Rear Window

I haven't been to many movies in the Fathom's Big Screen Classics series this year but I just couldn't resist Rear Window in honor of its 70th Anniversary.  Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors and this is widely considered to be one of his best movies so I was really excited to see it on the big screen for the first time.  I found it to be incredibly riveting.  L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart) is a photojournalist who has been incapacitated by a broken leg and is confined to a wheelchair.  Because he has nothing else to do he spends most of his time watching all of his neighbors across the courtyard from his window.  After he hears a scream in the middle of the night and sees a man named Lars Thorwald (Raymund Burr) leaving his apartment with a large suitcase multiple times, he becomes convinced that Lars murdered his invalid wife when he doesn't see her the next morning.  He enlists the help of Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly), his socialite girlfriend, Stella (Thelma Ritter), the nurse hired to care for him, and Tom Doyle (Wendell Corey), a buddy from the war now working as a detective in the NYPD, to help him investigate.  However, the man he views through the telephoto lens of his camera eventually gets a little too close for comfort.  What makes this so compelling is that we in the audience are also voyeurs just like Jeff because we see everything from his POV (many of the shots are framed as if being viewed through his telephoto lens) so we are just as eager to solve the crime as he is.  It is an incredibly clever conceit.  The suspense is almost unbearable, particularly in a scene where Lisa is in danger of discovery from Thorwald because Jeff cannot do anything to save her.  I loved the dichotomy in the characters of Jeff and Lisa because he is a man of action but cannot take any action while she is viewed as frivolous but is more capable than she appears.  All of the technical aspects, especially the complicated set, the atmospheric lighting, and the diegetic sound design, are very well done and definitely enhance the mood.  I was surprised by how much more I enjoyed this movie seeing it on the big screen so I definitely recommend this series.  Go here for more information if you are interested.

Blink Twice

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway last night was Blink Twice and I thoroughly enjoyed it because it is really wild but also very thought-provoking.  Cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) bluff their way into an event where they meet Slater King (Channing Tatum), a notorious billionaire who has been forced to apologize publicly and to relinquish control of his tech company because of his inappropriate behavior.  He invites them to his private island along with his hangers-on Vic (Christian Slater), Cody (Simon Rex), Tom (Haley Joel Osment), and Lucas (Levon Hawke), their guests Sarah (Adria Arjona), Camille (Liz Caribel), and Heather (Trew Mullen), his personal assistant Stacy (Geena Davis), and his therapist Rich (Kyle McLachlan).  Once they arrive on the island their phones are confiscated but they stay in lavish accommodations, receive expensive gifts, and are treated to gourmet meals, champagne, and a never ending supply of drugs.  They spend their days, which all start to run together, in a haze of drunken debauchery until Jess starts to feel like something is very wrong.  Frida dismisses her concerns because she enjoys living like the 1% do but, when Jess disappears and the other guests do not remember her ever being there, she realizes that something sinister is going on.  This is a stylish and atmospheric thriller with a menacing performance from Tatum and a brutal, but strangely satisfying, third act.  However, what I enjoyed most was the social commentary about the imbalance of power between classes and genders, especially when it is leveraged to avoid taking responsibility for bad behavior.  There are also some intriguing discussions about repressing trauma, pitting women against each other instead of the patriarchy, and staying silent after witnessing wrongdoing.  This is entertaining (I laughed out loud during a twist at the end) and also a bit unsettling so I definitely look forward to future projects by Zoe Kravitz.

Note:  This could be very triggering for victims of sexual abuse.

Good One

Last night I decided on another double feature at the Broadway and I started with Good One because I missed it at Sundance this year.  I absolutely loved this character-driven coming of age story.  Seventeen-year-old Sam (Lily Collias) has weekend plans to backpack through the Catskills with her father Chris (James Le Gros), who is divorced from her mother and has a younger wife and new baby at home, his best friend Matt (Danny McCarthy), who is currently going through a messy divorce, and Matt's teenage son Dylan.  When Dylan backs out of the trip at the last minute because he is angry about the divorce, Sam is left on her own with two men who are extremely dissatisfied with their lives.  At first they are benignly dismissive of her (I was particularly struck by how annoyed they are whenever they have to wait for her to take a bathroom break to change a tampon) and assume that she will complete all of the menial tasks around the campsite while they get drunk and swap stories to one up each other.  Then, in one moment fraught with tension, everything changes and Sam realizes that she is not safe with them.  Almost all of the action takes place in the wide expanse of the great outdoors but it still feels incredibly claustrophobic because of how the three characters interact with each other and how the shots of these interactions are framed.  Collias gives a highly nuanced performance because so much of what is happening is left unsaid but you can intuit exactly what Sam is thinking by the subtle change in her body language and expression as she becomes aware of her father's flaws, especially in a scene where she rests on a boulder by herself because you can see her steeling herself for what is to come.  This is definitely a slow burn but I found it to be extremely compelling and powerful.

Harry Potter Marathon

I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter franchise so I was really excited to see a marathon of all eight movies with my sister Kristine over the weekend.  I had never done a marathon like this before and, even though I was really tired at the end (it was 22 hours including short breaks), I had so much fun!  Most people were in costume (I represented House Ravenclaw) and there were some really fun backdrops for photos.  The ticket included a free large popcorn and soda with unlimited refills and you could purchase a meal package with breakfast, lunch, and dinner catered by local restaurants but we opted not to get it because we thought it was expensive for what it was (the Megaplex at Jordan Commons has lots of food options and the service was great despite the big crowds during the meal breaks).  As I watched each of the movies I was especially struck by the enchanting world-building in Sorcerer's Stone, the theme of fearing those who are different in Chamber of Secrets, the developing relationship between Harry and Sirius Black in Prisoner of Azkaban, the changing dynamic between Harry, Ron, and Hermione and their friends as they enter adolescence in Goblet of Fire, the darker tone as Harry's mind is invaded by Voldemort (it is interesting to see Harry mimic Voldemort's mannerisms) in Order of the Phoenix, the higher stakes for every character in Half-Blood Prince, the importance of friendship and teamwork in Deathly Hallows Part One, and the weight of responsibility that Harry feels as he faces Voldemort (I always get a tears in my eyes when Harry asks his parents, Remus, and Sirius to be with him) in Deathly Hallows Part Two.  I also enjoyed seeing the changes in Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson as they grow up on screen (it is much more evident watching the movies one after the other).  I love every movie in the series but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Goblet of Fire (which is really ironic because I dozed off for a few minutes and missed the sequence in the maze).  The audience wasn't as boisterous as I was expecting but there were definitely cheers and applause at the end of the final movie (maybe it was just relief that we had all survived).  I had a great time and I would definitely do a movie marathon again!

Note:  I'm happy that I got to experience this with Kristine because she is the one who introduced the books to me.

The Drowsy Chaperone at the Grand Theatre

I love The Drowsy Chaperone and I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing it because not only is it a hilarious parody of the genre with every musical theatre trope you can think of but it is also a poignant ode to the power that musical theatre has to transport you away from from the real wold and all of your problems to a place where happy endings are possible for a few hours.  I had the chance to see it again at the Grand Theatre last night and I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Because Man in Chair (Jason Campbell) is feeling a little bit blue he decides to listen to the LP of the cast recording for his favorite musical The Drowsy Chaperone.  As he listens the musical comes to life in his apartment with frequent pauses for his commentary on the show which becomes more and more personal.  Mrs. Tottendale (Dawn Veree) and her Underling (Jeffrey Black) are hosting the wedding of oil tycoon Robert Martin (Clayton Barney) to a Broadway star named Janet Van De Graaff (Morgan Fenner) who is giving up her glamorous career for love.  Robert is leaving the wedding details to George (Luke Logan), his best friend and best man, while Janet's Chaperone (Lauren Slagowski), who gets drowsy when she drinks champagne, is charged with keeping the couple apart to avoid bad luck.  Broadway producer Feldzieg (Doug Caldwell) is unhappy about losing his biggest star and sets out to stop the wedding by hiring a Latin lover named Aldolpho (Dru) to seduce the bride.  An investor in the Feldzieg Follies is also worried about losing its biggest star and hires two gangsters (Steve Shoemaker and Kaltin Kirby), who are posing as pastry chefs, to stop the wedding bit a ditzy chorus girl named Kitty (Natalie Wren) is hoping to take Janet's place.  The happy ending is in doubt until Trix the Aviatrix (Kacee Neff) is enlisted to marry four couples on her plane while flying to Rio.  This production features the original Broadway version which does not have an intermission (it also omits "Message From A Nightingale" which usually happens at the beginning of Act 2) and I think it is delightful.  The choreography in the big song and dance numbers "Fancy Dress," "Show Off," "Toledo Surprise," and "I Do, I Do in the Sky" is really fun but I especially enjoyed the tapping (I always love to see tapping) in "Cold Feets," the roller skating in "Accident Waiting to Happen," and the Busby Berkeley-like sequence in "Bride's Lament."  I am always intrigued to see how the furniture and other items in the apartment are incorporated into the choreography and the use of a Murphy bed in "As We Stumble Along" is hilarious.  The entire cast is very strong but the stand outs for me are Dru, because not only is his performance completely over the top but he also has a beautiful voice (he might be my favorite Aldolpho), and Campbell, because it is so fun to watch him mimic the choreography while sitting in the chair.  I had a smile on my face from beginning to end and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).  There are performances Thursday - Saturday until September 14.

Arsenic and Old Lace at HCTO

Last night I went to see Arsenic and Old Lace at HCTO and I could not stop laughing at this classic madcap comedy!  Two elderly spinsters, Abby and Martha Brewster (Jayne Luke and Melany Wilkins, respectively), are known in their Brooklyn neighborhood for their numerous acts of charity.  However, their charity includes poisoning lonely old men who come to their home looking for lodging with their homemade elderberry wine.  Their nephew Teddy (Josh Needles), who believes that he is Teddy Roosevelt, helps them by burying the men in the holes he digs for the Panama Canal in the cellar.  Chaos ensues when their other nephew Mortimer (Jon Liddiard) discovers one of their victims in the window seat and when their estranged nephew Jonathan (Matt Kohler) suddenly appears wanting to dispose of one his own victims in the same window seat.  It takes an unwilling accomplice (Jonathan McBride), a bumbling policeman who really wants to be a playwright (BJ Oldroyd), and a curious fiance (Brianna Meikle) to end the mayhem!  What I loved most about this production is the over the top performances, particularly Liddiard because he is hilariously overwrought and Kohler because he is such a melodramatic villain (his facial expressions killed me), and all of the physical comedy, especially every time Teddy charges up the stairs while fighting the Battle of San Juan Hill, when Mortimer gets tangled up in the phone cord, when both Teddy and Dr. Einstein struggle getting the bodies out of the window seat (I sat near the window seat so I had a great view of the shenanigans), and when Officer O'Hara describes the plot of his play in detail.  The set features the kind of fussy drawing room that you would expect two elderly spinsters to inhabit and I loved the all of the details (my favorites of which were the Victorian portrait on the wall near where I was sitting and the red velvet sofa).  The elaborate costumes worn by the Brewster sisters are very amusing because they are in sharp contrast to those worn by the other characters and I laughed out loud when they appeared in black bombazine gowns and veils to conduct the funeral service for their victim.  This is one of the most performed plays for a reason and this particular production is very well done.  I loved it and I highly recommend getting a ticket for a fun night out (go here).  It runs through September 21.

The Addams Family at HCT

I consider HCT's 2019 production of The Addams Family to be one of the best I've seen of this show so I was very excited to see a new version last night. I had so much fun watching it (I was sitting next to a teen seeing it for the first time and her excitement was infectious) and I think it may even surpass their earlier production! The Addams family relies on their dead ancestors to help them through life and they need them now more than ever because Wednesday (Tearza Leigh Foyston) has fallen in love with a boy from Ohio named Lucas Beineke (Danny Kenny). She wants his uptight parents, Mal (Chandler Bishop) and Alice (Claire Kenny), to meet her family, including her father Gomez (Josh Richardson), her mother Morticia (Bailee Morris), her brother Pugsley (John Nelson Wakley), her uncle Fester (Dallin Bradford), her Gradma (Heidi Scott), and their butler Lurch (Thomas Wood), so she arranges a dinner and requests that they give her just one normal night. Chaos ensues when a mishap involving a poisonous potion occurs and it is up to Uncle Fester, with the help of the ancestors (Alec Foote, Alex Joyner, Jonathan Avila, Collin Larsen, Sophi Keller, Kristi Curtis, Channing Spotts, and Kennedy Bradford), to convince everyone that love is the answer.  This features a nearly perfect cast and I especially enjoyed Richardson (reprising the same role from the 2019 production) and Morris as Gomez and Morticia, respectively, because their interactions are hilarious (watch their facial expressions). Foyston is one of my favorite Wednesdays because her voice is very well-suited to the score. I especially enjoyed her renditions of "Pulled" and "Crazier Than You" because they are so powerful. Wakley is adorable as Pugsley (he can definitely scream) and Bradford is a different Fester than I've seen before (I liked him) but Wood absolutely steals the show as Lurch (he is often in the background but you should watch everything he does because he had me laughing out loud, especially his interactions with Thing). The choreography is a lot of fun and, in addition to the big song and dance numbers "When You're an Addams," "Trapped," "One Normal Night," "Full Disclosure," and "Move Towards the Darkness," I really loved the integration of the ancestors in a kick-line with Morticia in "Just Around the Corner," a Pas de Quatre with Fester in "The Moon and Me," and a tango with Gomez and Morticia in "Tango de Amor." I loved Wednesday's iconic black minidress, all of Morticia's slinky gowns, and Gomez's velvet smoking jacket but the costumes for all of the ancestors are epic (my favorites are the Conquistador and the Viking). Finally, the set is absolutely incredible. The proscenium is surrounded by portraits of ancestors (be sure to watch them throughout the show) and the stage is dominated by an ornate wrought iron staircase that is rotated to become different rooms with the addition of elaborate set pieces and props (I loved all of the dead flower arrangements). The visuals, which change for each of the different rooms, are my favorite aspect of this production and they, along with lots of amusing little details, are what make it so spectacular! This would be the perfect show to see during the Halloween season and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through November 16.

My Penguin Friend

Last night I returned to the Broadway to see My Penguin Friend and I think it is one of the most heartwarming movies I've seen in a long time.  It tells the true story about a Magellanic penguin who traveled from Patagonia every year to visit the man in Brazil who nursed him back to health after being caught in an oil spill.  Joao Pereira de Souza (Jean Reno) is a fisherman living on the coast of Brazil who has isolated himself from the villagers around him because he is still grieving the loss of his young son who died many years ago in a boating accident for which he feels responsible.  A penguin is separated from his colony during its annual migration from Patagonia and washes up on Joao's beach sick and covered in oil.  Joao brings the penguin home, much to the dismay of his exasperated wife Maria (Adriana Barraza), and cares for him tenderly until he is ready to be released back into the wild.  When the penguin, dubbed Dindim by a girl in the village, returns the following year, it brings Joao back to life and Dindim ultimately helps him reconcile his son's death.  The underwater cinematography following Dindim's journey from Patagonia to Brazil and back again is incredibly beautiful and immersive and I loved the footage of the penguin colony because I learned so much about their behavior.  There are also some shots from Dindim's POV that are highly amusing because he is very curious and a little bit naughty.  Some liberties are taken with the story but it is really touching, especially a scene when Dindim is in peril and another when we realize that Joao is desperate to save him because he was unable to save his son.  Reno gives a performance that is subtle but affecting and I also love that Dindim is portrayed by ten different rescue penguins. This is such an uplifting movie about the power of friendship and forgiveness that I think almost anyone would enjoy it!

Peter and the Starcatcher at Murray Park Amphitheater

Last night I was able to see Peter and the Starcatcher under the stars at the Murray Park Amphitheater and it was enchanting!  This show is a really clever and imaginative origin story for Peter Pan which explains how a mistreated orphan boy gets magical powers after arriving on Neverland and how the inept pirate Black Stache becomes Peter's arch-nemesis Captain Hook.  The entire cast, most of whom play multiple roles with the addition of costumes and props located on stage, is fantastic.  I particularly enjoyed Trinity Medina as Peter, Cece Capps as Molly, Georgia Collings as Smee, and Hunter Oliphant as Mrs. Bumbrake because they all give slightly different interpretations of their characters from ones I've seen before.  However, Matthew Davids absolutely steals the show as Black Stache because he is incredibly flamboyant as a misunderstood poet looking for a hero to defeat so that he can become a menorable villain.  His facial expressions are hilarious and many of his ad-libbed lines had me and the audience laughing out loud, especially a line about being a Disney villain wannabe.  I also loved his physicality, particularly in the scenes where he loses his hand and where he impersonates Michael Jackson.  A multi-level stage is transformed into the ships The Wasp and The Neverland as well as a volcanic island with ordinary objects that are used in very creative ways (I especially loved having a rope represent different areas on the ships, green parasols as the forest, and a ladder as a crocodile) so the audience must use their imagination much like the Lost Boys do.  I was also impressed by some really clever staging and choreography including how Molly reveals her powers, how Molly shows the stars to Peter, and how Peter and Molly are thrown overboard.  The costumes are also a lot of fun (the use of a fan as a mermaid's tail is ingenious) and all of the amusing sound cues by pianist Jennifer Hansen and percussionist Angel Williams add to the playful vibe.  There are some small pacing issues with this production because I think the second act loses steam but this is a complicated show to mount and I am impressed with what a community theatre company was able to do with it.  Unfortunately, last night was the final performance but there are still a few opportunities to see shows at the Murray Park Amphitheter (go here) before the summer ends.

Note:  I felt a hint of fall in the air because I needed a jacket after the sun went down.

Sing Sing

Last night I went to the Broadway for Sing Sing, a movie that I have been anticipating for months, and it absolutely delivered because I loved it!  It is about a group of men incarcerated in Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison who participate in a real-life theatre program operated by Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) and the cast features many formerly incarcerated men who are alumni of the program.  The narrative alternates between the brutal realities of living behind bars with scenes of guards roughing up inmates and tossing cells and the chance to escape from those realities for a few hours with scenes showing the men participating in acting exercises and rehearsals for performances. The dialogue is very authentic as the men work through how their life experiences inform their characters and how their characters allow them to express feelings that have been repressed.  It is incredibly powerful, especially when one of the men says that this program allows him to be human again.  I especially loved the relationship between John "Divine G" Whitfield (Colman Domingo) and Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin (Himself).  Divine G feels very protective of the group and is initially hesitant when Divine Eye joins because he is resistant to the process but he soon does whatever he can to help Divine Eye find success both on stage and in seeking parole.  Then, when Divine G suffers a setback and gives into despair, it is Divine Eye who helps him find his way back to the stage (the resolution between the two characters is so emotional that I was practically sobbing and I wasn't alone).  I also loved that it is Hamlet's soliloquy that helps Divine Eye express his emotions.  Domingo's brilliant performance absolutely blew me away, especially when the camera comes in close to show the subtle changes in his expression, and he should definitely be in the conversation for every Best Actor award.  Maclin is also very affecting as is Sean San Jose who plays Divine G's cellmate.  This is an incredibly moving depiction of the redemptive power of art and it is one of the best movies I've seen this year.  I highly recommend seeking it out.

Alien: Romulus

I think Alien is one of the best science-fiction movies ever made so, even though I like some of the many sequels and prequels more than others, I have been beyond excited to see Alien: Romulus.  I had the chance last night at a Thursday preview and I loved it.  Rain (Cailee Spaeny) is an orphaned indentured laborer on a desolate mining colony eager to escape from Weyland-Yutani Corp.  She and Andy (David Jonsson), an android reprogrammed by her father to take care of her, are invited to join a group, consisting of Tyler (Archie Renoux), Kay (Isabela Merced), Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Navarro (Aileen Wu), traveling to a decommissioned spaceship floating near the colony in order to access the cryogenic chambers required to leave because they need Andy to communicate with the computer on board.  When they arrive, they discover that the ship is really a space station and that it wasn't decommissioned but destroyed.  They also discover a damaged android who reveals that a xenomorph recovered from the wreckage of the Nostromo is on board and that they have inadvertently provoked an attack by multiple facehuggers.  They attempt to escape by implanting the android's chip into Andy so he can access the space station's controls but this changes his directive with terrifying results.  I was impressed by the story because it is definitely an homage to the movies that have come before (one specific callback had my audience cheering) while still bringing a unique vision to the franchise.  The practical sets, featuring damaged labs, airlocks, corridors, and elevator shafts, brilliantly emphasize the claustrophobia and the use of atmospheric lighting and unsettling sound design add to the almost unbearable tension.  There are some incredible action sequences, especially in the absolutely wild third act (which had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath), and I was particularly blown away by one involving gravity.  I loved the relationship between Rain and Andy because it provides some emotional depth that I wasn't expecting and both Spaeny and Jonsson give outstanding performances (I was quite impressed with Jonsson because he effectively shifts between two different personalities).  My only complaint is that I sometimes had a hard time with the geography because I couldn't figure out where everyone was in relation to various locations and to each other.  Ultimately, I think this is the best entry in the franchise since Aliens and I highly recommend it.

Legally Blonde at West Valley Arts

Last night I went to see Legally Blonde at the West Valley Performing Arts Center and it was more fun than should be allowed on a Wednesday night! Elle Woods (Rachel Matorana), a fashion merchandising student and president of the Delta Nu Nu sorority at UCLA, is sure that her boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Wesley Valdez) is about to propose but he breaks up with her instead. He explains that he is going to Harvard Law School and he needs a more serious girlfriend for the future he imagines. She decides to prove him wrong and succeeds in getting into Harvard Law School but no one there takes her seriously, especially the notoriously difficult Professor Callahan (Jared Lesa) and Warner's new girlfriend Vivienne Kensington (Teaira Burge). However, a teaching assistant named Emmett Forrest (Geoff Beckstrand) and a beautician named Paulette Bonafonte (Madison Archibald) show her that she has what it takes to be a lawyer and she eventually gets an acquittal for her first client, fitness guru Brooke Wyndham (Bryn Campbell). Like most musicals adapted from popular movies, the songs are a little bit contrived but I have to admit that I enjoyed them, especially "Omigod You Guys," "What You Want," "Positive," "Blood in the Water," "Chip On My Shoulder,""Whipped into Shape" (this is incredible), and "Bend and Snap," because the fun and energetic choreography had the crowd cheering out loud! Matorana is absolutely perfect as the irrepressible Elle because her joy and optimism are palpable in every number. She definitely has the charisma to carry the show because you can't take your eyes off her and her voice is very well suited to the score. I also really enjoyed Archibald's performance because she oozes personality as well as Beckstrand's because he is both lovable and vulnerable. The use of a big group of Delta Nu Nu sorority sisters, rather than just the three that are usually found in most productions, as a Greek chorus whenever Elle needs inspiration really adds to the energy. Every inch of the stage is covered in pink and the set pieces for the Delta Nu Nu house, various locations at Harvard, the courtroom, and the beauty parlor are incorporated with very clever staging (I especially loved the scene where Elle is kicked out of class because it is so seamless). The costumes and lighting design also make liberal use of the color pink and it is so vibrant and playful. If you love the movie you will definitely love this entertaining show! It runs at the West Valley Performing Arts Center on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through August 31 (go here for tickets).

Cuckoo

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway last night was Cuckoo.  It is a bit confusing but it is definitely unnerving.  After the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) unexpectedly joins her father Luis (Marton Csokas), stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick), and half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu) in the Bavarian Alps.  They have been invited by the enigmatic Herr Konig (Dan Stevens) to stay at his isolated resort while Luis and Beth create the plans for his next development but Gretchen is almost overcome with grief and wants to leave.  Konig takes an unusually proprietary interest in Gretchen but, even more unsettling, she is plagued by mysterious shrieking noises and is stalked by a hooded figure which results in several severe injuries.  The only one who believes her version of events is a detective named Henry (Jan Bluthardt) but he may not be entirely trustworthy.  Eventually, Gretchen discovers a sinister plot that is now targeting her family and she cannot be allowed to interfere.  There is an almost unbearable atmosphere of tension created by disturbing sound design, disorienting visuals, scary set pieces, and a committed performance from Schafer who portrays her character's growing paranoia, and physical deterioration, very well.  Everyone in my audience had a palpable reaction to a scene where Gretchen seems to be chased by someone or some thing while riding a bicycle late at night (I almost screamed out loud).  Stevens is hilariously creepy (he is having quite a year playing over the top characters) and the scenes between Konig and Gretchen are incredibly menacing.  However, this reminded me a lot of Longlegs in that it features a highly original premise with a feeling of dread that is painstakingly crafted in the first two acts only to lose focus as the central mystery is revealed.  The convoluted exposition actually left me with more questions than answers.  Even though this is another movie that comes undone in the third act, I can't say that I didn't enjoy seeing this with a large crowd and I would recommend it.

Didi

Last night I decided to have another double feature at the Broadway and I started with Didi because it is one that I missed at Sundance this year.  I absolutely loved this touching portrait of early adolescence.  Chris Wang (Izaac Wang) is spending the final weeks of the summer before his freshman year of high school suffering from teenage angst.  His awkward behavior pushes his best friends Fahad (Raul Dial) and Soup (Aaron Chang) away and his attempt to get closer to his crush Madi (Macaela Park) ends in embarrassment.  He tries to befriend a group of skateboarders by promising to create videos of their tricks but this eventually backfires.  His father is away working in Taiwan, his grandmother Nai Nai (Chang Li Hua) is critical of everything he does, his mother Chungsing (Joan Chen) embarrasses him, and his sister Vivian (Shirley Chen) bickers endlessly with him.  Just when he feels alienated by everyone in his life, his mother gives him the courage to start high school with his head held high.  What I loved most about this movie is that even though it is about a very specific perspective (the child of Chinese immigrants dealing with the pressure to succeed) and a specific time (the early days of social media in 2008) it is also universal in that almost everyone can relate to what Chris feels and experiences as he tries to navigate the transition to high school (I had a flashback to when I called my crush but then immediately hung up when he answered because i didn't know what to say).  I also like that the filmmakers don't sentimentalize Chris because a lot of his problems are of his own making and they don't magically disappear after his moment of catharsis.  Izaac Wang gives a wonderful performance but I was most impressed with Joan Chen because she portrays the hurt and anger that Chungsing feels with subtlety, especially in a scene when she responds to criticism from her mother-in-law.  Finally, I loved seeing the early iterations of YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook!  This is a movie that I think anyone can enjoy and I highly recommend it!

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

I love the musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels!  It is hilarious so it was a lot of fun to see a new production at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse last night. I was laughing so much I couldn't breathe! Lawrence Jameson (Nick Balaich), a charming and sophisticated international playboy, cons a wealthy woman named Muriel Eubanks (Melissa Trenery), who is visiting the French Riviera from Omaha, by pretending to be a prince fighting a revolution to reclaim his country. When an uncouth amateur con artist named Freddy Benson (Josh Curtis) comes to the Riviera, Jameson decides to take him under his wing to keep him from stealing his marks. When he tries to con Jolene Oaks (Janelle Wiser), an heiress from Oklahoma, he enlists Benson's help to get him out of an accidental engagement. They both take credit for the success of the plan so they bet each other that the first one to con Christine Colgate (Natalie Peterson), an heiress from Cincinnati, out of $50,000 will win and the other will leave town. Hilarity ensues when Benson pretends to be a paralyzed soldier and Jameson pretends to be a Viennese psychiatrist but who is conning whom? What makes this show so funny is all of the physical comedy and it is brilliant in this show, especially in "All About Ruprecht" and "Ruffhousin' Mit Shuffhausen." I also really enjoyed "Love is My Legs" because it is completely over the top and made me laugh out loud! The choreography is a lot of fun in the big song and dance numbers "Give Them What They Want," "Great Big Stuff," "Oklahoma," and "The More We Dance" and the ensemble does a great job with lots of highly amusing bits of business sprinkled throughout. The main cast is outstanding because Balaich is very charming and debonair with a beautiful voice and Curtis is a perfect foil to him with all of his uproarious energy and body language (he ended up in the audience, including next to me, multiple times and it was so funny). They have perfect comedic timing and great chemistry with each other. Peterson also has a beautiful voice and provides the perfect blend of innocence and guile while Wiser is incredibly flamboyant and brought the house down in "Oklahoma." However, I especially loved Trenery because her facial expressions are hilarious but she also shows a bit of vulnerability. I was really impressed with the costumes, particularly all of the tuxedos and couture gowns, and with the main set which resembles a terrace overlooking the sea. I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining show and I highly recommend it.  There are performances on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through September 21 (go here for tickets).  

Borderlands

I have never played the game but I thought the trailer for Borderlands looked like a lot of fun and I am a big fan of Cate Blanchett so I went to see it last night.  It is not quite as bad as all of the reviews have made it out to be but it is not good.  Roland (Kevin Hart), a mercenary gone rogue, kidnaps Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), along with her protector Krieg (Florian Munteanu), and takes her to the planet Pandora because he believes that she is Eridian and can open a vault containing vast amounts of treasure and technology left behind by the ancient civilization.  Atlas (Edgar Ramirez) hires the notorious bounty hunter Lileth (Blanchett) to retrieve Tina which forces her to return to her home planet for the first time after fleeing as a child.  She locates Tina with the help of the robot Claptrap (voiced by Jack Black) but she soon joins forces with Roland, Tina, and Krieg when she realizes why Atlas wants the technology.  They enlist the help of Dr. Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), an Eridian specialist, to find a series of keys so they can open the vault before Atlas.  Mayhem ensues.  I actually enjoyed the story, even though I was confused a few times and I guessed a big plot twist during the opening voiceover narration, and I was invested in the relationship between Lileth and Tina.  However, I did find the resolution to be incredibly anticlimactic because the vault is almost meaningless.  There are non-stop action sequences but they are very chaotic and it is often difficult to see who is fighting whom and the CGI is a mess.  Both Blanchett (I am sorry to say) and Curtis are surprisingly bland but I was most disappointed by Hart and Black, who can usually be relied upon to provide some fun comic relief, because they are not even a little bit funny (I laughed exactly once during the entire runtime).  Greenblatt is the only one who brings any energy to her role.  It is not the worst movie I have seen this year but it is definitely one you can wait to see when it streams.

It Ends With Us

I went through a Colleen Hoover phase last fall and, while I didn't love everything I read by the author, It Ends with Us was one book that I did enjoy.  It is always fun to see how a movie adaptation compares to the book so I went to see an early screening last night.  I think fans of the book will love it.  A young Lily Bloom (Isabela Ferrer) grows up witnessing the abuse her mother Jenny (Amy Morton) suffers at the hands of her father Andrew (Kevin McKidd).  When she meets Atlas Corrigan (Alex Neustaedter), a young man who is also the product of an abusive home, they bond over their shared trauma and begin an ill-fated relationship.  Years later, Lily (Blake Lively) is now the owner of a successful flower shop when the meets a handsome and charming neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni).  She falls in love with him but soon discovers that he has a temper that he cannot control.  She rationalizes that the injuries she sustains from his outbursts are just accidents until she comes into contact with Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) again and he recognizes the signs of abuse.  However, it is only when she has a daughter of her own that she realizes that she must stop the cycle of abuse.  This movie, like the book, has an important message about domestic abuse and I appreciate Lily's character arc moving from condemning her mother for staying with her father to understanding her reasons after experiencing abuse from a man she loves for herself.  I also really appreciate the fact that, while she does turn to Atlas for help after an especially devastating attack from Ryle, she doesn't rely on him to save her (it is not really the love triangle that it is being marketed as) but finds the courage within herself to make a difficult choice.  However, unlike the book, this message is only explored in a very superficial way and I was particularly disappointed in a rushed scene between Lily and her mother late in the third act because it could have been so much more powerful.  Viewers who have not read the book might not feel the full emotional impact.  Both Lively and Baldoni, who have sizzling chemistry, give compelling and highly nuanced performances and Ferrer is pitch perfect as the younger version of Lily (you really believe that she and Lively are the same person) but I think Jenny Slade steals the show as the quirky best friend!  The look of this movie is really appealing despite the dark subject matter, which effectively underscores how someone can be taken in by appearance, and the soundtrack is amazing.  I liked this adaptation but I definitely think my enjoyment was influenced by my familiarity with the book.

Note:  I can't really remember how Lily's clothes are described in the book but the costumes in the movie are definitely a choice.

School of Rock at CPT

I have been so excited for School of Rock ever since CPT announced the 2024 schedule because it is such a fun and feel good show! I got to see it with my sisters last night and all three of us loved it! Dewey (J.B. Moore) is kicked out of his band No Vacancy right before the Battle of the Bands and his friend Ned (Blaine Backman), with whom he has been living for the past several years, is being pressured by his uptight girlfriend Patty (Kimberly Teitter) to get him to pay rent. Desperate to earn some money, he takes a job as a substitute teacher at Horace Green Prep School that was meant for Ned. He has no idea what he is doing in the classroom but he is able to see that his students are being crushed under the pressure put on them by parents who don't understand them. When he overhears them during music class, Dewey decides to form a band with Zack (Jack Putnam) on lead guitar, Katie (Reign Gilmore) on bass, Lawrence (John Nelson Wakley) on keyboard, Freddy (Henry Smith) on drums, and Shonelle (Rylee Hunt) and Marcy (Audrey Edwards) on backing vocals. He recruits Billy (Soren Ray) to be the band's stylist, James (Cooper Nichols) as security, Madison (Aubrey Balls) and Sophie (Eden Liljenquist) as roadies, Mason (Payson Inkley) on tech, and Summer (Amy Gurney), the class know-it-all, as the band's manager. He also convinces Tomika (Adeline White), a shy and insecure transfer student, to become a featured vocalist. Being in the band gives the students a lot of confidence so Dewey decides to enter them in the Battle of the Bands but first he needs to convince the straight-laced principal Ms. Mullins (Michaela Shelton) to let him take them on a "field trip." Eventually the parents discover Dewey's deception but their performance at the Battle of the Bands wins them over. The kids in this show are insanely talented and play their instruments live on stage in the songs "You're in the Band," "Stick it to the Man," "Time to Play," and "School of Rock." It is so much fun to watch them during these songs, especially Putnam whenever he has a solo because he really shreds, but I loved their performance in "If Only You Would Listen" because it is so poignant (I had a tear in my eye). Moore is really great as Dewey because he has a lot of charisma and energy (I laughed out loud during his version of "In the End of Time") and I loved his interactions with the kids because you can really see the bond he forms with them. Shelton has an incredible voice, particularly in "Here at Horace Green" and "Queen of the Night," but her rendition of "Edge of Seventeen" is hilarious and "Where did the Rock Go?" shows a lot of vulnerability. The sets and costumes depicting the Horace Green Prep School are a lot of fun and I was also impressed with the lighting during all of the band performances. This show is definitely my favorite from CPT this season and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets). It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through August 31.

Twelfth Night at Parker Theatre

Last night I had so much fun seeing Shakespeare's hilarious comedy Twelfth Night at Parker Theatre. I was laughing out loud the whole time and I was definitely not alone (there were lots of teens in the audience and that made my English teacher heart so happy). Sebastian (Alex Glover) and his twin sister Viola (Camrey Fox) are shipwrecked on the Illyrian coast in a terrible storm and each thinks that the other is dead. Viola disguises herself as a man named Cesario and offers her services to the Duke Orsino (Jason Hackney) with whom she immediately falls in love. Orsino is desperately in love with the Countess Olivia (Hannah McKinnon), who is in mourning for her brother, and sends Cesario to her to woo her on his behalf but Olivia, in turn, falls in love with Cesario. Meanwhile, Sebastian is wandering around Illyria and is, of course, mistaken for Cesario. Chaos ensues! There is also a secondary story, which is the source of much amusement, involving Olivia's obsequious steward Malvolio (David Johnson). He makes life difficult for the other members of Olivia's household, most notably her uncle Sir Toby Belch (Tyler Oliphant), her would-be suitor Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Scott Butler), her gentlewoman Maria (Katherine Tietjen), and her jester Feste (Owen Briggs). To get their revenge they have Maria mimic Olivia's handwriting and send him a letter in which Olivia professes her love for him and requests that he wear yellow stockings with cross garters (a fashion she dislikes). Hilarity ensues! This play includes a lot of physical comedy and it is extremely well done. I especially loved the scenes featuring the lovesick Orsino languishing on a chaise longue, Malvolio running to Olivia when summoned, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew engaging in drunken revelry, Sir Andrew half-heartedly fighting a duel with Cesario and then running away when challenged by Sebastian, Olivia chasing Cesario around the stage after declaring her love for him, and Malvolio attempting to woo Olivia with his yellow stockings and cross garters. I really enjoyed everyone in the cast (Johnson gets a shout out) but Oliphant and Butler gave my favorite performances because they have brilliant comedic timing. I laughed and laughed at all of their antics! Every aspect of this production, including costumes, sets, and lighting design, is outstanding and I particularly liked the choice to have Olivia's gowns become progressively lighter as she emerges from her melancholia as well as how the shipwreck is staged. Not only is this a highly entertaining play but it is also very accessible and easy to follow (the teens sitting near me loved it and said that they all want to see it again). It runs on Fridays and Saturdays through September 7 (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend it.

Trap

I am a big fan of M. Night Shyamalan and the premise for his latest movie Trap looked intriguing so I was really excited to see it last night.  Unfortunately, it was one of my biggest disappointments of the year.  Cooper Adams (Josh Hartnett) takes his teenage daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to see her favorite pop star Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) in concert as a reward for a good report card.  He soon notices an elevated police presence at the venue and eventually learns (because he can roam at will despite all of the police and because a lowly vendor knows the entire plan) that an FBI manhunt, led by renowned profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), is being conducted to find the serial killer known as "The Butcher" because a torn receipt for the concert was discovered at one of his known lairs.  It turns out that Cooper is "The Butcher" (this is not a spoiler because it is inexplicably revealed in the trailer) and he must now find a way to escape from the arena.  I actually enjoyed the first two acts during the concert at the arena because, while it is incredibly far-fetched with obvious plot contrivances and cringe-worthy dialogue, it is very suspenseful with a campy performance from Hartnett that is fun to watch as well as a believable one from Saleka who wrote and performed all of the songs.  Once the action leaves the arena, however, it becomes even more far-fetched (to the point of incredulity) and Saleka is completely out of her depth once she stops singing (I think we all know how she got such a prominent role).  The requisite plot twist is underwhelming and my attention started to wane after I mistakenly thought it was over several times.  The real trap is having to sit through this movie!

Hamilton at the Eccles

I have now seen Hamilton thirteen times in seven cities (New York, Los Angeles, Denver, SLC, Las Vegas, Chicago, and San Francisco) and I can honestly say that I was just as excited last night at the Eccles Theatre as I was when I saw the Original Broadway Cast on Broadway!  I love this show so much and I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing it.  I anticipate every single number (I really have to make an effort to keep from singing along) and last night I particularly enjoyed what each actor in this production did to make the role his or her own.  Understudy Alex Nicholson has a different look than the other actors I've seen play Alexander Hamilton but I really liked the humor he was able to infuse into the character, particularly when he imitates other characters during "Farmer Refuted," "Cabinet Battle #1," and "Cabinet Battle #2."  I also liked his interpretation of "It's Quiet Uptown," especially when he bows deeply towards Eliza after she takes his hand (I have never made it through this song without crying).  Josh Marin, another understudy, is one of my favorite actors to play Aaron Burr because he gave me goosebumps during his powerful performance of "Wait For It" (his transition from the verse to the chorus blew me away), made me laugh during "The Room Where It Happens," and made me cry during his emotional performances of "Dear Theodosia" and "The World Was Wide Enough."  Kameron Richardson is a diminutive George Washington but that didn't stop him from blowing the roof off of the Eccles Theatre during "Right Hand Man" (I got chills when he first came on stage) and "One Last Time."  Simon Longnight is a more flamboyant Thomas Jefferson while Paul Louis Lessard is a more subdued (but hilarious) King George III than I've seen before.  Kendyl Sayuri Yokoyama is very soft as Eliza (I loved all of the bits of girly business she adds to "Helpless") and this worked for me because it is such a big contrast to the way that Lencia Kebede portrays Angelica and it creates a dynamic moment during "Burn" when she builds to a dramatic crescendo.  However, I wanted more of a reaction from her during "Stay Alive (Reprise)."  There were quite a few people around me who were seeing this for the first time and the energy from the crowd was so much fun!  I loved the spontaneous audience participation during "You'll Be Back" and the cheers during the dance break in "Yorktown."  Finally, I always notice something new every time I see this and last night it was the ensemble doffing their hats to George Washington as he leaves the stage after "One Last Time."  I can't begin to describe the thrill I felt, even after seeing it so many times, watching this last night!  It will definitely be a highlight of the year for me.  This runs at the Eccles Theatre through September 1 (go here for tickets) and, obviously, I highly recommend getting a ticket, especially if you have never seen it before!