others have been judging her for her lack of development, but I also laughed out loud multiple times, such as when Margaret and her friends do exercises to increase their busts and when they attend a socially awkward party with the boys in their class.  I also really enjoyed both Barbara's and Sylvia's character arcs as they cope with changes in their lives as well (the scene where Barbara says she just doesn't want to be part of the PTA any more made me want to cheer).  Fortson gives an incredibly compelling and honest portrayal of a teen girl and all of her complexities but I also loved McAdams and Bates!  This is an absolutely delightful movie that I recommend to everyone, not just teen girls!

Polite Society

I had a really fun double feature at the Broadway yesterday beginning with Polite Society.  I missed it at Sundance this year so I was excited to have a chance to see it now that it is in wide release.  Ria Khan (Priya Kansara), a Pakistani teen living in London, is a martial arts enthusiast who aspires to be a stuntwoman and her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) wants to be an artist but has recently dropped out of art school and is at loose ends.  Their traditional father Rafe (Jeff Mirza) and social-climbing mother Fatima (Shobu Kapoor) disapprove of their career goals and would rather have them make advantageous marriages.  When Lena gets engaged to Salim (Akshay Khanna) after a whirlwind courtship encouraged by his mother Raheela (Nimra Bucha), Ria believes that it is a big mistake for her to abandon her art.  She enlists her two best friends Clara (Seraphina Beh) and Alba (Ella Bruccoleri) in escalating plots to stop the wedding and hilarity ensues.  This movie is an absolute hoot because it is such a fun mash-up of different genres including action, comedy, and social commentary (with a Bollywood-like musical number thrown in for good measure).  I loved all of the stylized action sequences, including a running gag where Ria attempts a reverse spinning kick multiple times, and a hilarious scene where Ria and her friends execute an elaborate plan to find incriminating evidence against Salim had me, and everyone else in my audience, laughing out loud.  I enjoyed the relationship between Ria and Lena because they are so supportive of each other as they push against the traditional roles and expectations their immigrant parents have of them.  The plot does descend into the absurd at times but it doesn't matter because the tone is so lighthearted and infectious.  Kansara is really endearing in the role and is equally adept with the both the action and the comedy but Bucha steals every scene she is in as an over the top villain with a maniacal grin on her face.  I had a blast with this and I highly recommend it!

Return of the Jedi

I was 14 years old when Return of the Jedi was first released in theaters.  As a huge fan (understatement) of the first two movies in the trilogy, I had been anticipating this one for what seems like forever (it was the first movie for which I remember feeling great anticipation) and I have a very distinct memory of seeing it opening weekend with my family because I loved it so much!  It is now back in theaters for a limited engagement in honor of its 40th Anniversary (what?) and I had so much fun seeing it last night with a boisterous late night crowd (I may or may not have started the cheering when the opening crawl, accompanied by the instantly recognizable fanfare by John Williams, appeared on the screen).  In this final installment of the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 rescue Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hut before joining once again with the Rebel Alliance to stop the Emperor from rebuilding the Death Star.  There is an epic battle on Endor and a thrilling final confrontation between Luke and Darth Vader!  I eagerly awaited all of my favorite moments, including when Princess Leia defeats Jabba the Hut, when Luke reunites with Yoda on Dagobah, when the Ewoks use guerrilla warfare to defeat the stormtroopers, when Han Solo tells Leia that he loves her, when Darth Vader rescues Luke from the Emperor, and when Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda appear as force ghosts at the celebration, and I had to stop myself from saying all of my favorite lines out loud ("I'm a Jedi, like my father before me.").  I freely admit that I have a lot of nostalgia for the original trilogy and this is definitely not without flaws but I think I loved it as much last night as I did when I saw it for the first time!  I highly recommend seeing it while it is in theaters again, especially if you are a Star Wars fan!

Note:  I own a Blu-ray copy of every Star Wars movie and I also subscribe to Disney+ so I can watch them any time I want.  However, there is just something about seeing them on the big screen!