Young Woman and the Sea

I was able to see a Thursday preview of Young Woman and the Sea last night and, as a big fan of inspirational sports movies, I absolutely loved it!  After surviving a bout with the measles, Gertrude "Trudy" Ederle (Olive Abercrombie) wants to learn to swim just like her older sister Meg (Lilly Aspell) but her parents, German immigrants Henry (Kim Bodnia) and Gertrude (Jeanette Hain), fear that it will worsen her hearing loss.  Undaunted, Trudy (Daisy Ridley) eventually trains with Charlotte Epstein (Sian Clifford) in a basement pool and defies expectations by winning races.  After a disappointing showing at the 1924 Olympics, where she was expected to earn four gold medals, interest in women's swimming wanes and her father expects her to submit to an arranged marriage.  Trudy has other ideas and decides to swim the English Channel, something only five men (and no women) have ever done before.  She is reluctantly sponsored by the Women's Swimming Association (WSA) who insist that she train with Jabez Wolffe (Christopher Eccleston), who had previously attempted to swim the channel 22 times without success.  When Wolffe sabotages her first attempt, she finds a way to stay in France and try again with the help of her sister Meg (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) and another eccentric swimmer named Bill Burgess (Stephen Graham).  What I found so compelling about this true story is that Trudy is not a natural athlete with perfect technique.  She has to fight to be allowed to swim and, even then, there are others who are much better than her but it is her determination and hard work that allows her to succeed!  I also loved the portrayal of Trudy's family, especially the support of her mother despite the opposition of her more traditional father and the heartwarming relationship with her sister even though they are on different paths.  Ridley gives a quietly powerful performance (one of her best) in a physically demanding role and I found it to be very moving without being manipulative.  The rest of the cast is uniformly excellent but the standouts for me were Hain and Clifford.  Finally, the cinematography, particularly the shots in the water, is stunning and the vibrant score really enhances the uplifting message.  I thoroughly enjoyed this crowd-pleaser and I highly recommend it!

Babes

The trailer for Babes made me laugh so I decided to see it at the Broadway last night.  It wasn't as funny as I thought it would be but I did enjoy the poignant look at female friendship.  Dawn (Michelle Buteau) is a married dentist with a young son and a baby on the way and Eden (Ilana Glazer) is a single and free-spirited yoga instructor.  They have been best friends since they were eleven years old and support each other in everything, including when Dawn goes into labor early while the two of them are watching a movie together.  When Eden unexpectedly becomes pregnant after a one night stand, she expects Dawn to help her through every aspect of pregnancy.  Dawn is struggling to adjust to the addition of a second child to her family and is feeling guilty about returning to work so soon after the birth so she feels like Eden is demanding more than she can give.  Their friendship is tested but they eventually realize how much they mean to each other.  I am not a big fan of crude humor so all of the jokes about bodily fluids (so many bodily fluids!) started to get really old for me but there are lots of genuinely funny moments that made me and the rest of the audience laugh out loud.  Much of the humor involves the secondary characters, my favorites of which are Eden's OB-GYN (John Carroll Lynch) and his ever evolving hair styles and her back-up doula Dragana (Elena Ouspenskaia).  However, both Buteau and Glazer have tremendous chemistry together and they really sell the idea that they have been inseparable since childhood in their performances.  I loved the realistic portrayal of what happens to friends who find themselves at different stages in life but still try to prioritize the friendship (I was single with a very close friend who was married with a baby when I was in my early twenties and this had me feeling the feels).  Your enjoyment of this movie will definitely depend on your tolerance for crude humor but there is enough heart for me to recommend it! 

Stevie Nicks at the Delta Center

Last night I was able to see the legendary Stevie Nicks in concert at the Delta Center!  I was so excited I could hardly contain myself and, even at 76 years old, she put on quite the show!  She took the stage in a flowing black dress (many people in the audience were similarly attired) and she had her microphone stand adorned with her signature sparkly beads and scarves.  There was a curved screen behind her that took up the whole length of the stage and featured lots of nostalgic photos and videos spanning her lengthy career, both with Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.  She sang for over two hours and her instantly recognizable voice sounded great!  I was so happy because she sang "Dreams," my favorite Fleetwood Mac song, very early in the evening and also included the Fleetwood Mac songs "Gypsy," during which she twirled and whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and "Gold Dust Woman," while wearing a gold shawl and casting spells on the audience.  Another highlight for me was when she sang "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" after telling the crowd what it was like to record it with Tom Petty (with lots of photos of Petty on the giant screen).  During "Bella Donna" she wore the original blue cape from the album photo for Bella Donna (she mentioned that her mother was angry because it cost $3000 but she thinks it was worth it) and then for "Stand Back" she changed into the original black and gold cape from the music video.  She sang powerful versions of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" and her own "Soldier's Angel" while reminding the crowd to vote and work towards peace around the world.  She originally recorded the song "Leather and Lace" with Don Henley but last night she brought her vocal coach Steve Real to the stage to sing it with her and it was amazing.  She ended her main set with "Edge of Seventeen" which is the song I most wanted to hear (the rest of the audience obviously did too because they went crazy as soon as they heard the opening notes) and I loved her performance so much (she brought out her signature beribboned tambourine for this song).  For the encore, she sang "Rhiannon" and an emotional version of "Landslide" which she dedicated to Christine McVie (featuring lots of photos of the two of them together on the screen).  Nicks was so funny and charismatic with lots of stories and anecdotes between every song.  I especially enjoyed it when she talked about how she and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac.  This was my first concert of the year and it was an amazing one!

Note:  It was her birthday on Sunday so the crowd sang a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" to her!

The Importance of Being Earnest at Parker Theatre

Even though I retired from teaching English four years ago, I still think about the year in terms of the literature I would be teaching. Since I always ended the school year with The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde in my British literature classes, it was so fun to see a delightful production of this witty play at Parker Theatre last night. Jack Worthing (Chris Last) and Algernon Moncrieff (Jonathan McBride) are foppish young men in 19th century England who adopt fictional identities to escape social obligations. Jack invents a brother named Ernest in order to behave badly in London without ruining his reputation in the country and Algernon creates an invalid friend named Bunbury to have an excuse to avoid his aunt Lady Bracknell (Linda Jean Stephenson). Chaos ensues when Jack and Algernon attempt to woo Gwendolen Fairfax (Kristi Curtis) and Cecily Cardew (Kristin Hafen) and are both mistaken for the nonexistent Ernest. The dialogue in this play is razor sharp and the actors deliver it at a breakneck pace as the characters banter back and forth about the trivial concerns that Wilde found so hypocritical among the upper classes of his day. Between the hilarious line delivery and all of the physical comedy, I don't think the audience stopped laughing once during the entire show. I sure didn't! I especially loved how a scene between Gwendolen and Cecily is staged because, as they are fighting over who is really engaged to Ernest, they play a game of chess in which they take out all of their feelings on the pieces. I also really enjoyed all of the subtle bits of business performed by the servants in London and in the country (both played by John-Tyrus Williams and Mary Parker Williams) because, if you pay close attention, it highlights how superficial the main characters are, particularly when they replace all of Algernon's alcohol with flower arrangements when Lady Bracknell visits him. The four lead actors do a great job with the rapid-fire dialogue (their accents are especially good) and with the physicality. Their chemistry with each other is palpable as they move around the stage as if in the middle of a highly choreographed dance and the way they interact with the props, especially when Jack and Algernon fight over muffins and when Gwendolen repeatedly hits Jack with her parasol, is so much fun to watch. Stephenson (most productions I've seen have cast a man in the role of Lady Bracknell) is incredibly imperious and I loved her reaction to hearing about Cecily's wealth. Jayne Luke is suitably flustered as Miss Prism and her scream when she sees Lady Bracknell brought the house down. The sets are some of the most elaborate I've seen at this theatre and the period costumes are very opulent and detailed (I lost count of how many patterns are used in Algernon's suit). This production put a huge smile on my face and listening to the audience laugh was a fun reminder of how much my students always enjoyed reading this play. It runs on Fridays and Saturdays through June 22 and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Anne Akiko Meyers Plays "Fandango"

Last night I attended the final Utah Symphony concert of the season and it was certainly a spectacular one to end with!  The orchestra began with a fun piece called Fanfare Ritmico by Jennifer Higdon.  According to the composer, it was written on the eve of the new Millennium to celebrate the rhythm and speed of daily life.  I thought it was incredibly dynamic and I especially loved all of the percussion (the chimes were my favorite) and the brass.  Next came Fandango by Arturo Marquez.  This piece was inspired by a fandango, or Mexican party where people come together to dance and sing in a communal setting, and was written specifically for the soloist Anne Akiko Meyers.  She performed it so brilliantly that the audience gave her a standing ovation after the first movement (to be fair the ending of the movement is very dramatic).  The piece contained several different and exciting Latin rhythms that had people dancing in their seats and I especially loved the back and forth between the solo violin and the solo clarinet during an interlude in the first movement, the sensual themes in the second movement, and the sheer virtuosity of Meyers' performance in the third movement (it was really fast and so much fun to watch).  I had never heard this piece before but I think it might be a new favorite because I really enjoyed it!  After the intermission the concert concluded with an incredibly stirring rendition of Aaron Copland's Symphony No. 3.  I am always very moved by this piece whenever I hear it performed live because it is so triumphant.  I love the themes played by the woodwinds and, of course, the instantly recognizable Fanfare for the Common Man played by the brass, punctuated dramatically by the timpani, is brilliant.  I had goosebumps by the time the orchestra reached the exhilarating conclusion!  This same program will be performed again tonight and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Furiosa

I am a huge fan of the Mad Max franchise!  I love all of the movies but I was especially obsessed with The Road Warrior when I was a teenager because it seems like it was always on HBO late at night in the early 80s (my room was next to the family room downstairs and I would always sneak out of bed to watch it when I couldn't sleep).  I have been so excited to to see Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the latest installment in the series, and I finally had the chance last night at a Thursday preview.  I loved it and I think it is the perfect companion piece to Mad Max: Fury Road.  A young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) is taken from the Green Space where she lives by a roaming gang called the Biker Horde and brought to their warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth).  Her mother (Charlee Fraser) comes to rescue her but she is captured and Dementus forces Furiosa to watch her execution.  Dementus eventually trades Furiosa to Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme) in return for more food and water from the Citadel.  As time goes on Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) protects herself by pretending to be a boy and working as a mechanic on a new War Rig.  When the War Rig's driver Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) discovers her secret, he takes her as his apprentice but they soon fall in love and plan to escape to the Green Place.  However, Dementus and the Biker Horde take over Gastown and the Bullet Farm and then come for the Citadel which leads to an epic confrontation with Furiosa.  This doesn't quite reach the same non-stop adrenaline levels as Fury Road, although there are some amazing action set pieces (my favorites are when Furiosa's mother chases after the Biker Horde in a sandstorm, when the War Rig is first attacked during a supply run, and when Furiosa and Jack escape from the Bullet Farm), but the worldbuilding in the Wasteland is much more complete, the characters (even secondary ones) are developed more fully, and the storytelling is richer with higher stakes.  I loved all of the quieter moments, especially when Furiosa's mother makes her promise to return home, when she confides in Jack and they decide to go to the Green Space together, and when Dementus tells her that he has had just as much sorrow in his life as her and that they are both already dead, because they add so much pathos to the narrative.  Hemsworth is a great villain and steals the show with all of his witty dialogue.  Conversely, Taylor-Joy has very little dialogue but she conveys so much of what Furiosa is feeling with just her eyes and her chemistry with Burke, who is channeling Gibson's Mad Max, is off the charts.  I don't think anything will match the feeling I had watching Dune: Part Two at a sold out early screening but this comes very close and I recommend seeing it on the biggest screen possible!

I Saw the TV Glow

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway last night was I Saw the TV Glow.  I wasn't able to fit this in at Sundance, where it was very well received, so I was really excited to have a chance to see it now that it is in wide release.  Ninth grader Owen (Justice Smith) and eleventh grader Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) are alienated from their possibly abusive families and struggle to fit in at their suburban high school.  They bond over a late night TV show called The Pink Opaque which follows two friends named Isabel (Helena Howard) and Tara (Lindsey Jordan) who meet at sleepaway camp and discover that they have a psychic connection, manifested by tattoos on their necks, which they use to fight monsters, sent by Mr. Melancholy (Emma Portner), who try to bury them underground each week.  They both feel more connected to the show than they do to reality and, when it is canceled, Maddy disappears.  Ten years later Owen is still living at home and working a dead-end job when Maddy suddenly reappears and tells him that she has been living in the world of the show.  She pleads with him to follow her there because he is being buried underground by Mr. Melancholy in this world but he refuses with tragic consequences.  I really loved the fun neon aesthetic used in the trippy visuals that blur the lines between fantasy and reality as well as the original soundtrack featuring songs full of teenage angst but, more than anything else, I loved the incredibly powerful message (which is never overtly mentioned but brilliantly implied in the subtext) about the dangers of repressing who you really are.  Both Smith and Lundy-Paine give incredibly transformative performances and I was particularly struck by how Maddy becomes more confident as Owen seems to disappear within himself.  I think this is a movie that will resonate with a lot of people for a lot of different reasons and I highly recommend it.

Evil Does Not Exist

Last night I went to the Broadway for a double feature that I was really excited about.  I started with Evil Does Not Exist because I had heard a lot about it from the fall film festivals and I am a fan of Ryusuke Hamaguchi's previous movie Drive My Car.  It is extremely slow and meditative and I am still trying to wrap my head around the shocking ending but it is beautifully shot and it definitely kept me invested.  Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) and his young daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa) live in a small rural village within driving distance of Tokyo.  He has a deep reverence for nature and tries to impart his knowledge to his daughter, particularly the habits of animals who generally avoid people but attack when they are threatened.  A company buys land in the area to build a glamping resort and they send two representatives, Takahashi (Ryuji Kosaka) and Mayuzumi (Ayaka Shibutani), to hold a meeting in order to convince the locals of the economic benefits to their village.  They oppose the proposal because of the danger it poses to the environment, especially the water supply, and demand that changes be made.  The company only cares about taking advantage of subsidies from the government and making a quick profit so they send Takaheshi and Mayuzumi back to the village to meet with Takumi again to get him on their side.  However, Takumi attempts to show them what it means to live in balance with nature instead.  I really loved the deliberate and measured way in which Hamaguchi introduces the characters and shows how they interact with the environment, the mesmerizing cinematography (especially the four minute tracking shot looking up at trees at the beginning), and the ethereal score which sometimes stops very abruptly (to replicate how man disrupts the natural order).  I also enjoyed the fact that my expectations were completely subverted in the third act despite, upon further reflection, all of the foreshadowing that precedes it.  I left the theater feeling a bit confused and very unnerved (but in the best possible way) and I definitely recommend this to fans of Hamaguchi.

Tashena's Wedding

Tashena and Tucker got married last Saturday and the wedding was beautiful!  They held the ceremony and the reception on some property owned by neighbors and life-long friends of Tucker's family and I think Tashena did an amazing job with the decor.

I loved the rustic theme!

It was overcast and a bit cold and windy but the sun came out right before the ceremony!

It was a really special moment seeing Trent walk Tashena down the aisle.  She was a beautiful bride!

The ceremony was lovely but the reception was a great party!  There was a full bar and an Italian cream soda bar that was really fun and the owners of the property barbecued pulled pork sandwiches and chicken along with the best baked beans I've ever had, coleslaw, and cornbread muffins for dinner.  After dinner there were speeches (which were highly amusing but Tashena's biological uncle got everyone crying), a champagne toast, and the couple's first dance (it was choreographed and Tucker did a great job) before everyone started dancing.  Marilyn, Sean, and I left just as the dancing got started (and sadly before the cake was cut) because we were really cold but we had a great time!

I am so proud of Tashena and I hope she and Tucker have a very happy life together (they were so happy at the wedding).

Washington Road Trip

Tashena's wedding was in Washington last weekend and, of course, we all wanted to be there to support her!  Most people would fly and stay at a nice hotel but not us!  We decided to make a road trip of it (the trip took eleven hours to drive each way) and stay in a deluxe cabin at a KOA. It was a long day driving to get there (and it felt even longer driving home) but we actually had so much fun and there were many times when we were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe.  The cabin was really nice with a full kitchen, a full bathroom with a shower, a seating area, and enough bedrooms to sleep eight (with lots of amenities provided such as dishes and linens).  There was also a patio outside with a table and chairs, benches, a fire pit, and a barbecue.  Marilyn and I spent a lot of time out there relaxing and reading while Trent, Kristine, and Sean helped with wedding preparations and it was lovely.

The part of Washington where Tashena lives is incredibly beautiful, especially the Wenatchee National Forest.  We all really enjoyed staying at this KOA and would definitely recommend the deluxe cabins.

Pride and Prejudice at the Grand Theatre

I absolutely adored the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Melissa Leilani Larson that I saw at HCTO last year so I was really excited to get to see another production at the Grand Theatre last night.  It was just delightful!  This adaptation does not include everything from the novel by Jane Austen and there are subtle changes in characterization but I think it brilliantly captures its essence in a way that feels very fresh and very funny (the crowd was laughing out loud all night).  When Mr. Bingley (Alex Smith), a single man in possession of a good fortune (there is a hilarious spoof on this famous opening line), lets Netherfield Hall, Mrs. Bennett (Liz Whittaker) immediately sets her sights on him as a possible husband for one of her five daughters.  Bingley falls in love with the beautiful Jane (Lauren Pope) but her sister Elizabeth (Niki Rahimi) takes an immediate dislike to his friend Mr. Darcy (Gordon Dunn) because he is so aloof and disdainful.  Elizabeth must overcome her prejudice and Mr. Darcy must overcome his pride for them to realize that they belong together.  Last night I was really struck by how well the letters written between characters are used to advance the narrative instead of dialogue, especially Jane's visit to Pemberley, without losing any impact and I enjoyed seeing the characters pantomime what is happening in the letters on large platforms upstage while they are read aloud.  Every member of the cast is very well-suited to their role but I especially enjoyed how uptight Ellie Otis is as Mary, how histrionic Whittaker is as Mrs. Bennett, and how goofy Smith is as Bingley.  Rahimi and Dunn (who is especially swoon-worthy) have great chemistry when they are sparring back and forth and Darrin Burnett steals the show as Mr. Collins (I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe when he was dancing at the Netherfield Ball, when he dropped to his knees while proposing to Elizabeth, and when he chased after Lady Catherine's carriage).  The staging is a bit different from HCTO because, instead of a small and intimate thrust stage, the Grand has a large proscenium stage but I really liked how they kept the minimal vibe with modular cubes made with sheets of patterned plastic that form a multi-level platform with some that are also moved and reconfigured to form multiple locations.  I also really loved the framed silhouettes of the characters, made from the same patterned plastic, that are hanging in the background (there are new silhouettes when the relationships change in the play).  The blue, pink, purple, and turquoise lighting looks very dramatic projected on a cyclorama upstage as well as reflected in the plastic used in the cubes.  Finally, the period costumes are beautiful (I love those empire waists) but I wish that Caroline Bingley's dress had been more elaborate to denote her higher socio-economic status.  This show is a really fun way to spend an evening and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) during its run through June 8.

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at PTC

I love Russian literature and musical theatre so I have wanted to see Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 for a very long time. I finally had the chance last night at PTC and it was even better than I was anticipating!  It is an adaptation of a 70-page section of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and, like most Russian novels, it contains a large cast of characters (with titles, given names, patronyms, and nicknames) that can be hard to remember. However, the "Prologue" introduces them by telling the audience that Andrey (Bennet Chew) isn't here, Natasha (Ali Ewoldt) is young, Sonya (Melanie Fernandez) is good, Marya (Mary Fanning Driggs) is old-school, Anatole (Aleks Pevec) is hot, Helene (Ginger Bess) is a slut, Dolokhov (Justin Luciano) is fierce, Mary (Lucy Anders) is plain, Bolkonsky (Edward Juvier) is crazy, Balaga (Edward Juvier) is just for fun, and Pierre (Kevin Earley) is bewildered, awkward, rich, and unhappily married. If audiences still need help with the story (most Russian novels have complicated plots that usually involve a letter and a duel), the "Prologue" also suggests reading the program to learn about Natasha's scandalous romance with Anatole while her betrothed Prince Andrey is fighting in the Napoleonic wars and about Pierre's existential crisis. The innovative score, which is performed on stage by various cast members who augment the orchestra in the pit, is a combination of pop and Russian folk and classical music and I loved every single song but my favorites were "Natasha & Anatole" and "Charming" because the percussion is so much fun. The staging of this show is absolutely brilliant because a row of seats has been removed to allow some of the action to take place in the middle of the audience and many of the entrances and exits also happen from the audience. I particularly loved the staging for "The Opera," because the opera is sung very dramatically while the characters are shown watching it and then it is pantomimed when the characters sing about it, "The Duel," because the Russian dancing during the boisterous drinking scene happens in the audience, and "Balaga," because the troika is so clever (I loved the horse puppets) and is eventually driven through the audience. The multi-level set is incredibly opulent with an elaborate gold leaf pattern on the red walls, multiple chandeliers, gilded frames filled with art, and lots of interesting openings to facilitate the comings and goings of characters to and from various locations. Having Pierre's desk (with him sitting at it most of the time) on stage during the whole show is very effective because it implies that he is just an observer in all of the drama until he is called upon to intervene. The entire cast is outstanding but I especially loved Ewoldt and Earley because they both have moments that gave me goosebumps, "No One Else" for Ewoldt and "Dust and Ashes" for Earley, and I also enjoyed Pevec because he is hilarious. PTC always closes the season with a big production but they have outdone themselves this year and I cannot recommend this show enough! It was worth the wait to finally be able to see it because I loved it so much! It runs through May 25 (go here for tickets).

Note: Be sure to go early for Pierre's Parlor in the lobby. This includes pop-up shops with appetizers, desserts, and themed mocktails for purchase one hour before the show!

National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue

I was so excited to have the opportunity to see The Motive and the Cue, a play about the rehearsal process for the 1964 Broadway production of Hamlet directed by Sir John Gielgud and starring Richard Burton, which was filmed live on stage by National Theatre Live during its limited run at the Noel Coward Theatre in London's West End.  This screening was presented by the Tanner Humanities Center and Salt Lake Film Society yesterday and I loved it!  Sir John Gielgud (Mark Gatiss) has been hand selected by Richard Burton (Johnny Flynn) to direct a Broadway production of Hamlet in which he will star.  Gielgud once portrayed the character himself to great acclaim at the Old Vic but he is feeling like the best days of his career are over and took the job out of desperation rather than faith in Burton's ability to do the part justice.  Burton, who has recently married Elizabeth Taylor (Tuppence Middleton), is feeling tremendous pressure to live up to the challenge despite his bravura during rehearsal.  The two of them inevitably clash as Burton struggles to find his way into the character and Gielgud struggles to find a way to help his tempestuous star.  The rest of the cast, including an amusing Hume Cronyn (Allan Corduner) who plays Polonius, complicate matters because they revere Gielgud as a legend in the theatre but are also star-struck by Burton's fame (and by the access he provides to the glamorous Taylor).  With just days before opening night they hash it out in private and find an interpretation they can both be proud of.  Gatiss and Flynn give absolutely brilliant performances (their impersonations of two very well-known actors are perfect) and their scenes together are explosive and poignant by turns.  Gatiss is extraordinary in a scene in which Gielgud tries, unsuccessfully, to coach Burton through the "Speak the speech, I pray you" monologue and then performs it himself after Burton storms out (there are so many instances where lines from Hamlet inform the action and I loved the irony of having Gielgud give the speech where Hamlet instructs his actors).  Flynn, however, gave me chills with his performance of Hamlet's soliloquy after Burton finds his motivation.  I was less impressed with Middleton because she doesn't quite have Taylor's charisma but the rest of the cast, much like the cast of Hamlet, are great as background players in the central drama.  The set design, featuring a large rehearsal room, and period costumes from the 1960s are outstanding.  This play is such an ode to the importance of theatre as an art form and I really enjoyed it!  I am so glad that these National Theatre Live screenings are available near me!

Note:  Even though I loved this show, I think Andrew Scott should have won the Olivier Award for Best Actor instead of Gatiss because his performance in Vanya is remarkable.

Evita at the Empress Theatre

I was really excited to see a production of Evita at the Empress Theatre last night because, even though it is one of my favorite musicals, I hadn't seen it in a really long time. Featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, the story follows Eva Peron (Sophia Morrilla Mancilla) on her journey from impoverished teenager, to ambitious actress in Buenos Aires, to wife of military leader Juan Peron (Ben Tutor), to first lady of Argentina, and, finally, to sainthood as told by the fictional character of Che (Armando Serrano Huerta) who serves as both the narrator and a representative of the working class who provides commentary on Eva's character and actions. I really enjoyed Mancilla's performance because, not only does she have a beautiful voice, but her characterization of Eva is multi-layered. She brilliantly portrays the young girl desperate to escape her circumstances in "Buenos Aires," the scheming actress willing to manipulate her way to the top in "Goodnight and Thank You," the seductress in "I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You," the power-hungry mastermind in "A New Argentina," the passionate leader seeking adulation in "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," the superstar in "Rainbow High," the defiant survivor in "Waltz for Eva and Che," and the emotional invalid trying to come to terms with her imminent death and legacy in "You Must Love Me" and "Eva's Final Broadcast" with subtle gestures and facial expressions and I could definitely tell that this role meant a lot to her. Huerta is incredibly charismatic and energetic as Che and his interactions with Mancilla are a highlight. I also liked that he is costumed as a descamisado rather than a military leader. Tutor showcases both Peron's gravitas and vulnerability and I especially loved his rendition of "She Is a Diamond."  The ensemble is also very strong in this production. It is an intimate theater with a small cast so I could really hear individual voices and I was blown away by the talent! The choreography is really fun to watch, particularly the tango in "On This Night of a Thousand Stars" and I loved the clever use of a card game in the staging of "The Art of the Possible" and the dramatic marching in formation during "Peron’s Latest Flame."  The stage is dominated by the facade of the Casa Rosada, complete with an imposing balcony that is put to good use in "Don’t Cry for Me Argentina," with minimal pieces brought on and off stage by the ensemble and the period costumes are very effective in evoking a specific time and place.  Finally, I loved the use of the red ceibo flower as a recurring motif symbolizing strength.  I highly recommend this stirring production which runs through May 25 (go here for tickets).

Note:  I became a fan of this musical when I saw Elaine Paige, who originated the role of Eva Peron in the West End production of Evita, perform "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" in concert with the Utah Symphony many years ago!

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

My sister and I are big fans of the Planet of the Apes trilogy so we were really excited to see the latest installment, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, last night.  We both found it to be incredibly thought-provoking with amazing visual effects.  Many generations after the rule of Caesar, Noa (Owen Teague) is a young chimpanzee in an isolated clan that raises eagles and other birds of prey.  Wanting to impress his father Koro (Neil Sandilands), the master of the birds, Noa goes on a reckless journey to find an eagle egg and inadvertently leads a violent clan ruled by the brutal Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) to his village.  Noa is injured, his father is killed, and the rest of the clan is taken.  Noa begins searching for his family and notices that a human is following him from a distance.  He also meets an orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon), a member of the Order of Caesar who follows the teachings of the former leader, and he informs Noa that humans and apes once lived peacefully together and that he should trust the human.  Noa and the human, who eventually tells him that her name is Mae (Freya Allan), are captured by Proximus and taken to his settlement.  Proximus reveals that he rules in Caesar's name and that all apes should join together to keep the humans subjugated no matter the cost.  Noa must decide who to trust if he is to save his clan.  The story is so thematically dense that my sister and I couldn't stop talking about it afterwards (and the more we talked about it the more ideas we discovered) but my main takeaway is that history and mythology are often distorted to manipulate the uninformed and that knowledge is the true power.  This does take a little while to get going but everything eventually comes together in the end (I loved the significance of the eagles) and the tension-filled action sequences in third act had me on the edge of my seat.  The images on the screen are simply spectacular with unbelievably realistic motion-capture performances and visual effects combined with shots on location.  Noa is a compelling character and is easy to root for, particularly as he struggles to make sense of events that happened in the past, and Proximus is a great villain (my sister thought he was terrifying).  This is a worthy successor to the original trilogy and sets the stage for further installments.  I highly recommend it!

Note:  It was so fun to see this with my sister!  She doesn't see very many movies in the theater but she has a list for the ones she wants to see this summer.

Utah Opera's Thaïs

I have been looking forward to Utah Opera's production of Thaïs by Jules Massenet all season because it is an opera that I was not familiar with.  I finally had the chance to see it last night and I absolutely loved it!  It is a big production that is staged very dramatically with beautiful music and powerful performances that kept me captivated.  Athanaël (Troy Cook) is a devout monk who has been disturbed by dreams about Thaïs (Nicole Heaston), a courtesan and devotee of Venus who lives only for love and pleasure.  He believes the dreams are a sign from God that he should travel to Alexandria to convert her to Christianity.  Once in Alexandria he seeks out his friend Nicias (Dominick Valdes-Chenes), who is Thaïs's current lover, and is invited to a feast later that evening where Thaïs mocks him for daring to defy Venus.  However, after the feast, she laments that she will grow old and die.  When Athanaël visits her room she attempts to seduce him but he refuses her advances and promises her eternal life instead.  She agrees to enter the convent after a night of meditation but suffers greatly on the journey through the desert.  Athanaël pushes her to continue as penance for her sins but begins to take pity on her and they share an idyllic moment together at a spring.  He reluctantly places her in the care of Mother Superior Albine (Aubrey Adams-McMillan) knowing he will never see her again but, when he is haunted by dreams of her, he renounces his vows in order to return to her.  He discovers that she is dying so he declares his love for her but Thaïs chooses God's love and eternal life instead which leaves him bereft.  The music, performed by the Utah Symphony under the baton of Steven White, is incredibly beautiful (I loved the themes played by the harp).  Even though I had never seen this opera before, I immediately recognized "Méditation" from the second act.  Concertmaster Madeline Adkins gave an emotional performance of the dramatic violin solo and the staging of this scene, featuring eight dancers with Repertory Dance Theatre, is spectacular.  I heard audible gasps from the audience when a dancer emerged from behind the sleeping figure of Thaïs as if her soul was ascending to a higher plane and all of the lifts in the choreography continue this theme culminating in a final haunting pose.  I was also struck by the juxtaposition of the staging in the scenes with the monks who circle Athanaël as he prays and the revelers who circle Thaïs as she performs.  The set and costumes also emphasize this juxtaposition because the gilded panels surrounding the stage appear silver in the monastery and gold in Thaïs's palace and Athanaël and the monks wear black while Thaïs, Nicias, and the revelers appear in a riot of sumptuous gold.  The role of Thaïs is a demanding one and Heaston's performance is brilliant.  Not only does she have a beautiful and powerful voice, the aria "Dis-moi que je suis belle" is a highlight, but she is convincing as both a licentious courtesan and a newly converted supplicant.  Cook is also believable in the role of an ascetic who is corrupted and I especially loved his voice in the duet "C'est toi, mon pere" with Heaston.  Another impressive performance was that of Katrina Galka as La Charmeuse as she entertains Nicias and the revelers.  I enjoyed every aspect of this production and I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity to see this rarely-performed opera.  There are two more performances (go here for tickets) on Friday and Sunday.

The Time Machine at HCT

Last night I went to Hale Theatre for the world premiere of The Time Machine, an original work by local playwright Michael D. Fox inspired by the novella of the same name by H.G. Wells. The premise is an interesting one and the sets, projections, and special effects are very impressive but, unfortunately, the narrative is a mess. Fifteen-year-old Skye Mason (Mariah Grace Bowman) opens a mysterious package meant for her grandmother Helene Briggs (Lori Rees) and discovers a puzzle box containing a handwritten manuscript of The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. Helene panics when she sees the manuscript because she believes it is a desperate message across time telling her that she is in danger. She reveals that the story in the manuscript is real and that it was inspired by her travels to the future in a machine of her own invention. A young Helene (Amber Dodge) travels to the far future and returns to 1888 with a powerful source of energy stolen from a savage group known as the Morlocks. Fearing what use might be made of such a powerful object she seeks advice from her friend Gregory Whitman (Kaden Caldwell) and her fiance H.G. Wells (Dallin Suman). She ultimately decides that she should take the power source to the future and hide it and, since she cannot go back to a specific time and place more than once, she stays in 1988 and makes a life for herself. However, the message from Wells sends her and her granddaughter on a journey through time to keep the power source safe from someone with plans to abuse it. The way the original novella is integrated into a new story is clever but I found it really convoluted (lots of overly complicated exposition about time travel), hard to follow (lots of jumps between timelines and relationships between characters that are not very explicit), and inconsistent (there are a few elements that did not make sense to me). I definitely think this could have used another draft before it was performed for an audience (I usually do not have this much trouble following a plot). What really impressed me about this production, however, is the set!  I was intrigued by it the moment I took my seat because it is made up of large geometric panels that move to form concentric circles through which different set pieces (including an elaborate time machine) move on and off stage and on which various images are projected. I especially loved the clock motif that is used in many of the projections. The lighting design is very dramatic, particularly the lightning effects that happen when the time machine travels, and so is the score (which was composed by fifteen-year-old Cameron Dietlein!). Once again, Hale delivered on the style without much of the substance and I was left feeling underwhelmed.

Note:  I have only really loved one production out of the four I've seen at Hale this season.

The Phantom Menace

I have very vivid memories of seeing The Phantom Menace with my friend Tony on opening day when it was first released.  We were able to get advance tickets but, because seats were not assigned back in the day, we decided to go really early to make sure we got good ones.  When we got to the theater the line was already stretched out to the parking lot (we still got good seats) but it was so much fun because the anticipation and excitement were palpable!  I remember how thrilling it was to hear the instantly recognizable fanfare while watching a new opening crawl!  I almost couldn't contain myself!  Tony and I (and the rowdy crowd we saw it with) really liked it and we were surprised by the critical response because it sets up the characters Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Palpatine to become who they are in the original trilogy in a really intriguing way and it is dazzling to look at (there has been a big reassessment of the prequel trilogy in recent years but I always liked them).  Episode I is now back in theaters in honor of its 25th Anniversary and it was so much fun to see it on the big screen again last night with a large crowd!  Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) are assigned to negotiate the end of the Trade Federation's blockade of Naboo but are unable to prevent the invasion of the planet.  They eventually rescue the young queen, Amidala (Natalie Portman), and escape but are forced to land on Tatooine for engine repairs.  There they meet a young slave named Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) who helps them get the parts they need.  He also makes a big impression on Qui-Gon who arranges for his release.  They travel to Coruscant where Amidala and Palpatine (Iam McDiarmid), the senator from Naboo, hope to plead their case to the Senate only to discover that the blockade is just the beginning a sinister plot by the long dormant Sith to control the galaxy.  This is a movie that definitely should be seen on the big screen because the worldbuilding and visuals are so spectacular, especially the architecture on Naboo, the underwater world of the Gungun, and the senate chamber on Coruscant, and the sound design during the podrace is absolutely epic.  The action sequences are impressive, particularly the aforementioned podrace, the battle against the droid army, the gunfight in the throne room, and the starfighter battle against the droid control ship.  It also features what is widely considered to be the best lightsaber duel in the entire series when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fight Darth Maul (accompanied by "Duel of the Fates" which is one of my favorite pieces from all of the Star Wars soundtracks).  Neeson has a suitably imposing presence as the Jedi Master and I think McGregor is an entirely believable younger version of Obi-Wan as portrayed by Alec Guinness.  Lloyd's performance as Anakin has been much maligned but the farewell scene with his mother is genuinely heartbreaking (and really sets his path to the dark side in motion).  Some of the characters are still problematic (although Jar Jar Binks isn't as annoying as I remember him) and the dialogue is really clunky but it is definitely worth seeing while it is back in theaters (especially if you have never seen it on the big screen).

Bryce Canyon National Park 2024

After driving through Zion I kept going on Highway 89 to Bryce Canyon (it is a really pretty drive and takes about two hours).  Unlike Zion, Bryce Canyon was absolutely packed and there was nowhere to park at Sunrise Point or Bryce Point.  I was able to stop at all of the other viewpoints and to find a parking spot at Rainbow Point to walk around so I'm calling it good!

I really loved seeing the snow against the red rocks!  This was a fun weekend road trip and I thoroughly enjoyed both Tuacahn and the national parks!  My next road trip will be to Washington for my niece's wedding later this month!