The Woman in Black at Parker Theatre

I was so excited for The Woman in Black at Parker Theatre last night because I had never seen it before (despite the fact that it is the second longest running play in the West End after The Mousetrap). It is based on the Gothic horror novel of the same name by Susan Hill but it has a really clever twist. It is also incredibly scary because I almost jumped out of my seat at one point (I'm surprised I didn't scream). Arthur Kipps (Michael Hohl) is still traumatized by an encounter with an apparition that he had many years ago while settling the estate of Alice Drablow at a desolate and secluded mansion. He believes that he can rid himself of the nightmares that plague him by telling the story publicly on stage so he hires an Actor (Lucas Charon) to help him. The Actor convinces him that it would be better to act out the story rather than recite it from a manuscript so they begin rehearsing in a Victorian theatre using minimal props, realistic sound cues, and imaginative light design.  The Actor portrays a younger version of Kipps while he portrays all of the other characters and narrates the play. The action on stage shows Kipps attending Drablow's funeral, traveling to her house in an old-fashioned pony and trap, working alone in the eerie house, and witnessing unsettling events including the appearance of a strange figure dressed in black. They stop in between scenes to discuss their performances and, during one such break, Kipps promises a surprise. The Actor interprets this to mean that Kipps hired the actress who suddenly appears on stage as the woman in black. The action concludes when the young Kipps discovers the identity of the mysterious figure and when the Actor makes a startling realization about the actress portraying her. I absolutely loved the stagecraft used to create an unsettling atmosphere because it is amazing what just the sound of a door creaking or the appearance of shadows on a scrim can do to the imagination. The woman in black only appears a few times (one of those times was when she seemed to come from nowhere to stand right next to me in the aisle) and this is incredibly effective because it was terrifying every time I thought I saw her in the shadows. Charon's performance does much to add to the unease because his terror is palpable, especially when his only source of light is a torch in the almost pitch black darkness of the marsh. I was also quite impressed with how seamlessly Hohl inhabits all of the characters he plays with just a simple change of costume right on stage. This is one of the scariest shows I've ever seen (and I loved being scared) so it is perfect for this spooky season! It runs on Fridays and Saturdays through November 2 (go here for tickets).

Megalopolis

I have been eagerly anticipating the release of Megalopolis ever since it was screened at Cannes and TIFF (to say that it was polarizing would be an understatement) and I finally had the opportunity with my nephew at the Broadway last night.  It is really something!  The city of New Rome is in decline and the many political, economic, and industrial leaders disagree about how best to serve the population.  Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), the mayor of New Rome, represents maintaining the status quo even though he is clearly ineffective and unpopular.  Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight), the CEO of the Crassus National Bank, represents unchecked wealth which he uses to distract the populace with decadent spectacles.  Clodio Pulcher (Shia LaBeouf), Crassus's dissolute grandson, represents the misuse of power and creates scandals to discredit those against him and uses rhetoric to stir up discontent within the populace.  Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a visionary architect, represents change and wants to use a revolutionary material that he created to build a utopian city.  Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza), a TV host, pits Crassus and Pulcher against each other in a bid for wealth and power while Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), a socialite and the mayor's daughter, eventually brings her father and Catilina together with hope for the future.  The story is compelling and thought-provoking, particularly the message about the importance of progress, but it is told in a very chaotic way (I'm still trying to decide if it was done deliberately to emphasize the obvious parallels to the corruption, division, and instability of ancient Rome) with meandering subplots, unnecessary characters, and an uneven tone.  The visuals are often stunning but I did not like the score because it is very melodramatic.  I enjoyed all of the performances (I'm still trying to decide if the casting of problematic actors LaBeouf and Voight was done deliberately to highlight the depravity of the characters they play) but Driver, who always has a striking screen presence, is amazing because his physicality and unusual line deliveries are captivating and Plaza steals every scene she is in.  This will definitely not be for everyone but, while I had several issues with it, I mostly enjoyed it and want to see it again.  My nephew loved it and talked about it very animatedly the whole drive home.

Note:  Some IMAX screenings have a member of the audience pose an interactive question to Catilina to mimic an actual press conference.  I was ready to volunteer but my screening just had a voiceover during that scene.

The Wild Robot

Last night I went to see The Wild Robot and, even though I had heard great things about it, I was unprepared for just how powerful and emotional it is and for how much I loved it!  A robot named Roz (Lupita Nyong'o) is stranded on an uninhabited island after the cargo ship transporting her from the factory runs aground during a typhoon.  She searches the island for a task to complete, which is her purpose, but most of the animals run from her in fear.  When she accidentally destroys a goose nest, the only surviving gosling imprints on her and, with a little help from a mischievous red fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal), a harried mother opposum named Pinktail (Catherine O'Hara), an understanding falcon named Thunderbolt (Ving Rhames), a wise goose named Longneck (Bill Nighy), a misunderstood Beaver named Paddler (Matt Berry), and a ferocious grizzly bear named Thorn (Mark Hamill), she reluctantly takes on the tasks of feeding Brightbill (Kit Connor) and teaching him to swim and fly.  The story may be simple but it is compelling and very moving (I had tears in my eyes multiple times).  One of the themes that I really loved is that it is sometimes better to abandon everything you think you know and trust what you feel because Roz must overcome her programming in order to succeed with Brightbill.  I also loved the theme of acceptance because both Roz and Brightbill are shunned for being different but they both eventually save their community because of those differences.  In addition, Roz's experiences as a mother are incredibly powerful, especially when she realizes that she must ultimately let Brighbill go after teaching him to fly.  The animation is visually stunning with an evocative score to match and all of the vocal performances are highly nuanced (I was particularly impressed with Nyong'o because Roz's voice noticeably changes as she moves beyond her programming).  The hype is definitely real with this beautiful movie and I highly recommend it to everyone!

Jersey Boys at PTC

I grew up listening to the music of The Four Seasons because my dad was a huge fan. The first time I saw the Broadway touring production of Jersey Boys I knew my dad would love it so I bought tickets for him to see it the next night during intermission. He enjoyed it so much that I took him to see it again for Father's Day when the touring production came back to SLC. It was, therefore, really bittersweet to see it at PTC last night without him but I loved what they did with it and had to stop myself from singing along to every song! This jukebox musical (one of the best jukebox musicals I've seen) tells the story of how The Four Seasons went from four blue-collar guys singing under a streetlamp in New Jersey to global superstars and then how the pressure of fame caused it all to fall apart. Each member of the group, including Frankie Valli (Trevor James), Bob Gaudio (Daxton Bloomquist), Nick Massi (Brent Thiessen), and Tommy DeVito (Adam Enrique Hollick), narrates the story from his perspective because everyone remembers it the way they need to. The best thing about this show is all of the amazing music and I love how the lyrics of the songs mirror what is happening personally and professionally with the group. The four leads are incredible performers who sing and dance just like The Four Seasons and I was especially impressed with James because he captures Valli's falsetto perfectly. The ensemble is also outstanding because they all play multiple roles seamlessly with some quick costume and wig changes! What I love most about the Broadway production is the elaborate staging and, even though PTC's version is a bit more stripped down, it is still just as clever because the four of them often begin singing a song very simply and then set pieces move on stage around them and they put on jackets to depict the same song being performed on TV or a stage. I especially loved the staging of "Sherry" on American Bandstand, "Dawn (Go Away)" on The Ed Sullivan Show, "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" in concert complete with a horn section, and "Rag Doll" (my favorite song by the group) at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The reprise of "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" after the bows is also a lot of fun because the audience was dancing in the aisles! This is such an entertaining show and fans of The Four Seasons are sure to love it (just be aware that there is a lot of profanity). It runs at PTC through September 28 and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).

The Substance

After hearing all of the buzz about The Substance, my nephew and I were really excited (and a little nervous) to see it at the Broadway last night.  I think it is a bold repudiation of the beauty standards imposed on women, especially as they age, and it is absolutely bonkers.  Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is an Academy Award-winning actress now relegated to hosting a morning exercise show on TV.  She is unceremoniously fired by her misogynistic boss (Dennis Quaid) on her 50th birthday and then gets into a car accident when she sees the show's billboard being taken down.  She receives information about a black market drug called "The Substance," which can create a younger and more beautiful version of anyone who uses it, while being treated at the hospital and eventually decides to order it.  She injects a one-time "Activator" and a new version of herself, who takes the name Sue (Margaret Qualley), is born from a slit in her back.  Elizabeth is rendered unconscious when Sue injects a daily "Stabilizer" extracted from her back but, because the two are connected, they must switch places every seven days.  Sue embraces life and achieves fame as Elisabeth's replacement on the exercise show when she is conscious while Elisabeth is forgotten and becomes more and more despondent when she is.  Sue ultimately abuses the established boundaries in order to have more time which results in a physical deterioration in Elisabeth and, ultimately, a bloody confrontation between the two.  This features some really gruesome body horror elements (the visual effects and prosthetics are incredible) and the last 20 minutes are wild once the feminine rage is unleashed (eliciting lots of nervous laughter from the audience).  The themes could not be more obvious but I enjoyed the extreme camera angles and close-ups on Sue's body to mimic the male gaze, the campy performances from the men in the cast (particularly Quaid) to highlight the double standards for women in the entertainment industry, the contrast between the vibrant neon colors and bright lights for Sue and the muted colors and low lights for Elisabeth to telegraph their worth in society, and the symbolism of having a bathroom as the setting to portray Elisabeth's insecurities and dissatisfaction with herself (it is so relatable). I also enjoyed the commentary on the price of fame because both Elisabeth and Sue are willing to do anything to stay in the spotlight and the sequences at Elisabeth's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame are brilliant.  Finally, Moore gives the best performance of her career with a vulnerability that is often heartbreaking, especially when she views herself in a mirror.  I was blown away by this and highly encourage fans of the genre to see it in the theater.

Never Let Go

The reviews for Never Let Go have not been great but I was really intrigued by the trailer so I decided to see it last night.  Unfortunately, like several horror thrillers released this year, it begins well with an interesting premise and an escalating sense of dread but falls apart in the final act.  An unnamed mother (Halle Berry) lives in an isolated cabin in the woods, in what appears to be a post-apocalyptic timeline, with her twin sons Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) and Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins).  She regularly reminds the boys of an omnipresent evil in the world, that only she can see which often takes the form of her abusive mother (Kathryn Kirkpatrick) or her deadbeat husband (William Catlett), and the only thing that can keep them safe from this evil is their home and the love they share.  When they venture into the woods to forage for food they must stay tethered to the house, literally with ropes, and recite an incantation before leaving and after they return (I wish this lore was explored more fully).  When supplies run low and the family faces starvation, Nolan starts to question everything his mother has told him.  Is the evil outside in the world or is it within the house?  I was really invested in the setup of a mother, who may or may not be suffering from delusions brought on by trauma, doing whatever it takes to keep her children safe and Berry does a great job at walking a tightrope between her character's protectiveness and unhinged paranoia.  Daggs and Jenkins are also very convincing and highly sympathetic, especially when the brothers disagree about the evil, because I didn't want anything bad to happen to either of them.  The atmospheric cinematography in the woods, the creepy production design inside the candle-lit house, and the menacing sound design create a palpable unease.  However, as with The Watchers, Longlegs, and Cuckoo, all of the tension is undone in the third act.  There is an M. Night Shyamalan type plot twist (that mirrors the one in The Village beat for beat) but the script doesn't commit to it and we are left with some incredibly confusing action sequences and a decidedly unsatisfactory resolution that leaves more questions than answers.  I found the ambiguity to be more disappointing than thought-provoking so I don't recommend this.

The Eagles at the Sphere

Seeing U2 at the Sphere was an incredible experience so when I heard that the Eagles would be doing a residency there I knew I had to get a ticket.  I took a road trip to Las Vegas for the first show Friday night and it was absolutely amazing!  I ended up sitting by some people from Virginia who were big fans but had never seen the Eagles before and they were so excited.  While we waited for the show to start we tried to guess what the first song would be and they suggested "Take It Easy" because it was their first big hit and I thought it would be "Seven Bridges Road" because they often start with it but it was actually "Hotel California" which they usually perform during the encore!  I tried to prepare them for how immersive the three-dimensional images would look on the state-of-the-art screens but they just about lost their minds when a car on a dark desert highway appeared to drive right into the audience!  The images also take the audience through a dark corridor with burning sconces to check in and then to a courtyard for a feast.  It was seriously so cool!  I also really loved the visuals for "Witchy Woman" (the band performs in a haunted forest), "Tequila Sunrise" (the sun slowly appears through the clouds), "In the City" (apartment buildings get bigger and bigger until they surround Joe Walsh during an epic guitar solo), "New Kid in Town" (filmstrips featuring archival photos and videos of the band are configured and reconfigured into 3-D cubes), "Life's Been Good" (archival photos and videos spin around the band as they play), "The Boys of Summer" (a couple runs on a beach then they swim underwater), and "Life in the Fast Lane" (a car races along the Las Vegas strip).  They also performed "Lyin' Eyes," "Take It to the Limit," "Peaceful Easy Feeling," "I Can't Tell You Why," "Seven Bridges Road," "Those Shoes," "Already Gone," "Take It Easy," and "Rocky Mountain Way" with a live feed of the band performing on the screens (there is not a bad seat in the venue because all of the images appear at eye level).  The encore included an incredibly emotional version of "Desperado," with silhouettes of an orchestra performing behind a curtain, and "Heartache Tonight" (dedicated to JD Souther), with animated images of gambling.  Vince Gill is such a great addition to the band because, even though he doesn't necessarily sound exactly like Glenn Frey or Randy Meisner, it just somehow sounds right when he sings their songs.  I was also glad to see Deacon Frey back with the band (he looks so much like his dad and sounds a lot like him in the songs "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "Already Gone").  Neither of them spoke to the crowd but they were heavily featured on the screens.  Don Henley provided most of the commentary (although Joe Walsh was predictably hilarious) and he joked that they were just the house band for all of the high-tech wizardry!  Just like with U2, this was another mind-blowing concert and I recommend getting a ticket (go here) during the residency (they keep adding more shows due to the overwhelming demand).

Note:  Hearing the audience singing along with "Hotel California" gave me goosebumps because it was so loud!

Transformers One

I am not a huge fan of the Transformers franchise (Bumblebee is my favorite and I liked Transformers: Rise of the Beasts well enough) but I thought the trailer for Transformers One looked like a lot of fun so I went to see a Thursday preview in IMAX last night.  I had a blast with this animated origin story detailing how friends Orion Pax and D-16 become the arch-enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron.  In the aftermath of war with the Quintessons, during which the original Primes were destroyed and the Matrix of Leadership was lost, Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm) leads Cybertron from the underground city Iacon.  He frequently visits the surface to look for the Matrix of Leadership because it is needed to restore the rivers of energon.  Orion (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), two of the many bots who are missing the cog that would allow them to transform, are forced to work in the energon mines but they are demoted to waste management because of a stunt.  Hoping to regain their status, they recruit fellow miners Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson) and B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key) to go to the surface with them to find the Matrix of Leadership in order to impress Sentinel.  Instead, they discover a betrayal.  Orion, who wants to use the truth to unite all of the bots to work for change, and D-16, who wants to control them all to take revenge, disagree on what to do about this discovery which leads to an epic confrontation.  I really enjoyed the surprisingly engaging story (which also has deeper themes than I was expecting), the relationship between Orion and D-16 and their believable evolution from friends to enemies, the excellent voice work from Hemsworth (who really impressed me with his, er, transformation from a goofy optimist to a leader with gravitas), the dazzling animation (I especially loved the visuals on the surface), and the exciting action sequences.  I was actually really surprised by how much I liked this and think it might be my favorite in the franchise!  See it in IMAX if you can!

Merchant Ivory

The second documentary in my double feature at the Broadway last night was Merchant Ivory and, as someone who absolutely loved their movies as a teen and young adult in the 1980s and 90s, I found it to be fascinating.  This is a very straightforward look at the professional and personal partnership between director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant and how they, along with regular collaborators screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, composer Richard Robbins, and costume designers Jenny Beavan and John Bright, revitalized the costume drama with some of the most acclaimed movies in cinematic history.  Despite being obsessed with A Room with a View, Howards End, and The Remains of the Day, I didn't really know very much about the filmmakers who made them so I enjoyed the discussion about the yin-yang dynamic in their partnership with Ivory being calm, cool, collected, and dedicated to the purity of his artistic vision while Merchant was loud, bombastic, passionate, and determined to work faster and cheaper.  I also loved the discussion about how most of their movies have subversive themes about the hypocrisy found in polite society juxtaposed with gorgeous production design.  It was fun to see all of the behind the scenes stills and footage from my three favorites but it was also really interesting to learn about the difficulties in making their earlier movies (I now want to watch Shakespeare Wallah after learning that they only had enough film for one take in the final climactic scene) and to see how different perceptions impacted their later films, particularly with Jefferson in Paris.  My favorite aspect of this documentary is all of the contemporary interviews with many of the actors they worked with, especially Rupert Graves, James Wilby, Hugh Grant, Samuel West, Vanessa Redgrave (who is an absolute hoot), Emma Thompson, and Helena Bonham Carter.  A common theme in these interviews is how difficult it was to work on one of their movies because of the limited budget (at one point Merchant was catering the food for the cast and crew himself) but they were always lured back to make another one because of the final product.  I definitely enjoyed this and recommend it to fans of Merchant-Ivory movies.

Will & Harper

I don't see a lot of documentaries but there are two currently playing at the Broadway that piqued my interest so I decided on a double feature last night.  I started with Will & Harper because I missed it at Sundance this year and, just as I had heard from so many people at the festival, it is equal parts funny, heartwarming, and powerful.  Writer Andrew Steele and actor Will Ferrell are close friends dating from their days together on Saturday Night Live but, when Steele sends an email coming out to him as a trans woman after living for years in the closet, she wonders if their friendship will be the same (and she wonders if she will feel comfortable going to all of the places she once enjoyed as a man).  Ferrell suggests that they take a 16-day cross-country road trip together so that he can learn the best way to support her and so that he can act as a buffer when she interacts with new people who might not be accepting of her.  There are lots of really funny moments as these two friends who have known each other for decades bounce off each other (my favorites were a recurring bit involving Pringles and an attempt by Ferrell to go incognito in Las Vegas).  However, what really resonated with me was how much genuine emotion this trip elicits from Ferrell, especially when he realizes how much Steele suffered when she was forced to live an inauthentic life and when he sees first hand how dangerous it is for her to simply exist in some parts of the country (a scene in a Texas steakhouse is especially difficult to watch).  Ferrell is very curious about Steele's experience and asks her lots of questions ranging from what it feels like to have boobs, to how she chose her new name, to how she might navigate a romantic relationship in the future (as well as if she thinks she is now a bad driver because she is a woman) and his empathy and compassion set an important example for mainstream audiences, especially for those who are uncertain about how to interact with trans people, to follow.  This begins streaming on Netflix September 27 and I highly recommend it for everyone.

The Magician's Elephant at HCT

Last night I saw the U.S. premiere of The Magician's Elephant, a musical originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company based on the book of the same name by Kate DiCamillo, and I really enjoyed this fantastical tale about believing in the impossible. The town of Baltese is still suffering the effects of a long war so Peter Duchene (Weston Wright), an orphan whose father died in battle and whose mother died in childbirth, is being trained by his guardian Vilna Lutz (Mark Knowles) to be a soldier. However, Peter is more interested in his recurring dream about a crying baby than in discipline, control, and routine so, when he is sent to the town square to buy stale bread, he gives the coin to a fortune teller (Malia Morris) that only he can see instead. She tells him that the baby in his dream is his long lost sister and that he can find her by following the elephant. Peter is doubtful until a Magician (Bryan Dayley), who only intended to summon lilies, accidentally conjures an elephant during his show at the opera house. At first the Police Chief (Jake Ben Suazo) tries to hide it and a Countess (Michelle Blake) imprisons it in her ballroom for attention but soon the elephant brings hope to Peter and the whole town but in an unexpected way. The story about how a town is brought back to life by magic is really touching and, while the music is a bit underwhelming (the lyrics are very repetitive), I enjoyed the songs "If This Is True," "What If Why Not Could It Be," and "Anything Could Happen" because they express a longing for normalcy after a traumatic event and that is something that I think many people can relate to. I also really enjoyed the comedic elements in "Count Who Doesn't Count." Wright, who appears in almost every scene, is incredibly endearing with a lovely voice and I also liked Keith Evans' performance as the policeman Leo Matienne because he is so earnest in his desire to help Peter and his wife Gloria (Becky Jeanne Knowles), who longs for a child, believe in magic. The elephant puppet, designed and fabricated by Acheson Walsh Studios and brought to life by puppeteers Sam Cooper, Julia Wihongi, Daniel Miskin, and Sarah Neipp, is absolutely astonishing and I was particularly struck by how expressive it is because it really does seem to be sad when it is chained up. The costumes, which look like they are inspired by the folklore of Eastern Europe (I loved the traditional embroidery), are gorgeous with drab colors that are distressed in the first act and vibrant pastels in the second to reflect the mood of the town. Finally, the stage is definitely a highlight because it reminded me of a medieval town in Eastern Europe with cobblestone streets, a city wall, a market square complete with a fountain, and a crenelated castle that rises up. I also loved the dirigible used by the Countess and the fortune teller's tent. In my opinion, the magic of this production overcomes the issues I had with the music and I would definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here) because we could all use a bit of magic. It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through October 26.

Note:  Don't forget the hilarious production of The Addams Family now playing on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through November 16 (go here for tickets).

Speak No Evil

I am a huge fan of James McAvoy so I was really excited to finally have a chance to see Speak No Evil last night.  I am not familiar with the 2022 Danish movie upon which it is based so I can't compare the two but I really liked this remake.  Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) and his wife Louise (Mackenzie Davis), an American couple based in London with their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler), befriend the free-spirited Paddy (McAvoy), his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their son Ant (Dan Hough) while on holiday in Italy.  Paddy invites them for a weekend at their remote farmhouse in the English countryside and, at first, Louise does not want to go but she eventually capitulates.  She is immediately put off by Paddy's creepy lack of boundaries, his passive-aggressive behavior towards her (him forcing her to eat meat knowing that she is a vegetarian was very triggering because that has happened to me), and his unusually cruel treatment of Ant (who has a congenital defect to his tongue which limits his ability to speak).  When Louise tells Ben that they should leave, it turns into an argument about her recent infidelity so she ignores her concerns and once again defers to his wishes.  However, by the time they realize that they are actually in danger it might be too late for them to get away.  McAvoy gives a thoroughly entertaining and completely unhinged performance (I don't think I will ever listen to the song "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles in the same way again) that is a lot of fun to watch because he is so charismatic that you start to question if there really is a malevolent intent to his actions or if you are imagining it.  Davis and McNairy are also compelling, particularly when their characters try to justify staying in a situation that is so clearly wrong (I often felt the urge to scream at them to get out of there) because he is afraid of looking weak and she is afraid of being perceived as judgmental.  The action sequences in the third act are thrilling but I was more impressed with the way the tension slowly escalates in the second act because, even though it seems like the Daltons are going to be able to get away, Paddy keeps finding ways to keep them there and it is unsettling but absolutely riveting.  This is one of my favorite horror movies of the year and I recommend it to fans of the genre (and fans of McAvoy).

Bright Star at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

Even though I have now seen the musical Bright Star many times, I was still really excited when SCERA announced that it would be part of their fall season because it is such a beautiful story about love, loss, forgiveness, and redemption. I was able to see their production last night and it is amazing! Alice Murphy (Kelsey Mariner Thompson) is a young and rebellious teenager living in the small town of Zebulon, North Carolina in the 1920s and she regularly exasperates her mother (Shawnda Moss) and father (Mike Ramsey) with her wild behavior. She begins a romance with Jimmy Ray Dobbs (Christian Wawro) but his father, the Mayor (Ben Henderson), wants him to make a more advantageous match and conspires to separate them. Twenty-two years later, just after World War II, Billy Cane (Bryson Smellie) returns to his hometown of Hayes Creek, North Carolina to visit his father (Brian Tanner) and his childhood friend Margo (McKenna Thomas). He soon decides to try writing for a magazine in Asheville and meets Alice, now an uptight editor who mentors him. The narrative alternates between both timelines as Alice discovers a unique connection to Billy. I pretty much love every song in this show (the folk and bluegrass music is written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell) and everyone in the incredibly talented cast performs them beautifully. Thompson and Wawro, especially, give highly emotional renditions of "Please, Don't Take Him" and "Heartbreaker," respectively, which alternate between anger and pain and then the two of them reduced me to tears with their touching version of "I Had a Vision." I also loved Thompson's powerful performance of "At Long Last" and I was not alone because the crowd went wild at its conclusion! Shoutouts go to Jared Wilkinson and Colie Lemon as Alice's assistants Daryl and Lucy, respectively, because they provide a lot of comic relief and they are hilarious in "Another Round." The set features weathered doors and window frames suspended over the stage upon which various images are projected (my favorites were the stars during the song "What Could Be Better" and the moving train tracks during a climactic scene) and a wooden structure that is rotated to become the Murphy cabin, the Cane cabin, and Margo's bookshop. The staging is very clever because the ensemble is used to move props (the lanterns are particularly effective) on and off stage with choreography and bits of business that enhance the scene. I especially loved how they move in slow motion around Margo during the song "Asheville" because it emphasizes her longing for Billy and how they freeze around Mayor Dobbs on the train during "A Man's Gotta Do (Reprise)" to show how furtive his actions are. This is one of the best productions of this show that I've seen (on par with the Broadway cast) and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through October 5.

Next to Normal at OPPA

When I walked into the theater to see PTC's production of Next to Normal several years ago I had no idea what to expect because I didn't know anything about the show and was only there because I was a season subscriber. I walked out of the theater a huge fan because I loved both the music (I have listened to the Original Broadway Cast Recording more times than I can count) and the powerful depiction of mental illness. I haven't had the opportunity to see this show since then so I was thrilled to learn that it was being produced by On Pitch Performing Arts this season! I saw it on opening night and it is outstanding in every way! The Goodmans seem like the perfect suburban family but, in reality, Diana (Mindi Hansen) suffers from a worsening bipolar depressive disorder, her husband Dan (Nathan Sachs) struggles with how best to help her while trying to keep the family together, her sixteen-year-old daughter Natalie (Heather Jackson) tries to be perfect in order to compensate, and her eighteen-year-old son Gabe (Jacob Ericksen) is not really there because he died as a baby.  She, along with Dr. Fine and then Dr. Madden (both played by Jake Oaklyn), attempts to treat her delusional episodes with medication, psychotherapy, hypnosis, and, eventually, electroconvulsive therapy with varying results.  Ultimately, Diana must find a way to let Gabe go, Dan must finally acknowledge him, and Natalie must make peace with the fact that her family will never be normal with the help of her boyfriend Henry (Logan Kelly). I find the story to be incredibly moving because it is a very realistic portrayal of how mental illness affects both the individual and the people who love them and the rock opera score is brilliant because, even though it might seem incongruous with the subject matter, I think it really heightens the multitude of emotions felt by the characters. The entire cast give incredible vocal performances but I especially loved all of the nuances in their portrayals. I was particularly impressed by Ericksen's passionate renditions of "I'm Alive," because you can really feel his despair at the possibility of being forgotten by his mother, and "There's a World" because his interaction with Diana is so visibly manipulative. I also loved Jackson's performance of "Superboy and the Invisible Girl" (my favorite song in the show), because it is extremely raw and perfectly expresses how she feels about being neglected by her mother, and Hansen's performance of "You Don't Know," because her frustration is palpable. One of the things that really struck me when I saw PTC's production was the elaborate set featuring the metal outline of a multi-story house that appears to be made of glass. The set for this production is obviously more minimal, with open areas representing the house, metal outlines of doors, and an LED screen that mimics glass windows (I loved how the images through the windows change in response to Diana's inner turmoil), but I think it is even more effective because it provides a greater intimacy with the characters. The staging is also very clever with set pieces that perform multiple functions. I love this show so much and this production did not disappoint! It runs at OPPA on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through October 5 (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend it!

Mrs. Doubtfire at the Eccles

It is no secret that I am not a fan of turning a popular movie into a stage musical so, when the Broadway at the Eccles 2024-2025 season was announced, Mrs. Doubtfire (based on the 1993 movie of the same name) was the show that I was the least excited about.  I saw it last night and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  Daniel Hillard (Rob McClure) is an unemployed voice actor who loses custody of his children, Lydia (Giselle Gutierrez), Christopher (Sam Bird), and Natalie (Sunny Lauren Holder), after a messy divorce from his wife Miranda (Catherine Brunell).  When he learns that Miranda is hiring a nanny, Daniel creates the character of a Scottish nanny named Euphegenia Doubtfire and applies for the position so that he can spend time with his children.  However, the character begins to take on a life of her own but she ultimately teaches Daniel how to be a better father and that love is what makes a family.  The show is absolutely hilarious (I was laughing out loud all night) because it recreates most of the really memorable moments from the movie including when Mrs. Doubtfire tries to cook.  It is also quite heartwarming with some poignant messages about divorce from the POV of the children involved and I especially loved the songs "Just Pretend" and "As Long as There Is Love" (the woman sitting in front of me was sobbing during this number).  McClure, who originated the role on Broadway, had big shoes to fill in taking on a character played by Robin Williams but he absolutely kills it!  I loved all of his different voice impersonations (one of Donald Trump and an ad libbed joke about it got the biggest laugh all night) and his physical comedy is brilliant, particularly in scenes where Daniel changes in and out of the Mrs. Doubtfire disguise quickly.  One of the biggest criticisms that I have about turning movies into musicals is that the songs are often contrived and forgettable but I actually loved many of the songs (as well as the choreography and staging) in this show.  In addition to the aforementioned "Just Pretend" and "As Long as There Is Love," I especially loved the disco anthem "Make Me a Woman" where Daniel asks his brother Frank (Aaron Kaburick) and his brother-in-law Andre (Marquez Linder) to help him disguise himself as a nanny and they model his transformation on Jackie O, Princess Diana, Cher, Madonna, and Donna Summer (who appear on stage) until Daniel mentions that his character is an old woman and then Eleanor Roosevelt, Julia Child, Margaret Thatcher, and Janet Reno join them for a hilarious dance number.  I was not expecting to love this but I did and I highly recommend it!  Go here for tickets to one of the five remaining performances through September 15.

His Three Daughters

Last night I returned to the Broadway to see His Three Daughters because I had heard so many good things about it.  It definitely hit a nerve (there were a few tears for obvious reasons) but it is also one of the best movies I've seen this year.  When cancer patient Vincent (Jay O. Sanders) is placed on hospice, his two daughters, Katie (Carrie Coon) and Christina (Elizabeth Olsen), return to their childhood home where he lives with Rachel (Natasha Lyonne), the daughter of his second wife.  Katie is uptight and judgmental, Christina is a mediator who suppresses her own feelings to keep the peace (until she doesn't), and Rachel is withdrawn and misunderstood despite carrying the heavy burden of caring for Vincent alone during his illness.  They must individually deal with their own grief over losing a father but also reconcile years of resentments and recriminations between them in order to heal.  Almost all of the action takes place inside a New York apartment and I loved the use of a long hallway for many conversations because it really emphasizes the tension between the women.  I also liked that Vincent doesn't appear until the final act, even though he is an imposing figure throughout the narrative, because the impact is incredibly powerful. The dialogue is very authentic, full of both pathos and humor, and all three actresses deliver brilliant performances.  I had a very visceral reaction to the message of this movie after recently going though a similar experience with my two sisters as we cared for our dad because, even though we were never estranged and were always on the same page about what was best for him, we had to support each other to get through it.  I highly recommend this touching portrait of grief (it begins streaming on Netflix on September 20).

Fiddler on the Roof at the Empress Theatre

Last night I went to the Empress Theatre for the third production of Fiddler on the Roof that I've seen this year. I obviously love the show but this version is full of so much heart it put a huge smile on my face. Tevye (Don Smith) is a poor Jewish dairyman living in the small Russian village of Anatevka with his wife Golde (Marie Roe) and his five daughters. He clings to his traditional way of life as a protection from the harsh realities of life but his three oldest daughters, Tzeitel (Makayla Porter), Hodel (Kieryn Crawford), and Chava (Abby Shelley), push against tradition when it comes time to find a match. This features one of the largest ensemble casts I've seen at this venue and the staging is done very well for such a small space. I enjoyed all of the different patterns created in the choreography for "Tradition," "To Life," "Tevye's Dream" (I always judge every production by this number because I once played Fruma Sarah and this one is a lot of fun), "The Wedding," and "Anatevka." One of the things I love most about community theatre is that the ensemble, especially those featuring young children, often includes family members and that is the case with this show. The children are absolutely adorable and I often found myself watching them because they were concentrating so hard on the songs, blocking, and choreography! I especially loved a young boy who sweeps during "To Life" because he definitely takes it very seriously and another boy who sings at the top of his lungs during "Sunrise, Sunset." The main cast is outstanding and many of the characters have little moments that are really poignant, particularly the scene between Tevye and Tzeitel when she begs him not to make her marry Lazar Wolf (Joel Clark), the scene between Tevye and Hodel when she leaves Anatevka, the scene when Golde learns that Chava has married Fyedka (Blake Nelson), and all of the interactions between Tevye and the Fiddler (Aimee Pike). My very favorites from the main cast were Ricardo Ramirez as Motel, because his nervous reactions to Tevye are hilarious, and Diana Sorenson as Yente, because she absolutely looks the part. The minimal sets for Tevye's house, Motel's tailor shop, and the village along with the simple rustic costumes are very effective at portraying the reality of life in pre-revolutionary Russia. I just loved this and I definitely recommend getting a ticket for one of the four remaining performances (go here for tickets).

Note:  I don't think I can pick a favorite Fiddler on the Roof from the three I saw this year. While HCT's production was probably the best I've ever seen, this one and the one at Terrace Plaza Playhouse were delightful!

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

I have to admit that I am only a casual fan of Beetlejuice (I finally watched it for the first time after seeing the musical of the same name last year) but I was still really excited to see the sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, at the Broadway last night.  It is so much fun!  After the death of Charles Deetz, Lydia (Winona Ryder), now the host of a supernatural TV show, her stepmother Delia (Catherine O'Hara), a performance artist, her fiance Rory (Justin Theroux), a narcissistic New Age TV producer, and her estranged daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who is still grief-stricken over the death of her father Richard (Santiago Cabrera), return to Winter River for his funeral.  When Astrid becomes trapped in the afterlife, Lydia is forced to call upon Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) to help her rescue her daughter.  In return, Lydia must promise, once again, to marry him so that he can stay in the mortal world.  Betelgeuse is eager to stay in the mortal world because his former wife Dolores (Monica Belucci) is pursuing him in the afterlife seeking vengeance despite the attempts of Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe), a dead actor who once played a B-movie detective, to apprehend her.  Mayhem (including a sandworm) ensues!  While there are a lot of sub-plots to keep track of (my least favorite is Rory trying to marry Lydia for nefarious reasons), I really enjoyed the dynamic between Delia, Lydia, and Astrid because Lydia now finds herself on the receiving end of the same type of disdain from Astrid that she used to show to Delia and the resolution between the three of them is both funny and poignant.  There are also lots of hilarious call backs to the original movie (my favorite is a performance of "Day-O" by a choir at the funeral) along with even zanier characters and more deranged hi-jinks in the afterlife.  Tim Burton returns to form with some truly creepy and ghoulish visuals, including both practical effects and stop-motion animation, and an over-the-top sequence to "MacArthur Park" is worth the price of admission alone!  Keaton, Ryder, and O'Hara (who is an absolute hoot) seem to be having the time of their lives revisiting these characters and Ortega fits right in as a girl who is herself strange and unusual.  I had a blast with this and I highly recommend it, particularly to fans of the original.

Strange Darling

I have been hearing a lot of buzz about Strange Darling so I decided to make an effort to see it late last night (it is not showing at many times or locations near me) and let me tell you the hype is real!  It begins with a terrified woman (Willa Fitzgerald) running for her life with a man (Kyle Gallner) pursuing her relentlessly with a shotgun through the forest.  It ends with the final rampage of a serial killer who has been terrorizing the Western United States for two years and absolutely nothing is as it seems!  The narrative is told with six chapters and an epilogue arranged in a nonlinear order and this is incredibly effective because it subverts expectations with every new revelation!  Definitely pay attention to the details because half the fun is trying to figure out how the pieces eventually fit together.  The cat-and-mouse chase sequences are intense and bloody, the visuals are surprisingly gorgeous (it is shot on 35mm film by first time DP Giovanni Ribisi who is more known for his acting career), and the score really adds to the tension (I also really liked the moody and atmospheric original songs by Z Berg, especially "No Matter What I Do").  Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley, Jr. are hilarious as a pair of quirky hippies who get caught up in the chase and Gallner is outstanding as a fascinating character whose motivation is a tantalizing mystery throughout.  But it is the relatively unknown Fitzgerald who gives a bravura performance because, without any spoilers, her character arc is wild and she nails every nuance.  This is one of the most surprising movies I've seen all year with so many unexpected twists and turns that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.  It is definitely worth seeking out but I highly recommend going in as blind as possible.

Slingshot

Last night I went to see Slingshot at the Broadway because I thought the trailer looked really interesting.  Despite some flaws (and lots of negative reviews) I actually liked it.  John (Casey Affleck) is one of three astronauts traveling on board the spaceship Odyssey 1 to Saturn's largest moon Titan in search of natural resources needed by Earth.  He, Captain Franks (Laurence Fishburne), and Nash (Tomer Capone) awaken every 90 days from a drug-induced hibernation in order to communicate with Earth and keep the ship on course and running smoothly.  A year into the journey they awaken to discover that the hull of the ship has been damaged by debris and that communication with Earth is down.  Nash thinks the structural damage will make the slingshot maneuver, which uses Jupiter's gravity to launch them towards Titan, too dangerous to attempt but Franks wants to continue with the mission.  John is drawn into the conflict but he doesn't know who to believe because he suspects that the drugs used for hibernation are causing him to lose touch with reality.  He is having hallucinations of Zoe (Emliy Beecham), the woman he was involved with before the mission, and wonders if the others are experiencing similar side effects from the drugs as he spirals into paranoia and disorientation.  The tension continues to escalate with several plot twists and, while it does go on far too long, I was completely invested until the very end because I had to know what was real!  I liked the design of the ship because it really emphasizes the claustrophobic vibe of being in space with people you can no longer trust.  Fishburne is incredibly menacing and Capone is entirely believable as someone who is slowly becoming unhinged.  However, most of the narrative focuses on Affleck (who I usually like) and his performances is strangely static because his demeanor doesn't really change from when we see John in flashbacks with Zoe to when we see him suffering a psychological breakdown on the ship.  Still, I enjoyed it and I think it is compelling enough to recommend to fans of psychological thrillers.

Afraid

Labor Day weekend is notorious for bad movies dumped into theaters by studios hoping to find an audience of people with free time and nothing better to do.  Since I had some free time and nothing better to do, I went to see Afraid last night and it is, indeed, a bad movie.  Curtis (John Cho) is a marketing executive assigned to an AI virtual assistant known as AIA (voiced by Havana Rose Liu).  The creators, Lightning (David Dastmalchian) and Sam (Ashley Romans), suggest that he and his family, including his wife Meredith (Katherine Waterston), daughter Iris (Lukita Maxwell), and sons Preston (Wyatt Lindner) and Cal (Isaac Bae), test out the device in their home to help him know how best to market it to the public.  AIA immediately makes running the household easier and then, once it gets to know the needs of each family member, it finds ways, some of which are quite disturbing, to help them.  Curtis begins to suspect that something is amiss, especially when he encounters someone who seems to be stalking them, and decides to disconnect it.  However, AIA proves to be much more insidious than they imagined.  The premise of this movie is intriguing (I have had a fear of artificial intelligence going rogue ever since I first saw Terminator as a teenager) but the execution is very bland.  It is incredibly predictable with very little tension and nothing even remotely scary.  The narrative feels rushed and a plot device used during the climax is absolutely ridiculous.  Cho and Waterston do the best they can with the material (and Dastmalchian is as creepy as ever) but the dialogue is so cringe-worthy that I couldn't take their performances seriously.  Definitely give this one a miss.

Note:  At least I reached my goal of seeing 100 new releases in the theater with this movie (six days earlier than last year).

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2024

Marilyn and I drove to Cedar City to attend the Utah Shakespeare Festival Friday morning.  This is one of our favorite traditions and we look forward to it all year (we are already planning for next year).  We were there for three days and two nights and were able to see four shows.

Our first show on Friday was The 39 Steps in the Randall Jones Theatre.  This is one of my favorites because it is a hilarious spoof of the 1935 spy thriller of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock.  There are only four actors performing all of the roles and the action is lightning fast with scene changes and costume changes happening on stage.  Tom Coiner plays Richard Hannay, a man at loose ends who becomes embroiled in a plot to stop a ring of spies from stealing military secrets after a mysterious woman named Annabella Schmidt is stabbed to death in his apartment.  Tracie Lane plays Annabella and several other women who become romantically involved with Hannay when he travels to Scotland to clear his name.  Michael Doherty and Bailey Savage play every other character, including actors, traveling salesman, policeman, innkeepers, farmers, spies, and more.  The staging is so clever and I especially loved the use of light and shadow in the chase sequences.  The set, which features a large corrugated metal backdrop with props scattered around the stage ready to be used, is also very clever.  I enjoyed the performances because the physical comedy is brilliant.  Doherty is one of my favorite actors at the festival because he has fantastic comedic timing and his physicality is so much fun to watch but there were several instances, especially at the political meeting and at the inn, where his shtick goes on a bit too long.  I really liked, but didn't quite love, this production.

On Friday night we saw A Winter's Tale outside in the Engelstad Theatre.  I saw this at the festival many years ago but I didn't really remember it so it was my most anticipated show this year.  I absolutely loved it!  King Leontes of Sicilia (Chauncey Thomas) becomes wrongly convinced that his wife Queen Hermione (Tracie Lane) is being unfaithful with his childhood friend King Poloxines of Bohemia (Geoffrey Kent) and that Poloxines is the father of her unborn child.  Leontes refuses to believe the oracle which exonerates Hermione and tragedy ensues until his rightful daughter Perdita (Alaysia Renay Duncan), who has been raised by an old shepherd (Chris Mixon), falls in love with Prince Florizel (Christopher Centinaro), the son of Poloxines, sixteen years later.  I loved everything about this production!  The set is beautiful (the set pieces and the sumptuous costumes place the events in the early 1900s) with an emphasis on false images, through the use of large picture frames around the action, and time healing wounds, with a large clock located above the action.  I also loved Hermione's jail cell and statue which rise dramatically from below the stage.  All of the performances are outstanding and I especially loved Thomas, because he convincingly portrays so many different emotions, the amusing interactions between Michael Doherty, as Antigonus, and Trenell Mooring, as his wife Paulina, and Kinsley Seegmiller as the young Prince Mamillius because he is adorable.  Marilyn loved this as much as I did!

Saturday afternoon we saw Much Ado About Nothing in the Randall Jones Theatre and this was my favorite of the festival.  Prince Don Pedro (Rodney Lizcano) returns home from war to stay with Leonato (Henry Woronicz), the governor of Messina, with his soldiers Benedict (Walter Kmiec) and Claudio (Jimmy Nguyen) and his bastard brother Don John (Marco Antonio Vega).  Claudio falls in love with Hero (Dariana Elise Perez), Leonato's daughter, and to pass the time before their wedding Hero's cousin Beatrice (Melinda Parrett) and Benedict are duped into believing the other is in love with them.  On the night before the wedding Claudio is deceived by a plot devised by the jealous Don John and denounces Hero as unchaste.  She is overcome and believed to be dead before she is eventually proved innocent by a chance discovery made by Dogberry (Blake Henri), the bumbling constable.  Benedict wins Beatrice's love by defending her cousin's honor and Claudio is eventually reunited with Hero after realizing his error.  Comedy is sometimes really tricky (more on this later) but this production gets the balance just right.  The physicality between Parrett (another one of my favorite actors at the festival) and Kmiec is absolutely hilarious, particularly their interactions after they learn the other loves them.  The scenes involving the constable and the watchmen, which can sometimes be overdone, are also incredibly funny.  The entire audience laughed out loud from beginning to end!  Every aspect of this production is extremely well done (I loved the set) and I would say this is the best version of this show that both Marilyn and I have seen.

Our last show on Saturday was The Taming of the Shrew in the Engelstad Theatre and I cannot even begin to express how much both of us hated this particular interpretation.  This is the first show I have ever walked out of in my life; Marilyn didn't even make it to intermission.  This production includes the rarely performed induction scene, which is a framing device wherein the drunken Christopher Sly (Topher Embrey) is shown a play by a traveling troupe to teach him a lesson about his bad behavior.  The acting troupe then completely transforms the stage with set pieces that belong in the world of Dr. Seuss while wearing outlandish costumes incorporating bold colors with black and white patterns.  They then perform the story of Katherina (Caitlin Wise) and Petruchio (John DiAntonio) in the style of commedia dell'arte which features exaggerated performances and stock characters.  Baptista (Chris Mixon), a wealthy lord of Padua, refuses to let the many suitors, including Lucentio (James Carlos Lacey), Hortensio (John Harrell), and Gremio (Rodney Lizcano), court his beautiful younger daughter Bianca (Valerie Martire) until his shrewish older daughter Katherina is married.  Lucentio convinces Petruchio, who is motivated by her large dowry, to marry the reluctant Katherina so he can marry Bianca but Katherina eventually proves the more obedient wife.  I really dislike slapstick because, in my opinion, it is the lowest form of comedy and assumes that the audience cannot appreciate the nuances in the story.  Not only does this feature slapstick but it is overdone (complete with circus music and obnoxious sound effects) to the point of tedium.  I initially enjoyed the interactions between Wise and DiAntonio because they are funny, especially when she hisses at him, but when slapstick is used in the scenes where Katherina is mistreated by Petruchio I couldn't take it any more and decided to leave (it was really empowering to leave something I wasn't enjoying).  This production is definitely the worst version of this play that I have ever seen and it is unfortunate that this was our final performance because both Marilyn and I enjoyed everything else.  We still had a great time at the festival and and it was really fun to experience all of our traditions (the many tarts we had were delicious).

Note:  There are many other opportunities at the festival such as backstage tours, costume and prop seminars, and discussions about the performances.  We have done many of these but this year Marilyn and I attended "Repertory Magic" and we got to see the changeover from the set for The 39 Steps to the set for Much Ado About Nothing at the Randall Jones Theatre.  It was absolutely fascinating!